Rail history

When History Comes Full Circle: Honoring the Legacy of William James ‘Papa Lee’ Lee At the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, we cherish moments when history comes alive in the most personal ways. Recently, we had the honor of hosting Nicholas, Liz, and Nolan—descendants of William James ‘Papa Lee’ Lee, a revered engineer of the famous…

Celebrating 100 Years: The Journey of Southern Railway Dining Car No. 3158 A Century of Service – TVRM’s former Southern Railway Dining Car No. 3158 has long held the record of being the oldest continuously operating dining car in the country, and today that record enters triple digits, as the venerable 78 foot long, 87-ton…

Preserving History: East Chattanooga’s 2024 Railway Expansion Project 2024 marks a significant year in the history of Chattanooga’s railway heritage. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum(TVRM), renowned for preserving rail history, embarks on a monumental project: building new tracks off the south side of the East Chattanooga turntable. This initiative highlights the ongoing dedication to maintaining…

Breathing New Life into the F7A: Inside the Restoration of TVRM 576 Last month, the workshops at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum buzzed with renewed energy as a brand new project chugged into its care – the recently acquired F7A, christened TVRM 576. This locomotive, a vestige of rail history and engineering prowess, has now embarked…

This year, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) was honored to host 53 enthusiastic campers during our annual Rail Camp summer program. Spanning five incredible weeks, these young rail enthusiasts had the opportunity to dive deep into the captivating world of railroad operations. Our Rail Camp provided an immersive experience for the campers, enabling them…

This summer, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) proudly launched our inaugural “Rising Railroad Professionals” overnight program. This initiative, meticulously designed for young individuals aged 15-17, aims to ignite and nourish a passion for the railroad preservation industry among the youth. Our unique program caters to those with a keen interest in pursuing a career in…

The Origins and Evolution of the Chattanooga Choo Choo The story of the Chattanooga Choo Choo is a rich tapestry interwoven with history, music, and the transformation of a city. What began as a mere song eventually elevated Chattanooga, Tennessee, into an internationally recognized icon. Origins of the Name The Chattanooga Choo Choo initially referred…

The Legacy of the Chattanooga Choo Choo The Chattanooga Choo Choo is not just a song, but a symbol of transformation, history, and cultural significance for Chattanooga, Tennessee. Originally a wood-burning steam locomotive that began its journey in March 1880, the Chattanooga Choo Choo connected Cincinnati and Chattanooga, marking a pivotal moment in post-Civil War…

TVRM Gratefully Acknowledges John Emery Rail Heritage Trust Grant We are deeply appreciative to have been awarded a grant of $20,000 from the John Emery Rail Heritage Trust. Notably, half of this grant, amounting to $10,000, was received in mid-2022. This generous funding is instrumental in facilitating numerous enhancements to the dining car #899, known…

A Journey Fueled by Success Over our sixty-one years, TVRM has seen more than our share of challenges. Overall, our successes have outpaced our failures as evidenced by our rolling stock, staff, facilities and visitation. TVRM has weathered many of the recent storms with help from our freight business, returning passenger events, tight control of…