Tennessee Central Railway Museum offered its Train Robbery Trip on Saturday. Riders enjoyed a train robbery and a shootout in Watertown’s Court Square between a band of misfits called the Dead Tree Desperados and the sheriff.
Numerous railroad trips with various themes and destinations are offered every year. Saturday’s event traveled from Donelson in Nashville at 3:30 p.m. to Watertown, a 90-mile round trip that took approximately five-and-a-half hours.
The train robbery took place just before entering Watertown. Desperados dressed in Wild West attire boarded the train and asked for “donations” from the passengers.
“This is a hold up,” said one robber as he brandished a shotgun. “There are some rich folks on this train. We don’t want much, just all your money.”
According to the information on the gang, “The Desperados have come to Watertown and will be waitin’ in the badlands of Wilson County for this dad-burned train to come chuggin’ along. After you’ns have been separated from your loot by the Desperados, the train will continue on into Watertown.”
The robbers showed they had a kinder side as they posed for pictures and shared a few jokes with passengers. All the donations will go to a scholarship fund established for Watertown students in memory of Sue Talley. Talley was a much-loved and respected member of the town who lost a battle with cancer. Since the effort began, it has raised over $10,000 for the fund. The museum provides two scholarships a year.
Passengers were then given two hours to explore the town, enjoy lunch and experience a Wild West shootout between the robbers and Sheriff Marshal Montana, who was successful in defending the town. Prior to reboarding the train, actors entertained the crowd with comedy.
The Tennessee Central Railway Museum is an all-volunteer, nonprofit corporation that began in early 1989 as an effort to operate excursion trains in Middle Tennessee.
The museum’s mission is to preserve, restore, interpret and operate historic railroad equipment for the education of the general public about America’s railroads.
Along with a train robbery, excursions themes include Del Monaco Winery, Murder Mystery, Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine, Fall Mile-Long Yard Sale, Super Fall Foliage, and a North Pole Express excursion with Santa in November and December.
For more information about Tennessee Central Railway Museum’s trips, dates and pricing, visit www.tcry.org.