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From there, Harry helped the Tennessee Central Railway Museum put together the train robbery excursion.

“The first year, I believe they robbed the train four times in one year, and it was a hit,� Chris Brandenburg said.

Brandenburg joined up with the Dead Tree Desperados in 2002 after watching the reenactment.

“I borrowed a black powder pistol from Harry, and we robbed the train,� Brandenburg said.

“It was just the most fun thing I ever did. The next year I went out and bought my own (black powder) gun.�

Every year, the Desperados put an emphasis on safety.

“We use blanks,� Brandenburg said. “Blanks can be just as dangerous as a gun with a bullet, so amongst ourselves we have to rehearse and train and obey safety rules. We make sure that nobody carries any live ammunition.�

When the Dead Tree Desperados perform, they give a short lesson in safety, telling kids never to pick up a gun.

Once the train leaves for Watertown, the story begins. Passengers are told to watch out for robbers, because the train is carrying a box of gold to Watertown.

Reenactors warn the passengers that if the train begins to slow down, that means it’s about to be boarded.

Then, it happens.

“They come out and actually stop the train on the west side of Watertown and board each car,� said Terry Bebout of the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. “They do a little skit.�

Tickets for the Tennessee Central Railway Museum’s excursion trains to Watertown are sold out until August; however, tickets are still available to catch the Desperados’ next target: the Sept. 21 train robbery excursion.

“It’s a good trip for families,� Bebout said. “Not all our trips are family-oriented. Some trips are more for adults, like the Mardi Gras trip and things like that. But the train robbery trip’s good for church groups, for families, and I think that’s what makes it one of our more popular trips.�

Once visitors return to the train in Watertown, the robbers are typically still there, waiting.

“They usually confront the sheriff and have a little play-like shootout,� Bebout said.

Before Macomber passed away in 2011, he asked Brandenburg to take over responsibility for the Desperados.

“We started doing it twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall,� Brandenburg said. “My guys were saying, ‘We’re having so much fun. Can’t we do this somewhere else? We don’t want to wait six months to do it again.’ �

The group got an invitation to perform at the Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair in 2018 and have been performing consistently at the fair after taking a break for the COVID-19 pandemic alongside their chuckwagon.