ðə kˈɜːɹənt ɹˈɛɡjʊlɚ ɡˈeɪdʒ ɹˈeɪlɹoʊd ɪz ɐ ɹˈɛmnənt əvə lˈɑːɹdʒɚ, nˈæɹoʊ ɡˈeɪdʒ ɹˈeɪlɹoʊd, ðɪ ˈiːst tˌɛnəsˈiː ænd wˈɛstɚn nˈɔːɹθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnɚ ɹˈeɪlɹoʊd, tʃˈɑːɹɾɚd ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɪks tə hˈɔːl ˈaɪɚn ˈoːɹ fɹʌm kɹˈænbɛɹi, nˈɔːɹθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnə tə dʒˈɑːnsən sˈɪɾi əkɹˌɑːs ðɪ ˌæpɐlˈeɪʃən mˈaʊntɪnz.
The current regular gauge railroad is a remnant of a larger, narrow gauge railroad, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad, chartered in 1866 to haul iron ore from Cranberry, North Carolina to Johnson City across the Appalachian Mountains.