The afternoon portion of the TAG Line excursion was a trip to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Since Chris had bought himself some lunch while I had checked e-mail and did a few other things, he boarded one of the nearly full buses while I boarded on the rear nearly empty bus. He was now in Group Yellow, which would go to Grand Junction station first, while I, being in the Green Group, would go to East Chattanooga station and ride the train first.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum HistoryFounded in 1960 and incorporated in 1961, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum originally stored equipment at the Western Union pole yard, which was located adjacent to the Southern Railway classification yard on Holtzclaw Avenue in East Chattanooga. After the termination of passenger service to the Southern Railway's Terminal Station in 1971, additional cars and locomotives were stored at this facility in downtown Chattanooga.
In 1969, the TVRM received a land donation from the Southern Railway, consisting of a property located in East Chattanooga on North Chamberlain Avenue. This donation included the 986 foot Whiteside Tunnel and about one-and-a-half- miles of abandoned right-of-way. In 1970, the museum opened a new permanent facility to the public in East Chattanooga. At the time, it had no structures on site. Volunteers had constructed a railyard for the storage and repair of equipment and had rebuilt the abandoned rail line through the Whiteside Tunnel. The reconstructed line ended at Tunnel Boulevard, as the original bridge over this road had been removed some years earlier.
With the reconstructed rail line, the museum had the ability to produce a small amount of income by operating a heritage railroad. They ran passenger excursion trains through Whiteside Tunnel (commonly referred to as Missionary Ridge Tunnel, because it went through Missionary Ridge). Additional income was derived from mainline excursions operated biannually via the Southern Railway's Steam Program. The Southern Railway's Steam Program was created by Paul Merriman and TVRM, after Merriman purchased the former Southern Railway 4501 in 1964 from the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway in Stearns, Kentucky for $5,000. By 1966, the 4501 had been restored during a two-year process, conducted at Lucey Boiler Company in Chattanooga. After many volunteer hours by TVRM members as well as paid Lucey Boiler employee work, the 4501 was operated throughout the Southern Railway System.
After years of hard work and much financial discipline, in 1977 TVRM finally built the long-needed bridge over Tunnel Boulevard. The Southern Railway donated an additional mile-and-a-half of abandoned rail line. The next major task of the museum was to build the East Chattanooga Depot. This depot is a reconstruction of a typical small town depot of the 1920's. The TVRM was named to the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 1980. That was followed during that decade by expansion of the organization, and acquiring more land donated by Southern Railway. During the 1980s, the TVRM gradually added more track and buildings. The Grand Junction Depot, the TVRM Administration Building, and the National Model Railroad Association were starting to take shape during the decade, as well. At the East Chattanooga facility, a repair shop and a turntable were added to provide facilities for locomotive repair and maintenance. Beginning in the 1990's, TVRM started running trains to the Chattanooga Choo Choo (called the Downtown Arrow, now discontinued) and excursions to Summerville, Georgia on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway.
In 2004, TVRM and the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association partnered in acquiring part of the former L&N Hook and Eye line between Etowah (Gee Creek, Tennessee) and Copperhill. Since then, the new Hiwassee River Rail Adventures have been a popular addition to the railroad. With the success of the Hiwassee trips, TVRM created two distinct operating divisions: the Chattanooga and Hiwassee divisions. Crews and sometimes equipment are often switched between the two.
Our VisitOur bus departed at 2:15 PM and we passed the former Southern Railway freight house then crossed the Norfolk Southern DeButts Yard before arriving at East Chattanooga station.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum RSD1 8669 built by American Locomotive Company in 1945. In October 1942, after Russia entered World War II as an allied power, the US War Department decided American personnel should take over the Trans-Iranian Railway supplying the USSR. The USA Mikado 2-8-2s were struggling with 1,000 ton "Aid-to-Russia" trains against high temperatures in the southern plains, and good water was scarce along the whole route. Heavy grades made double-heading the norm and the many tunnels meant locomotive crews suffered in smoke and oil fumes.
It was therefore decided to send diesel-electric locomotives to work the worst sections of the line and, to suit the 67-75lb rails, six-wheeled trucks were to be used. The choice was the RSD-1.
However, 8669 was never shipped outside the United States and like most of its counterparts, went into storage after the war and then served at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. It was bought by the TVRM in the late 1970's.
Southern Railway wreck crane 903008 built by the Bucyrus Company in 1917. This formidable machine, also known as a derrick crane, has a storied history and impressive capabilities. Originally based in Knoxville, this crane has been an integral part of railway operations for over a century. It stands as a symbol of the enduring legacy and resilience of the railroad industry.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 2-8-0 610, nee United States Army Transportation Corps 610 built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in 1952, a company formed by the 1951 merger of Baldwin with Lima-Hamilton, itself formed from the merger of Lima and the General Machinery Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio, in 1947.
610 was the last steam locomotive built at Baldwin's Eddystone plant for a domestic customer and BLH then concentrated on producing diesel-electrics. Although Lima and Baldwin had built high quality steam locomotives, however, their diesel-electrics could not compete with EMD, Alco and GE, and BLH abandoned locomotive production in 1956.
The steam engine was one of eight working the thirty-one mile Fort Eustis Military Railroad in Virginia. It was used to train soldiers in railroad operation and to transport material around the fort and to an interchange with the mainline system at Lee Hall, Virginia. The Fort Eustis locomotives were retired in the 1960's and 610 was donated to the Wiregrass Chapter of the NHRS in Dothan, Alabama in 1971. They donated it to the TVRM in 1978, who restored and returned it to operation in 1991.
TVRM 610 on its way to the front of our train to pull us from East Chattanooga to Grand Junction. The consist of our excursion train was TVRM 2-8-0 610, open window coach 1000 and coaches 907 and 906.
The coloured section of Jim Crow 64-seat coach 906, ex. Southern Railway 906, nee Central of Georgia 528 built by Pullman Company in 1924. It was part of iconic passenger trains like the Man 'O War and the Seminole. In its early days, it featured adjustable openable windows and a clerestory roof. However, 1937 saw its modernization. Later, as the Central of Georgia Railroad transitioned to its successor, the Southern Railway, the coach was rebranded as 906.
What sets this coach apart in the museum's collection is its central dividing wall, marking it as a once-segregated or "Jim Crow" car. This design included two sets of restrooms, segregated for each end of the coach. This segregation persisted until the 1950's.
The white section of coach 906.
The division is the boundary between where the two races were once required to sit.
Our excursion train then left East Chattanooga.
Looking back at the TVRM Shops, which we would be seeing later this extremely hot and humid afternoon.
Curving out of the East Chattanooga yard limits.
The line into Chattanooga.
Rounding a curve.
Entering the 986' Whitestone Tunnel, better known as the Missionary Ridge tunnel, a cornerstone of Chattanooga’s historical transportation system constructed in 1858.
Exiting the tunnel.
Looking back at the tunnel.
Passing Milepost 1.
Taking another curve through the forest.
Crossing over Tunnel Boulevard.
About to round a curve.
Crossing over the CSX Chattanooga-Atlanta mainline.
Stored TVRM equipment on an adjacent track.
About to cross Chickamauga Creek.
Chickamauga Creek.
The train had now reached the Grand Junction Station area.
We were on one leg of the wye.
We pulled into the wye tail as far as we could.
Reversing around the wye.
Group Yellow was waiting for us to come around the wye so they could have a photo runby.
Still reversing.
Starting to pull forward to Grand Junction station.
A nice photo line.
Group Yellow was ready to board, but Group Green must detrain first and as I did so, I saw Chris Parker.
Our train at Grand Junction station.
We made our photo line and waited in the shade until it was their departure time. It was a great show! I then started exploring.
A depressed centre flat car 741811, history unknown.
An experitmental subway car, Advanced Concept Train (ACT 1) Urban Mass Transportation Administration built by Garrett/A1 Research and managed by Boeing-Vertol Systems.
Norfolk Southern GP38 2879, ex. Southern 2879, nee Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia 80 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968, the first high-hood GP38 produced. The locomotive was named "The John A. Chambliss" in honuor of the railroad’s vice-president and was dedicated on his 80th birthday, hence being numbered 80. After the TAG was acquired by the Southern Railway, the 80 became Southern Railway 2879, and later Norfolk Southern 2879.
Tennessee Valley Railway Museum RDC-1 6510, ex. Maryland Area Regional Commuter 8, exx. Maryland Department of Transportation 9811 1980, exxx. Baltimore and Ohio 1900, nee Baltimore and Ohio 6510 built by Budd Company in 1950.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum RDC-6134, ex. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 6134, nee Boston and Maine 6134 built by Budd Company in 1955.
An eastbound Norfolk Southern freight passed the Grand Junction station.
Canadian National 4-6-2 5288, ex. Grand Trunk Railway 5288, ex. Grand Trunk Railway 1516, nee Canadian Government Railway 516, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1918. Intended for lease to the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, they were modified prior to delivery from an all-weather enclosed cab to an open cab.
Ownership of the engines passed to the Canadian National when it was formed in 1919. At one time, 5288 apparently hauled international trains into White River Junction, Vermont but by 1956, it was hauling commuter trains in Montreal, operating out of the Turcot, Quebec, enginehouse. In September 1961, F. Nelson Blount bought the locomotive and moved it to Edaville, Massachsuetts and then to Steamtown at Bellows Falls, Vermont in 1965. In 1985, 5288 moved to Steamtown in Scranton, Pennsylvania and was donated to the TVRRM in 1999.
Hartford Slocomb Railroad RS-1 913, nee Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay 913 built by American Locomotive Company in 1950. The Atlanta and St. Andrews Bay operated between Dothan, Alabama and Panama City, Florida on the Gulf Coast. The H&S also operated twenty-two miles of track from Dothan to Hartford, Alabama from 1953 to 1992. In 1992, when the Hartford and Slocomb Railroad was largely abandoned, a decision was made to donate the 913 to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum dining car "Greenville, ex. Amtrak 8083, exx. Seaboard Coast Line 5953, nee Atlantic Coast Line "Greenville", built by Pullman-Standard in 1950.
Wabash caboose 2774 built by the railroad in 1945.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum baggage car-express 4530, ex. Southern Railway, exx. Pullman tourist car 5125, nee 10-1-2 sleeper "Medill" built by the company in 1916.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum first class car 98 "Eden Isle", ex. Intermountain Chapter National Railway Historical Society "Maggie II" 1962, exx. Baltimore and Ohio 98, nee Pullman 99, built by the company in 1917 as a private car for the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Daniel W. Willard. Willard's lucky number was 99, therefore he desired to have his office cars carry the number 99. This luxurious car was equipped with a kitchen, quarters for the crew, a dining room, three elegant staterooms and a lounge. It was adorned with mahogany panelling, brass fixtures, interior windows of leaded glass and an observation platform. In 1918, the car was renumbered 98 and eventually re-assigned to a B&O Vice President, out of Baltimore; and by the 1940's the General Manger, F.G. Hoskins.
In 1955, the railroad re-assigned the 98 to the Central Region, out of Pittsburgh, and modernized it with enhancements that included sealed windows, an arch roof, more modern climate control (air conditioning was initially installed around 1936) and the latest interior modifications. After serving the railroad for many years, it was sold to the InterMountain Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1962. Here, it was utilized on various excursions until a sale to an insurance executive from Chicago in 1965. During a trip back from Christmas in Florida, on the night of the 2nd of January 1966, a rollover derailment took the car out of service until 1967.
As the 1960's drew to a close, another sale saw the 98 sold to yet another private owner, who brought the car to Chattanooga, and later Atlanta, under the care of the Southern Railway System. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum became the home of the 98 in 1977. It quickly gained favor among museum visitors, earning a reputation as the most opulent car in the TVRM’s collection. During a refurbishment in the early 1980s, the car gained the name "Eden Isle" and shed its Pullman Green livery for TVRM's Colonial Red. Following decades of service, it is currently undergoing the finishing touches of a five-year restoration to bring it back to circa 1955 condition in every detail possible, and working condition so many more can enjoy the glory and luxury of Office Car 98.
Once the restoration is complete, the 98 will be available for public charter on various TVRM excursions, just as it was in the past. With its first-class style that harkens back to a time long past, the 98 remains TVRM's most luxurious car, providing passengers with a uniquely nostalgic ride.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum dining car 3158 "Travelers Fare", nee Southern Railway 3158 built by Pullman Company in 1924. It continued its service to the Southern Railway up until 1968, when it was generously donated to TVRM.
Upon its construction, the car was a stunning reflection of the 1920's, with open windows, a clerestory roof and exquisite fixtures. The interior was laid out with a combination of two-person tables on one side and four-person tables on the other. Over the years, the Southern Railway made several updates to the car, with the last significant modifications occurring in the late 1940's. These changes included the removal of the clerestory roof for a more streamlined, rounded top, along with the addition of heating and air conditioning. The open windows were sealed, and the seating arrangement was altered to include four-person tables throughout.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 58-seat coach 531, nee Norfolk and Western 531, built by Pullman-Standard in 1949.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum instruction car 23, ex. Southern Railway SA-1 safety car 23, exx. Pullman Tourist Car 2220, nee instruction car "Sueno" rebuilt from a 12-section/1 drawing room sleeper "Sueno" built by the company in 1920.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 4-4-0 349, ex. Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad 349 1963, exx. Central of Georgia 349 1926, exxx. Central of George 1581 1912, exxxx. Central of Georgia 1587 1895, nee Savannah and Western Railroad 557, built by Burnham, Williams and Company, an early incarnation of the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1891. In 1950, the steam engine was leased to the Talbotton Railroad Company, a seven-mile shortline connecting Talbotton with the Southwestern Railroad at Bostick, Georgia (now Junction City). The Talbotton lease ended in 1954.
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) tank car 6516 built in 1956. It holds a distinctive place in the history of rail transportation. DuPont, a renowned American conglomerate, was heavily involved in various industries including chemicals, agriculture and manufacturing. The tank car's design and construction were likely tailored to DuPont's specific needs, possibly for the transportation of chemicals or other industrial materials.
The 1950's marked a time of significant growth and technological advancement within the rail industry. The creation of this tank car could have involved cutting-edge engineering techniques of the time, reflecting the industrial prowess and the demands of a leading multinational company. Without specific details about the tank car's design, capacity or the materials it transported, it is challenging to delve deeper into its particular features or historical significance. However, its association with DuPont, a leader in innovation and industry, undoubtedly adds a layer of intrigue and importance to this particular piece of rail history.
The collaboration between the rail industry and a giant like DuPont in the 1950's also symbolizes a broader trend during that period, where the synergy between different industries led to significant advancements in technology, efficiency, and the overall growth of the economy. This tank car can be seen as a physical embodiment of that cooperative spirit and technological aspiration that characterized the era.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum transfer caboose 58, nee Long Island Railroad C-58 built by International Car in 1961.
Tennssee Valley Railroad Museum coach of unknown origin.
A nice line up of locomotives.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 6-6-4 sleeper 200 "Chickamauga Pine", nee Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 200 "Chickamauga Pine" built by Pullman-Standard in 1953.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum 6-6-4 sleeper 201 "Georgia Pine", nee Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis 201 "Georgia Pine" built by Pullman-Standard in 1953. I am not positive that that is the identification of it but my research leads me to believe it is.
Grand Junction Station where I enjoyed a refreshing Coca-Cola on a day that broke the 104 degree mark. When we heard the steam train returning, everyone went outside.
The excursion train returned to Grand Junction and made its way straight to the wye.
Wying the steam train.
Ready to come forward.
Our excursion train arriving at the station and we boarded once the other passengers detrained.
Another westbound Norfolk Southern train of auto racks.
A long motive power consist led the next train eastbound. With a toot of a whistle, we were off to East Chattanooga as I enjoyed the air conditioning in Central of Georgia Jim Crow coach 906.
We passed more passenger cars on a siding down the hill on the return trip, which was peaceful and cool. At East Chattanooga, we returned to the afternoon heat of the day.
