Yancey

Company History: This 13 mile North Carolina shortline was launched in 1955 by local interests to save the route of the Black Mountain Railroad from abandonment. It ran from a connection with the Clinchfield in Kona, NC to Micaville, then split with one line going to Burnsville and the other to Bowditch. For most of its history, the locomotive fleet consisted of two GE switchers, #1 "Blackie" and #2 "Puddles." Both are shown in the photos. The Yancey was struck by serious washouts in the 70s. Although the line was rebuilt, they never fully recovered from the loss of traffic and finally shut down at the end of 1982.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.