![]() ![]() The lift was operated from the top of the mountain by a 440-volt motor that generated over 200 horsepower. The chair lift was specially ordered from Italy and could transport 900 passengers per hour, using its 160 double chairs. The chair lift provided another unique and exciting way to reach Ghost Town from Maggie Valley. ![]() One of the major additions to Ghost Town that occurred during the winter and spring of 1962 was the double chair lift. On some days, the park had more than 10,000 people in attendance. Ghost Town in the Sky very quickly became one of the most popular attractions in Western North Carolina. Fortunately, all went well, and installation was completed with no injuries.Ĭonstruction of Ghost Town in the Sky, as it was formally named, was completed in May of 1961. Installation was a dangerous job, and caught the attention of Maggie Valley residents most of the winter, as they watched Ghost Town come together. A “Skidder” at the top of the mountain was used to pull a cart up and down the mountain, containing the workers, rails, and tools. In some places, it was nearly straight up, making for an exciting ride up to the top.Īssembling and installing the Incline Railway was also a challenge. The Ghost Town Incline Railway rises 1,200 feet at varying grades, from 30% to 76.1%, over the 3,364 feet it travels. ![]() The Incline Railway was not only the nation’s very first double incline railway but also the steepest. The cars were operated electronically from the top of the mountain, using 440-volt motors that weighed more than 25,000 lbs each. Each cable weighed 6,000 lbs, for a total of 18,000 lbs, for all three. The cars were attached to three separate cables. There were two cars, each capable of holding 48 passengers. The railway itself is made up of 21,000 feet of steel rail. Again, everyone that performed this work was local. The bulldozer was worked up and down like a yo-yo. A 25-ton bulldozer was moved up and down the mountainside, and connected to another bulldozer at the top, by a 4-inch cable. This would become the roadbed for the Incline Railway. Bulldozer operators carved out a 50 foot wide, 3,364 foot long clearing up the side of Buck Mountain. The construction of the Incline Railway was a feat in and of itself. The Incline Railway (a funicular railway) brought people to within 200 feet of the top of the mountain. The shuttle bus was only available to people with specials needs, and staff. Today, that same seed would cost more than $25,000.Īt the time of Ghost Town’s grand opening, there were only two ways up to the top, The Incline Railway, and shuttle bus. The grass seed alone cost more than $3,000 in 1960. All buildings were true life size replicas of similar buildings from the era.Īll building supplies were sourced locally and included 300,000 feet of lumber, 200,000 feet of plywood, and 20,000 pounds of nails. By early May 1961, more than 40 buildings were complete, both inside and out. Thousands of yards of dirt and rock were then moved to the shoulders of the western town and became the foundations for surrounding towns: Indian Village, Mountain Town, and Mining Town.īuilding construction for the four different towns started in mid-November of 1960, using 200 local men to get the job done. This area would soon become the Old West town, and home to the famous gun fights. Three bulldozers made their way to the top of the mountain to shave 45 feet of dirt and rock off the top. Construction of Ghost Town began on September 1, 1960. Ghost Town Maggie Valley was designed and constructed by Russell Pearson in 1960 for approximately $1 million. Buck Mountain has an elevation of 4,600 feet and provides beautiful mountain scenery all around it. ![]() Coburn decided to return to Maggie Valley, and build a Wild West based theme park on top of Buck Mountain in Maggie Valley. After visiting many different ghost towns throughout western America, R.B. was a successful businessman, having started several successful businesses in Tennessee. Coburn had been visiting the valley for some time with his family and fell in love with the area. Ghost Town was a huge success in the 60s, but later struggled, causing some to refer to it as the “cursed amusement park.” Ghost Town Maggie Valley – The Beginnings Coburn, who was originally from Virginia, but later moved to Maggie Valley NC. Ghost Town Maggie Valley (officially named Ghost Town in the Sky) was a very popular Western-themed mountaintop amusement park, located in Maggie Valley NC. Ghost Town May Reopen – Read all the latest news in our Ghost Town Update Article ![]()
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