Chattanooga Choo Choo -- The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum [September 4, 2016]

Boarding the Mission Ridge Local

The history of Chattanooga TN is closely tied to the development of railroad routes through the town.  The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum located there restores old locomotives and railroad cars.  Visitors to the museum can walk among the restored cars in a train yard.  They can also select one of several train rides.

A real live steam engine!

We went on the Missionary Ridge Local, three restored passenger cars of different vintages pulled by a steam locomotive.  A real life steam locomotive, complete with coal car!  We traveled along an old train route through the outskirts of Chattanooga. 

East Chattanooga station

The turnstile for the locomotive

Then we got off the train at the Civil War vintage East Chattanooga station and watched as our locomotive was detached from the train and then turned to go in the other direction on an old-fashioned turnstile.  The locomotive went back along another track to the “new” front of the passenger cars to hook up and take us home.

Where the restoration gets done

As the locomotive was being attached we went to a huge warehouse where TVRM restores its trains and makes sure that the ones being used are well maintained and safe.  There are maintenance chambers below floor level for mechanics to use to work on the undersides.

Back at the TVRM station at Grand Junction

This unusual museum calls itself a rolling museum, because the exhibits are the train rides themselves.

After our train ride, we joined Leslie and Natalie for lunch and a trip to the fabulous Chattanooga Aquarium.  The Aquarium has two buildings, one for fresh water exhibits and one for salt water exhibits.  Another location worth a visit!