ScaleTrains Summerville Steam Special

All aboard for the ScaleTrains Summerville Special!

Gathering Location: Convention Center – South Pre-function area.

If you are taking the bus (pre-trip ticket is required):  Buses will begin loading at 7:15 A.M.

Join ScaleTrains and Virtual Railfan for a once-in-a-lifetime steam train experience from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Summerville, Georgia, and return.

We’ll depart Grand Junction Depot promptly at 8:30 AM EST on Thursday, July 30, 2026. Our 10-car train will be pulled by Southern #4501, which is being painted in the classic green passenger livery for the 2026 season to celebrate 60 years of excursion service. We’ll cross Chickamauga Creek, pass through the pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge Tunnel, and cross over Norfolk Southern to the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway (CCKY). For the first, and likely only time, CCKY has granted special permission for a weekday trip.

On board, you’ll be able to visit with our crew as well as special guests, including Pelle Søeborg. We’ll arrive in Summerville just in time to enjoy a catered BBQ lunch with all the fixin’s. While we’re gathered under the “big top”, we’ll preview all of our National Train Show announcements. After #4501 makes a trip around the turntable, we’ll return to Chattanooga with a stop for a photo run-by, so be sure to bring your camera. We will arrive back at Grand Junction around 5:30 PM, where everyone will receive a gift bag filled with goodies, including a commemorative model.

Classes of Service

  • Coach
  • Parlor
  • Dome
  • Observation

We will also have a commissary car where drinks and snacks will be available for purchase.

Lunch Menu

  • Pulled Pork BBQ
  • Ribs
  • Chicken tenders with sauces
  • Cole slaw
  • Baked Beans
  • Mac & cheese
  • Roll
  • Chocolate chip cookies
  • Water and Coca-Cola® products

If you have special dietary needs, please email us at Sales@ScaleTrains.com, and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Departure Address

Grand Junction Station

4119 Cromwell Road

Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421

IMPORTANT: With our excursion and daily activities at TVRM, parking will likely be at capacity, so we encourage carpooling. If you’re coming from downtown, be sure to allow extra time for morning traffic.

Convention Attendees

Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. We are unable to hold seats without payment. As a 2026 NMRA National Convention registrant, you have the first opportunity to purchase seats directly from ScaleTrains. We’ve reserved 250 seats until April 10, 2026.

If you are interested in riding a bus from the convention center to TVRM and back, be sure to reserve a seat by “preordering” below. The cost is $30 per person, and a minimum of 40 riders per bus is required. If the rider requirement is reached, we will bill your “preorder” on April 13, 2026. The bus ride is non-refundable.

Click the link below to purchase tickets and reserve a spot on the bus now. See link for pricing.

Click Here To Purchase Tickets

  • By purchasing a ticket, you agree to the following terms and conditions.
    • All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST). The Central time zone starts just west of Chattanooga.
    • The train will not wait for late riders. If you miss the train, refunds will not be available.
    • Due to unforeseen circumstances such as mechanical breakdowns, equipment changes can occur.
    • We will be on Norfolk Southern rails for a brief distance, so departure and arrival times are subject to change.
    • Cancellations by June 30, 2026, will receive a full refund. Cancellations between July 1, 2026 and July 24, 2026, will receive a refund less $50 per ticket purchased. Cancellations after July 24, 2026, are non-refundable.