Railroading Just For Fun – TVRM Railfest

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Railfest on Saturday, September 12, 2015.  4501 returns to Grand Junction from Cleveland, TN while attendees admire Norfolk Southern SD60Es painted to honor first responders and military veterans. Photo by Steve Freer.

With all of the serious news generated by the railroad industry, it’s easy to forget that railroading can be – well, downright fun! Nowhere was this more evident than this past weekend at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) Railfest in Chattanooga. Railfest is an annual event at TVRM, and the 2015 edition was one of the best.

All of the things that most rail enthusiasts enjoy – steam and diesel locomotives, special paint schemes, heritage units, passenger and freight trains, and even a dinner train, were all part of the weekend action in Chattanooga. Indeed, it was a seemingly magical time. I was there representing Trains and Classic Trains, and was able to soak up all of the excitement from my location at the Grand Junction depot.

The highlights of the weekend were NS 21^st Century Steam Program trips from Chattanooga to Cleveland, pulled by Southern Railway 4501. Cleveland is about 40 miles north of Chattanooga, and there were two round trips daily, scheduled for departure at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Both Saturday trips went well, but the Sunday trips were delayed somewhat by technical difficulties with the 4501. The beloved 2-8-2 powered the first Sunday train to Cleveland, but began experiencing steaming difficulties on the return trip, arriving a bit late. The engine’s crew determined that 4501 should not power the second trip to Cleveland, so a Norfolk Southern SD60E, sporting a paint scheme honoring our nation’s military veterans, was called into action. There were mixed reactions among the passengers – some were disappointed that the trip was not powered by steam, yet others were excited to have the opportunity to ride behind the special veterans unit.

At one point, there were three trains moving through the property, waiting for time on the boarding track – a Norfolk Southern 21st Century Steam Program excursion had just arrived from Cleveland, and its passengers detrained while a Missionary Ridge local waited for track time at the depot so it could discharge its passengers. Once both trains had unloaded, a regularly scheduled dinner train (not formally associated with Railfest) pulled into the station early Saturday evening to board passengers who would travel through east Chattanooga and return while enjoying some of the best food you’ll find on any railroad, anywhere. How often do you experience such a beehive of passenger train activity? Not very often, especially in the southeast.

A neat aspect of being at TVRM is that Norfolk Southern’s main line sits right behind the museum’s property, and the track is elevated, offering an excellent view of the many freight trains on this busy portion of the NS line. On one day alone, two NS heritage units were spotted on freight trains – the Virginian engine and the Savannah & Atlanta unit.

The sounds of 4501, along with those of vintage and modern diesels, the smell of coal smoke, squealing flanges, and the excitement of passengers as they rode the trains and waved to those at trackside created a truly festive environment for those who love trains.  A great deal of hard work went into making the weekend a success, and the TVRM staff and volunteers are to be congratulated on a successful Railfest 2015.