The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum offers the best train rides through the Chattanooga area full of history and more.
At the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum you can ride a train in an old railway car or explore the museum of trains that once rode the rails decades ago. There’s a lot to learn about trains and history here. And specialty train rides allow for fun dining experiences, scenic views, and more. Continue reading to learn more about the best train rides in Chattanooga with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and everything they have to offer.
One of the Best Train Rides in Chattanooga
If you’re looking for a quick and affordable ride, I highly recommend booking a train ride on the Missionary Ridge Local. Also just called “the Local” for a shorter name that matches the ride, this is the shortest train ride available, packed full of unique Chattanooga history. This is an approximately 1 hour round trip ride, but only 30 minutes of it is on the train. The train leaves Grand Junction Depot and travels for 15 minutes across a bridge over Chickamauga Creek, through a 981 foot long, hand-built stone tunnel, and ends at an old turntable at the East Chattanooga Station. Here you will exit the train and do a 20 minute tour of the turntable and restoration shop. Then it’s back on the train for the 15 minute ride back to Grand Junction Depot. The entire ride is filled with commentary on the history of trains in Chattanooga and facts about the landmarks the rails pass.
The Chattanooga Turntable
The 1960’s turntable at the East Chattanooga Station was originally built for use in Macon, GA, but ended up being too small for the location. So in 1982 it moved to Chattanooga, TN. It was originally powered by hand, but today it has a 25hp motor to use instead. During the demonstration you’ll get to watch the train engine slowly rotate for the trip back.
Restoration Shop
After this you will be guided to the restoration shop where there are more old trains to admire. During this time at the shop there is another 10 minute presentation of how they collect, restore, and maintain the trains for the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. This shop is the only one in North America that has all three machines necessary to properly maintain an old steam engine.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is located on Cromwell Road, just east of downtown Chattanooga. The museum is free to tour with the purchase of a train ride ticket. But if you just want to check out the museum and not ride a train, you can purchase tickets for the museum instead. The museum consists of old railway cars, steam locomotives, and diesel engines which you’ll see as you walk up to the Grand Junction Depot from the parking lot. Some have plaques that tell you more about the particular car or engine, and some are open for you to explore the inside. This includes an old caboose where you can see how it was equipped as living quarters for the conductor and brakeman on long train trips.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum began in 1961 when a local group of train enthusiasts started to collect retired steam engines. The steam engine started to be replaced by diesels in the 1950’s. These steam locomotives were going to be scrapped, but these men had better plans for them. The goal was to collect and preserve as much local railroading history as possible. This museum would create a space to share the history and teach future generations about the days when passenger trains were thriving.
Eventually the Southern Railroad (present day Norfolk Southern) started to donate their retired trains to the museum. Through the years, the museum has received numerous donations of locomotives and various cars both in operational and observational condition. Today, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is known as one of the biggest and oldest railroads that offers working demonstrations, train rides, and history.
History of Chattanooga Trains
Chattanooga’s first railroad line was the Western and Atlantic Railroad which was built in 1850. By 1858, other railroads such as East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia were added. This caused Chattanooga to become a major hub in the railroad transportation world. In turn, this allowed the city of Chattanooga to grow even more. The railroads played key roles in the Civil War as well. There’s some Civil War history you will learn on the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum train rides including the infamous “Andrew’s Raid.”
If you’ve been around Chattanooga long enough, you may have noticed all the railroad themes around the city. This includes the classic song, “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” written about Chattanooga’s old passenger train station, Terminal Station. And keeping in theme, the newly renovated Hotel Chalet offers suites inside old railway cars right next door.
By the 1950’s, the rails became quieter as people turned to planes and cars for transportation instead of trains. And by the 1960’s, even freight trains were less common than they used to be. This is when the railroad museums came into play. All over America, railroad museums popped up to preserve this amazing era in history. You can learn more history of the rails from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s very thorough online collection.
Our Train Ride in Chattanooga Experience
Adam and I chose the Missionary Ridge Local train ride and the amount of history and facts we learned as well as what we saw in that 1 hour trip was astonishing. Our railway car was a coach made by the Pullman Company in 1925 specifically for the Southern Railroad. The windows were adjustable at the time, but in 1936 they re-modeled it and added AC. When we rode in it, some windows were open and some were closed. It was late February so the weather was nice and actually the perfect day for an open window train ride.
Another coach car on the three car train we had was built in 1911. It’s currently the oldest operating passenger car in the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. It was originally a sleeping car but was re-modeled as a passenger car in 1954.
After enjoying the train ride, visiting the restoration shop, and watching the train turn around on the turntable, we were back at Grand Junction Depot in no time. Here we walked around the museum yard and explored all the cars and engines on display. Overall, the experience was great and we can’t wait to go back and try another train ride in Chattanooga.
Additional Train Rides in Chattanooga and Beyond
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum offers special train rides throughout the year so you’ll be sure to find something fun for all ages.
Evening Ridge Runner
The Evening Ridge Runner takes the same trip as the Missionary Ridge Local, except it’s done in the beautiful twilight hours of the setting sun. This train ride in Chattanooga happens mostly on weekends in the summertime. Be sure to get your tickets for the Evening Ridge Runner online beforehand.
Summerville Steam Special
The Summerville Steam Special is a full, 9 hour day train ride excursion. A steam locomotive takes the train from Chattanooga, TN into Summerville, GA between the months of April and November. Since it’s a full day adventure, there are various dining options on the train from breakfast to lunch, or opt to use the 1 hour stop in Summerville to grab lunch in town. This popular train ride books up fast so be sure to buy your tickets online for the Summerville Steam Special as soon as possible.
The Homefront Tea Room
Enjoy an afternoon tea in the Homefront Tea Room, upstairs above the Grand Junction Depot. After your tea, you can enjoy a short ride on the Missionary Ridge Local. This is just another option to make the shortest train ride they offer, even better. Purchase your tickets online for the Homefront Tea Room to make the most of your visit to the museum.
Dinner Train
If you’re looking for a fine dining experience, you’ll get exactly that on the Dinner Train. This 2 hour train ride in Chattanooga will show you areas of downtown while you enjoy your meal. The Dinner Train is only available for certain Friday and Saturday nights so book your trip online in advance.
These are just a few of the many types of train rides the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum offers. There’s so much more, such as the seasonal North Pole Christmas Train and fall foliage train rides. Other special events include a Railroad Summer Camp for teens and Day Out with Thomas for the whole family. Be sure to check out the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum website for all these options and more.
In Closing
It’s clear to see that the best train rides in Chattanooga can be found at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Not only are the train rides amazing, the railroad history you’ll learn here is plentiful too.
Be sure to watch the YouTube video of some unique train footage at the museum. And comment down below if you’ve been here before and what your favorite part is. Or, if you’re planning to visit, which train ride are you picking? Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
