STEAM, TEA & MOUNTAINS: YOUR ULTIMATE CHATTANOOGA RAIL WEEKEND
Welcome aboard — six ways to time-travel in a single weekend
Chattanooga earned its place on the rail map in the 1850s, and the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) still lets you experience that golden age at full scale. Whether you have an hour or a whole day, the rides below turn casual getaways into moving memories.
Friday & Saturday Evenings —
The Ridge Runner at Sunset
-
Overview Wrap up the day with pastel skies filtering through open windows as your train glides across Chickamauga Creek.
-
Duration ≈ 70 minutes round-trip
-
Why go Low-key narration, optional open-air seating, and golden-hour photography make this a relaxing “first taste” of rail travel.
Daily Short Hop —
Missionary Ridge Local with Steam Star #630
Southern Railway No. 630, built in 1904, handles TVRM’s busiest route and runs 31 “service days” between boiler washes, ensuring peak reliability while keeping the fire alive — quite literally — in her 121-year-old boiler .
-
Duration ≈ 55 minutes
-
Highlights Ride through the 1858 Missionary Ridge Tunnel, watch the locomotive spin on a vintage turntable, and tour Soule Shops where restorations happen in real time.
Sunday Afternoon —
Tea, Scones & Steam
Start in the 1940s-themed Homefront Tea Room for fine china service and baked pastries, then stroll to your coach for a gentle loop behind #630. Perfect for slow travel fans or multi-generational outings.
-
Duration Tea 1 hr 15 min + 55 min ride
-
Tip Select the “Tea & Train” combo when booking to reserve your table.
Saturday Epic —
The Chickamauga Turn
Launched as a regular excursion in 2005 after highly rated test runs, this 48-mile journey rolls every weekend of the season . Expect Civil-War scenery, a 90-minute layover in the town of Chickamauga.
-
Duration 6 hours round-trip
-
Don’t miss Stroll the depot’s museum shop or wander to the battlefield before re-boarding.
Mountain Marvels —
Hiwassee Adventures from Delano, TN
|
Ride |
Duration |
Signature Moment |
|---|---|---|
|
Hiwassee Loop |
3.5 hrs |
Climb the famed “Hook & Eye” spiral, a 60-ft self-crossing helix that once overwhelmed TVRM’s phone lines with demand when excursions debuted in 2006 |
|
Copperhill Special |
8 hrs |
Cross the Hiwassee River at Reliance and arrive in the twin mining towns of Copperhill, TN/McCaysville, GA, following a route engineered in 1898 to conquer Bald Mountain’s rugged grade |
Few American railroads can match the breathtaking loop, a monument to 19th-century ingenuity still in daily use.
Ready to ride?
All schedules, fares, and seating classes appear at bit.ly/4jheRTE. For deeper stories, explore the Smoke & Cinders archive at tvrail.com/news.