The most unusual "character '' in the Petticoat Junction cast is the Hooterville Cannonball, an 1890s abbreviated train with a steam locomotive and single combination car (with a baggage and passenger section). The train is operated more like a taxi service by retired engineer Charley Pratt (Smiley Burnette) and retired conductor Floyd Smoot (Rufe Davis). It operates on a long forgotten spur between Hooterville and Pixley that was disconnected from the railway 's main line after the collapse of a trestle twenty years before the start of the series. It is not uncommon for the Cannonball to make an unscheduled stop in order to go fishing or to pick fruit for Kate Bradley 's menu at the Shady Rest Hotel. Occasionally, Betty Jo Bradley can be found with her hand on the Cannonball 's throttle, as running the train home from trips into town is one of her favorite pastimes.
where is the train used in petticoat junction
on a long forgotten spur between Hooterville and Pixley that was disconnected from the railway 's main line after the collapse of a trestle twenty years before the start of the series