Does anyone have any further info on the repairs needed for the line? I read there is extensive damage from washouts and the Tennessee Valley Autumn Leaf Specials have been cut to a shorter run...

I can't speak as to the washouts, but they seem to be making the best of a bad situation.

As part of a mini vacation I was originally just going to buy a ticket and chase the train on 10/24, but with the truncated route they've added two runby's and a stop at a battlefield. Makes this definitely something I will definitely enjoy riding.

Plus they're going with a steam south/diesel north type operation which will be great for pictures. This might be the first time some riders, who were just going to look at the leaves, might be exposed to a "runby". The TVRM even takes the time to explain what a runby is.

Nice job by them.

Dave Crosby

The announcement reads as though the photo runby is something that don't normally do. Back in October 1996, we rode one of their Autumn Leaf Specials down the C&G to Trion, GA behind the 4501 with diesel assist. They did a runby with at Chickamauga and another in Trion after they moved the diesel to the other end of the train.

I seem to remember TVRM has been doing one runby in recent years but I could be wrong. The battlefield stop is new to the fall excrusions as far as I can remember. The trips should be well worth the money, especially for the general public who will be filling most of the seats.

These trips bring important revenue to both TVRM and the C&C so I hope they do well with the shorter trips. Let's hope the railroad gets repaired as soon as possible.

John Bohon

This year's shorter Autumn Leaf Specials (now named the Chickamauga Fall Special) are in fact the direct result of the flood damage two weeks ago to the C&C. While we hoped that we would be able to operate some sort of shortened ALS, maybe to Lafayette it bacame apparent that this would not be possible at least in the first few weeks. We immediatley came up with alternative plans for the L&N/T&G Historical Societies's excursion plans (scheduled for the Saturday following the flooding) utilizing the Hiwassee Line and our own TVRM trackage. Adjustments in schedules and pricing were quickly worked out at approved by the groups.

One week after the storms that brought the North Georgia flooding, similar storms hit the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, specifically the Hiwassee and Ocoee River gorges. (it is interesting how localized the heavy rains of the past few weeks were. The weekend of the North Georgia storms I was camping with the Boy Scouts at Gee Creek campground adajacent to the the TVRM boarding area and saw little or no rain, the next week it was a flood) Although the TVRM train to Copperhill that morning passed safely southbound the rain hit the Etowah/Gee Creek area right after lunch. Etowah officials had to contend with flooding around the L&N depot and word was passed to the train during its layover at Copperhill of the situation. The train was stopped during its return by a washout about 2/3 of the way back. The first plan to unload at the TVA powerhouse, a few miles behind the trains, to be picked up by the shuttle buses was thwarted by the high river levels which flooded the road to the powerhouse. The train returned to the top of the loop and the buses picked up the passengers at the Farner passing siding. A hirail inspection on Sunday revealed four "show stopper" washouts and mud slides at various places between the Pwerhouse and Gee Creek, approximately seven miles. So not one, but two of TVRM's major fall fund raising events were in jeopardy. On Sunday we located a hirail rotary dump contractor and a local track contractor, both would go to work at first light Monday to begin restoring the line. The worst of the damage was repaired by Thursday night and trips to Copperhill and the loop have operated since then. Additonal work in ditches and along the rights of way will be carried out over the next few weeks to finalize the repairs.

Meanwhile back in Georgia, in consultation with the C&C it was determined that with the extent of the damage that the best that could be hoped for was for the line to reopen to Chickamauga in a short period of time. Chickamauga is the site of their biggest customer so it was reasonable to assume that we would at least be able to get that far after basic repairs were made. TVRM loaned the C&C a locomotive (theirs were trapped South of the washouts) and three ballast cars to assist in the repairs.

At a Tuesday morning staff meeting plans were hammered out for the shorter trips. New pricing was established, new features were added and plans for notifying current ticket holders were put in place. The new features included the Chickamauga destination, two photo runbys and a stop at the Chickamauga Battlefield. These features were a hybrid of both the Chickamauga Turn (our usual Saturday trip from May to the end of September). For instance the Chickamauga Turn doesn't run with steam, while the ALS doesn't stop at Chickamauga or the Battlefield and neither trip usually has a photo runby because of the overall length of time that the ALS takes to get to Summerville. As a benefit the trip is now shorter in time (eight hours vs. ten or eleven) and will require only one crew instead of two.

The trip price dropped from an average of $88 (there are various seating ooptions that range from$60 to $120) to about $60. We have added three Fridays to the six remaining (we cancelled today's trip completely) so that the revenue potential is about the same. We also offered a ticket voucher good for next year on either our local or Hiwassee trains which typically have seats available so it shouldn't affect future revenues. So far the conversion from exisitng ticket holders is almost 100% tickets are already selling on our new dates.

We will still suffer some lost revenue due to the cancelled and restructured trips,and we have incurred unforeseen expenses in restoring the Hiwassee line. Steps will be taken to curtail many expenses over the remainder of the year to compensate and an appeal to members and friends will be sent out shortly to seek help in plugging the hole in our bank account so that we can continue our many important projects.

Tim Andrews
President
TVRM
Chattanooga, TN

Tim,

Check your PM's. I think I can help you with a little publicity.

John Bohon

Thank you for the replies. The stop at the battlefield could prove to be interesting and provide some diversity of interest to the trip. The history in that part of the country has always fascinated me and I'm glad there are still plans to run the trips with a little creativity to make up for an unfortunate circumstance.

Hello board I'm a new guy here, used to run the rails for Norfolk Southern many years ago. Have a question: Any news on the repair of the line to Summerville? I see the Steam All The Way trips to Summerville have been canceled again. Just wondering if there is any hope that the owner of the line will see fit to repair it. Or has Summerville wasted their money on the resto of the turn table. Anyway, I have enjoyed this board for some time now, been lurking in the dark. Finally decided to become a member. thanks all.

The C&C recently got a grant for track repair which is to take place in the late summer. TVRM and C&C/G&W mutually agreed not to run steam until the repairs have been completed.

Thank you for the info. Perhaps repairs will be complete in time for the Autumn Leaf Specials, we can only hope.Thanks again..