Roaring Camp Railroads operations began in 1963 under the guidance of F. Norman Clark (1935–1985), who was the founder and owner. His purpose was to keep a family tradition of constructing railroads and to "bring the romance and color of steam railroading back to America". In 1958, Clark found the engine "Dixiana" abandoned near a coal mine in the Appalachian Mountains; he described it as looking like a " rusty pile of junk". "Dixiana" was reconditioned and began service in 1963 on rails that had been shipped around Cape Horn in 1881. The railway route was laid out so that as few trees as possible would have to be cut on the Clark acquired with a 99-year lease of the larger Big Trees Ranch.