- 5 hours Duration 5 hours
- All Ages Ages All Ages
Enjoy a 50-mile roundtrip through the beautiful lower Hiwassee River gorge. This 5-hour trip takes you to the top of the famous Hiwassee Loop.
Quick Details
A Unique Excursion with Fine Dining
This unique opportunity allows you to enjoy not only a railroad excursion trip but also fine dining en route while the train travels along the rails. Join the Tennessee Valley Railroad for dinner trains on select Fridays and Saturdays, March through October. The trips include a three-course dining experience onboard restored dining cars.
Our Dinner Trains are one of our most popular excursions and for good reason! Our Dining Car Superintendent and his team of Dining Car Stewards and Chefs provide exceptional customer service and delicious food all prepared and served in historic dining cars. A meal on the Dinner Train is like stepping back in time and the perfect way to celebrate a special occasion!
Dinner trains depart from Chattanooga’s Grand Junction depot in the evening, traveling at a leisurely pace through portions of urban East Chattanooga before reversing direction and returning to Grand Junction. The standard departure times are select Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 PM. The travel time is just right for the complete meal aboard the moving train.
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ENTREE CHOICES:
Patrons may select their entrée of (sample):
- Carved English Roast of Beef topped with a Madeira Sauce
- Herb Roasted Stuffed Breast of Chicken with a Cumberland Sauce
- Crusted Filet of Salmon with a Roasted Sweet Red Bell Pepper Sauce
- Vegetarian Lasagna
- Other savory items include tomato bisque with creme fraiche and chives, homemade mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, and assorted breads and butter
BEVERAGES:
- Water
- Coffee
- Lemonade
- Iced Tea (Sweet or Unsweet)
DESSERT:
One dessert per person:
- A Triple Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream and Fudge Sauce
- Apple Pie with Ice Cream
- Cheesecake with Strawberries
Passengers may choose from true vintage dining in the Dining Car (four to a table) or the smaller tables for two in Pullman Car Clover Colony.
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We do not have a formal dress code for the dinner train, but most passengers seem to enjoy dressing up a bit.
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NOTE: The Dining and Pullman seating are in different cars. You will not be seated together if you select different seating types.
Dining Car Table Ticket (Seats up to 4 passengers):
Southern Railway 3158/”Travelers Fare”
Current Dining Cars in uses:
Pullman Section Table (Seats 2 passengers):
Southern Pacific Railroad 97/Clover Colony
What is a Pullman car?
- Pullman-Standard continued manufacturing sleeping cars and other passenger and freight railroad cars until 1980. For nearly a year at the end of World War II the United States government banned sleeping cars for runs of less than 450 miles (720 km).
What did a Pullman car look like?
- During the day, the sleeper looked like a regular, if especially lavish, passenger car, but during the night it transformed into a 2-story hotel on wheels. Seats were unfolded into lower sleeping berths, while upper berths, instead of lowering from the ceiling on pulleys, folded out from it. Learn more about our Pullman.
Interesting history of our Pullman car
- Southern Pacific Railroad 97/Clover Colony was used during the filming of Marilyn Monroe, “Some Like It Hot” movie. Click here to watch the movie clip.
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The trains board at our Grand Junction depot, located at 4119 Cromwell Road in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Chattanooga is in the Eastern Time Zone. Please check the calendar for dates of operation and departure times.
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Located within 10 minutes of our location:
Sonesta Select
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Can Children Ride the Dinner Train?
Not recommended for children under 8 years old. Please note that our signature dining car menu and per-person pricing is the same for adults and children.
Dress Code and Etiquette
Meals served in dining cars were often a highlight of train travel for travelers to socialize, relax, and enjoy fist-class meals and service from stewards and wait staff. We do not have a formal dress code for the dinner train, but most passengers seem to enjoy and are encouraged to dress up for the occasion.
Historically, hats will also be removed in the dining car as you board and are seated for the duration of your meal service. Your Dining Car staff will be dressed in early-mid 20th century attire as they attend to your needs, and your participation with period-correct passenger etiquette helps to create an authentic and memorable experience for everyone!
Note: Due to the historic nature of this first-class dining setting, we ask that all passengers kindly exhibit noise etiquette as a courtesy to fellow passengers and our staff.
Do you offer Gluten-Free or Vegetarian Options?
The roast beef may be served without sauce to make it gluten-free and the vegetarian lasagna is offered for vegetarians. Please contact us at 423-894-8028 for any special dietary inquiries prior to purchase.
What sights will I see from Dinner Train?
As a key route for passenger and industrial service in the early and mid-20th century, this historic excursion line begins on a pre-Civil War route crossing four bridges and through the Missionary Ridge Tunnel. As the train makes its way past East Chattanooga, additional sights that can be viewed from the train include the Chattanooga Zoo established in 1937 and the Warner Park fields, previously called “Olympia Park” near the turn of the 20th century, which served as a public recreation area for horse races, ballgames, and even mock Army maneuver demonstrations for soldiers training during WWI. The train then travels alongside the historic Chattanooga National Cemetery established in 1863 and the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, a 33-acre outdoor international sculpture museum prior to the return trip back and arrival at the Grand Junction Depot. Note: the tracks are located along parts of urban East Chattanooga. This ride will not go along any scenic mountains or rivers.