tweetsie railroad penny farthing

[thom]

In NC , between Blowing Rock and Boone there is a tourist attraction called Tweetsie Railroad. It's been there since 1957. They have a preserved 1915 steam powered train that takes passengers on a 3 mile ride around the mountainside. My wife and I took our two grandsons and her niece and nephew there today. We've been there several times before. It's about 25 miles from our house. Today I saw this hanging from the ceiling in the gift shop.

It appears to be a real bike.It hangs pretty high from the floor , so I could not see a lot of the details.I love the look of penny-farthing bikes and would like to build a reproduction. The biggest problem that I have encountered is the spokes for the front wheel.The local sources that I have checked can't supply the right size wire to match nipples that are available. 8)

 

[ozzmonaut]

I haven't been to tweetsie in so long. So long ago that I wasn't really into bikes. But we were in Boone last year and saw a high-wheeler not inside town but somewhere on the outskirts. The old guy was proud of it. Proud enough to claim that it is a $50K bike.

 

[ozzmonaut]

I think we may have actually been in Blowing rock, can't remember. The roads were a bit confusing and I ended up going in a few circles trying to get from Boone to blowing rock and back.

 

[Rustinkerer]

We take my son there every June for "Day Out With Thomas". I think this was our 3rd year! Great place, you get a lot of value for your $. A must when you have a four year old Thomas fanatic! :mrgreen: -Adam