Quick Details
Launched in 2023, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is pleased to offer our Rising Railroad Professionals Rail Camp experience. Since its founding in 1961, TVRM has continued its mission to collect for preservation, operation, interpretation, and display railroad artifacts in an authentic setting to educate the public concerning the role of railroads in the history and development of our region.
In continuing our tradition of education both in our operational and static collections, the Rising Railroad Professionals program is an overnight experience for aspiring railroaders and aspiring museum professionals and historians to better understand and gain hands-on experience with a wide array of museum operations to include: safety and rules lectures, historical thinking, organizational management, budgeting, restorations, interpretation, the role of historic railroading in tourism development, and the regional context of our important mission.
The TVRM Rising Railroad Professionals Rail Camp program is an overnight week-long experience designed to provide real-world career experience for those with a determined interest to be involved in the railroad preservation industry specifically. We aim to offer a diverse array of focus areas in the program including curatorial considerations, historic interpretation, outbound trips for historic context, museum operations, railroad operations, equipment maintenance and restoration, and above all, safety! In addition to daily rides, campers will experience the following:
- GCOR (General Code of Regulations) classroom sessions and rules tests
- Authentic railroad sleeping accommodations in a 1920 Pullman sleeping car “Clover Colony”
- Hands-on safety training with TVRM operations staff
- Cab rides to learn locomotive operations
- Assisting TVRM staff with artifacts for restoration and museum interpretation and exhibition, and approaches to exhibit creation and design
- Offsite opportunities to observe real-world TVRM switching operations, other museum/historic railroad displays, and regional Chattanooga history
- “In the field” exploration and analysis of our historic property, including Civil War bridge sites and pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge Tunnel
- In-depth backshop tours in typically inaccessible areas for equipment maintenance
- Blacksmithing course onsite
- Go Pullman: Care and maintenance training for restoration and preservation of historic Pullman cars in TVRM’s collection and historic Pullman care for bunking space
- Viewing regionally-significant historic railroad films and handling related artifacts, such as “The Great Locomotive Chase”
- Proper methods of locomotive and car cleaning for museum display
- Many more opportunities throughout the week!
Please contact Charles Googe, Camp Director, for any other questions or concerns at cgooge@tvrail.com.
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July 10th – 15th – Ages 15 – 17 yrs – $1400 per person
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All campers should wear jeans, close-toed shoes, and a T-shirt. Please have campers wear clean clothing each day, but remember that it may become very dirty, sweaty, and possibly be ruined by paint, grease, etc. – so choose carefully.
Campers should bring (packed in a backpack and labeled with the camper’s name):
- A hat (for sun protection)
- Sunglasses
- Safety goggles (clear lenses please, not sunglasses!)
- Face coverings/face masks
- Work gloves
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- A water bottle
- Any needed medications (to be turned in to staff)
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Safety is the most important rule of Rail Camp as TVRM is an active railroad. This camp is designed to provide immersive and hands-on experiences in and around full-scale operational railroad equipment within a safe, controlled environment. Rail Camp is heavy in operations familiarization, and campers will be spending significant periods of time outdoors, around or on moving equipment, and in areas typically not accessible to the general public where safe conduct is mandatory. When considering the suitability of Rail Camp for your child, note that campers enrolled in the program are required to abide by all established safety rules including the following:
– Follow all directions the first time given without exception
-Collaborate with their peers to maintain a safe environment
-Maintain safe and agreeable behavior with staff and peers in all areas at all times.
Campers must abide by TVRM’s strict code of conduct at all times, without exception.
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- Snacks and water are provided each day.
- Lunch is provided for campers attending full-day sessions.
- Campers are welcome to bring extra snacks if desired.
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Print and send copy of your application to cgooge@tvrail.com
Application HERE