In the South, we have quite a history with the railroad system. There are small towns sprinkled across our countryside that started and thrived during the heyday of the iron horse. The past is deeply rooted in our blood here, so when it comes to going on a train ride in Tennessee, there is something nostalgic and exciting about it. At Tennessee Valley Railroad they have now opened up a new nighttime ride that feels like stepping back in time. 

The powerful #4501 steam engine sits at the ready, billowing out a steady cloud from the smoke stack as the sun sinks below the horizon.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum/ Facebook
This is the newly opened Evening Ridge Runner train ride hosted by the Tennessee Valley Railroad. If you have departed from the depot before you may be familiar with the Missionary Ridge Local, which is one of the most popular trips guests take. This ride is an extension of that but is now open at night.
Although this trip takes place at night, it is very different than the ever-popular North Pole Limited train ride. Whereas the North Pole Limited focuses on Christmas time, cookies, Santa, and twinkling lights, the Evening Ridge Runner is an immersive and "evergreen" train ride experience.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum/ Facebook
The train that runs this trip is over 112 years old and back then this is how people would travel.
Tennessee Valley Railroad/ Website
If you needed to make a trip long distance, you would hop on the ole locomotive and experience the journey with many other people doing the same thing. So it very much feels like you have stepped back in time and are fully immersed in the whole experience.

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The entire round-trip experience takes about 65 minutes to complete, and along the way, you'll pass through a pre-Civil War tunnel and cross multiple bridges. You can sit in the closed cars and there are also open-air cars to enjoy along the journey.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum/ Facebook
Extra options include purchasing a charcuterie board or a dessert box.
Tennessee Valley Railroad/ Website
They also offer a special deal where you can get the ultimate train experience by riding in the locomotive cab with the engineer. Hear the roar of this hulking machine and hear the whistle like never before on the one-of-a-kind train ride in Tennessee!
Halfway through the trip, you will arrive to see the turntable demonstration.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum/ Facebook
The tracks will shift and move under you to turn the train around and go back the same way you came. Everyone from casual curious guests to train engine enthusiasts is bound to have a great time on this nighttime train ride.

There is just something exciting and captivating about the old locomotives; it certainly has captured the imagination of my family. In fact, my family and I play a fun game whenever we hear the whistle of a train: we have to call out “train” as quickly as we can, and whoever calls it first wins. If you want experience a trip back in time, take the Evening Ridge Runner for a wonderful train ride in Tennessee. For tickets or more information, please visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad website. 

For another train-related adventure, get transported back to 1944 to solve a deadly plot with this Chattanooga escape room. Learn all about the train history of the city in a fun interactive way. 

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