Editorial
Front Page - Friday, June 11, 2010
Choo-Choo steams forward for 100 years
Erica Tuggle
The Chattanooga Choo-Choo, celebrating 100 years last December, has also joined the rank of Historic Hotels of America. The century long history of the Choo-Choo is remembered in many ways including the memorabilia in the hotel’s lobby as well as the original wood of the ticket office sign remaining polished and pristine behind the hotel’s check-in desk.
- Erica Tuggle
If there is one thing that Chattanooga is not lacking, it
is a history as rich as the red
clay soil that makes up our surrounding mountains. Non-locals may not know much about our city, but they do know our nationally known nickname popularized in the late 1930s with the jaunty “Chattanooga Choo-Choo” tune by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra.
Before the railways of the city had the famous name and the ditty that went with it, in 1849 the arrival of the Western and Atlantic Railroad centered the town in train life. And although, the tracks of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo saw their last train in August 11, 1970, the legacy of the Choo-Choo is still integral part of what makes the city go.
The first train pulled into the station of the Terminal house on December 1, 1909 and would serve such passengers over the years as Presidents Wood-
row Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt. With the decline of the railways at the end of World War II though, the station that had once housed the power of the South was in danger of demolition.
Yet, as Chattanoogans have proven to do time and time again since by stepping up to the plate and saving historical places, two dozen local investors invested $4 million into the old Terminal Station that transformed it into a vacation complex. The station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and with the helping hand again from Chattanooga investors known as Choo-Choo Partners, Ltd., and $4 million dollars in renovations the Choo-Choo has acquired the look it has today.
Today visitors to the Choo-Choo can have their cake and eat it too with history on display with modern hotel luxeries. What was once only a privilege of the rich to travel in the lavishly furnished private dining cars of the locomotives in yesteryear, are now available for hotel guests in one of the 48 Victorian train cars.
In these decidedly nontraditional hotel rooms, a queen size bed and high speed wireless internet access is available. Guests can also stay in one of the other 363 rooms with pool access, says Jim Bambrey, the general manager of the Choo-Choo. The Choo-Choo hotel is the largest hotel in the city with 25 acres, and has been given a Historic Hotel of America designation.
Brambrey says they picture the Choo-Choo as a unique experience in addition to being a place for a good hotel room. They have the largest model train exhibit in the South East, a 1929 New Orleans trolley that travels the complex, formal gardens filled with roses and several restaurants and shops of a variety that anyone can find a favorite, he says.
Their eateries include choices of fine dining at the “Dinner in the Diner” restaurant, the “Silver Diner” restaurant filled with pizza and 1950s style dining, to a host of singing servers and at the “Station House” restaurant that has been around since 1973, Bambrey says.
When the Choo-Choo turned 100 in 2009, they spent the whole year celebrating, and they will continue to do this by inviting the Glenn Miller Orchestra to play annually, as well as maintain the memorabilia in the main lobby, he says. At that time, a PBS documentary was done on the Choo-Choo and, Bambrey says, there has been interest in running the piece on networks across the county.
The Choo-Choo is available to fit every need the community may have with over 40,000 square feet of meeting space that has hosted events from the Hog Motorcycle Rally to Sci-Fi conventions. Approximately, half a million people visit the Choo-Choo each year for meetings, visiting, shopping or staying Bambrey says, so the building is certainly pulling its share in community gathering hosting and tourism aid.
Bill and Dianne Montgom-ery, a couple from Amelia, Va., came to visit the Choo-Choo during the Hog Rally, and said they plan to visit Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain and the Aquarium as well.
Bambrey says the Choo-Choo works closely to continue to attract business to downtown for all hotels and attractions. The funds from tourism and the number of people employed by the business are important to keeping the economy strong, he says.
Bambrey says the appeal of the Choo-Choo is an amazing love of trains that people have.
“People will come in and say, ‘I left this train station in the 40s to go to World War II’ or come back and say ‘I stayed here 20 or 30 years ago and stayed in a rail car.’ It’s an icon of the city, and is known worldwide,” he says.
Even when Volkswagen decided to set up shop in Chatta-nooga, they said they recognized the city by the Glenn Miller Choo-Choo song, Bambrey says.
In addition to being a historical gold mine, the Choo-Choo is up on current technology as well. Bambrey says they have a Facebook people can
follow where they announce events and contests. At this rate in popularly, one day perhaps they can announce their 200-year anniversary.
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