We visit Chattanooga TN
Images: Jim Jacob
Words: Rob Dickens
The Station
Located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga, The Terminal Station was of significant strategic importance during the Civil War.
Battles were fought in and around Chattanooga for control of the rail network which had, at its core, one of the South’s most imporatnt rail hubs. The lines that crossed here connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Tennessee River and the Mississippi River. Confederate forces controlled the city’s railroads until 1863, when the Union Army occupied Chattanooga, gathered supplies for the drive to capture Atlanta.
The Song
A newspaper reporter dubbed the huffing and puffing little steam locomotive the ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’. The Glenn Miller Orchestra made the catchy song popular (written by Mack Gordon and scored by Harry Warren), released in 1941 and featuring in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. It was the first song ever to be awarded a Gold Record, by RCA Victor, based on it achieving over 1 million sales.
The Now
The Station seemed destined for the similar, sad fate of other like facilities. But locals invested $4 million before its new grand re-opening in 1973, this time as a unique vacation complex. The Chattanooga Choo Choo Historic Hotel provides travellers with accommodation in Pullman train cars and traditional hotel rooms. The property also features restaurants, great coffee, and numerous bars, two music venues, a comedy club, a distillery plus the largest collection of rare and vintage guitars in the world.
The Pictures
Photo: LTTL 
Photo: LTTL – This is a restroom, we don’t encourage taking images in restrooms. However, this was special and there was no one present
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We visit Chattanooga TN
We visit Chattanooga TN
