The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (initialised TVRM) was founded in 1961 by a group of railfans that did not want to see the steam locomotives go to scrap. TVRM had a piece of property next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo in Chattanooga, Tennessee, TVRM during this time has started acquiring locomotives and freight cars. In the 1970's, TVRM got a donation from the Southern Railway to acquire a portion of land on North Chamberlain Avenue, this donation also included the 986 foot long Missonary Ridge Tunnel. During the 1970's, TVRM began building a bridge over Tunnel Boulevard, building the East Chattanooga Depot, and running trips on the Southern Railway. The 1980's saw TVRM expanding and getting more land donated from the Southern Railway, during this time more buildings and track was added. The Grand Junction Depot, TVRM Administration Building and the National Model Railroad Association were starting to take shape. Over at East Chattanooga, a repair shop and a turntable were added so that TVRM members can work on the locomotives and take good care of them. The 1990's rolled around and TVRM had a locomotive ready for the Missonary Ridge Local, steam locomotive 610 was ready for service and Norfolk Southern dropped the fires on the steam excursions (Southern 4501 was the one that started it all, owned by TVRM, she is currently mothballed). The 1990's also saw TVRM running trains to the Chattanooga Choo Choo (called the Downtown Arrow) and excursions down to Summerville, Georgia, on the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway. TVRM has been a prime movie spot since the 1980's and the locomotives that TVRM owns have been in the movies (even the passenger car "Eden Isle" that was used in the Marilyn Monroe move Some Like it Hot; it was shot in 1959, 2 years before TVRM started out), here is a partial list of movies shot with TVRM equipment:

• Last Days of Frank and Jessie James
• October Sky (Southern 4501 acting as N&W 4501)
• Momma Flora's Family
• Heaven's fall (to be released)
• FDR (to be released)
• The Adventures of Ociee Nash
• Fled (shot on the TVRM mainline)
• Fool's Parade (SOU 4501 as B&O 4501)

Today, TVRM is still running trains and have started local service for a company next to their mainline, and you can take a nice little 6 mile round trip ride and see what railroading was like in the golden age of railroading.

External Links

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum