Tennessee Central Railway Museum050

The Tennessee Central Railway Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of American railroads, restoring artifacts and equipment, and continuing the tradition by operating passenger trains for people today.

The museum owns passenger cars, cabooses, work/camp cars, boxcars, motorcars, baggage cars, locomotives, and a passenger business car, and the all-volunteer staff works to restore these pieces to their former glory. A large collection of Tennessee Central Railway artifacts is on display, and the library houses a range of relevant materials. The museum also has a fully restored Operation Lifesaver caboose, which was built in 1974 for the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and used to promote safety at railroad highway crossings.

Throughout the year, the museum operates passenger excursions. These trips take passengers to various locations in Middle Tennessee on air-conditioned coaches stocked with refreshments, and each trip has a theme. The themes are often seasonal in nature, such as an autumn trip to look at the leaves or a North Pole theme during winter holidays, but other themes include a Train Robbery and a Murder Mystery. Deluxe accommodations in lounge, dome, and private cars are often available at extra cost.