Dollywood Express 70 & 192: Smoky Mountain Christmas 2020

The tail end of 2020 saw Dollywood once again celebrate their annual Smoky Mountain Christmas, using hundreds of thousands of lights to transform the park into a holiday wonderland. For the entire month-and-a-half celebration the park was near the maximum capacity allowable during the ongoing pandemic and reservations were hard to come by; I was only able to get in on December 2nd and then a month later on January 2nd. Engine 70 "Cinderella" was pulling the express for most of December, however in the first & final weeks of the season 192 "Klondike Katie" was hauling the train, decked out in Christmas lights for the first time in several years. In spite of everything going on it was great to see some steam once more before the winter doldrums.
Music:
Christmas Village by Aaron Kenny from the KZbin Audio Library
Noel by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@Thomasboi01]

Dollywood 192 & 70 put on a great whistle show! Nice run-by scenes and I love the whistles and "jingle bells". I love it when they said "blow the whistle"! Nice video.

[@TyTytheTrainGuy]

Outstanding video! Both 70 and 192 can put on a great show.

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks!

[@stevensainerailfanproductions]

Amazing video. We just missed you on January 2nd. We went on the 1st.

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks, I saw your video but forgot to comment. It was actually yours and Steam Z's videos of 192 that prompted me to make a last-minute attempt at getting a reservation that day.

[@stevensainerailfanproductions]

@@SmokyMtnSteam glad you were able to get the reservation. Also glad to inspire out first steam of 2021.

[@SteamZRailfan]

Awesome video! Great shots of both locomotives! Funny thing, I went on the first and was very surprised to see 192.

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks! I had given up hope on getting a reservation before the end of the season and was just going to post a short video with my 70 shots when I saw yours and Steve's videos and knew I had to try and see 192 running. Still weren't any openings until the park had already been open a few hours.

[@SteamZRailfan]

@@SmokyMtnSteam I barely got ours in time. It was a tight window. Glad we both got to see Klondike Katie!

[@TrainChamber]

I havent seen some of these shots done before. Amazing work!

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks a lot!

[@christopherjamieson1668]

I like the sound of 70. It’s the exact same sound as 190 at Tweetsie Railroad.

[@jordonfreeman166]

70 is a sister locomotive to White Pass & Yukon’s 72, while 192 is a sister locomotive to Tweetsie 190. Both Dollywood’s and Tweetsie’s mikados come from the White Pass and Yukon.

[@dcstone]

Good to see Katie out for Christmas, it's been many a year since she last was. Quite unfortunate they tore down all the cabins though.

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Agreed, as much as I appreciate the new sightlines offered by Wildwood Grove the construction has really ruined that feeling of a train ride through the wild Smokies - although I suppose the massive vacation homes overlooking the upper loop had already done that years ago. Hopefully they'll eventually build some new sets at least.

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

I wonder how you Americans celebrate Christmas. Perhaps it's slightly different to what we do in the UK. Jingle bells, jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to ride in a Railroad Open-sleigh.

[@SouRwy4501Productions]

I think it might be interesting to see Cinderella doing the Ghost Train signal on either her Crosby or the Southern 3 chime.

[@RailfanDude610]

At video clip 6:29, I’m so glad that 70 has its old Crosby 3 chime back!

[@thecarolinianrailfan8339]

Nice

[@greatsmokymtnsrailfan]

Awesome! I still have yet to go there. Maybe soon.

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks, park entry is a little steep but definitely worth the price of admission. They reopen in early March.

[@greatsmokymtnsrailfan]

@@SmokyMtnSteam Thanks for the info!

[@jordonfreeman166]

But at least it’s closer and cheaper than Disneyworld!

[@greatsmokymtnsrailfan]

@@jordonfreeman166 True!

[@duaeditsandplays]

Nice video.i also hope you go to the huckleberry railroad or the new hope & ivyland railroad this year. if you know those railroad's for now take care.

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

I'll definitely be in Michigan to see Little River 110 this year so I might be able to make a side trip to Huckleberry or Greenfield Village if they are open.

[@duaeditsandplays]

Ok. But what about new hope and ivyland railroad. I hope you do more railfaning this year

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

@@duaeditsandplays NH&I is on my eventual to-do list but if I get to PA this year I'll be focused further west on the Reading & Northern and/or East Broad Top

[@duaeditsandplays]

@@SmokyMtnSteam ok but for now take care.

[@TNRailProductions_01]

Outstanding video! I have a question about the 107 photo charter. When we booked the tickets they never gave us any details about what time we are supposed to arrive in downtown Knoxville. Do you have any Idea when that would be?

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks! They'll send out an email with the details regarding when and where to meet and a rough schedule for the day closer to the event, probably when the new date is determined.

[@TNRailProductions_01]

Ok, thanks!

[@kmfetz]

Hey does anybody know if Union Pacific 3985 or any challenger is still preserved? sorry it’s not related to the video

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

3985 was retired when 4014 entered service in 2019, it is currently stored safely in the Cheyenne roundhouse. 3977 is on static display in North Platte, NE.

[@SantaFe19484]

Nice video!

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

Thanks!

[@Thomasboi01]

Need a steam ride? Call "dollywood express". Come have a ride in the smokies.

[@Nebula905]

What camera do you use? The quality is next level!

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

This video was shot on a Sony FDR-AX53 with an Azden SMX-30 microphone. The AX33/43/53 has the best handheld stabilization around but doesn't do well on tripods so outside theme parks I use an FDR-AX100.

[@Nebula905]

@@SmokyMtnSteam What about the cargo moving people video?

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

@@Nebula905 That was also filmed with the AX53 as I hadn't bought the AX100 yet.

[@Nebula905]

@@SmokyMtnSteam What editing software do you use? Sorry for all the questions

[@SmokyMtnSteam]

@@Nebula905 No problem, I use VEGAS Movie Studio 16 Platinum