Entry No. 28 — the Nashville file — filed under: trains
Tennessee Central Railway Museum
An all-volunteer heritage railroad running since 1989 out of a restored freight depot, packed with railroad artifacts and memorabilia; nine diesel-electric locomotives and thirty rail cars sit out back, and an HO/N-scale model layout runs Saturdays in the old depot.
The story
Tucked away on Willow Street in South Nashville, this isn't a sleek, corporate-funded venue with interactive touchscreens. It operates out of a restored freight depot and former master mechanic's shop—a working rail yard saved and maintained entirely by volunteers since 1989 to preserve Tennessee’s real industrial backbone.
Inside the depot's artifact room, you'll find shelves and display cases packed tight with genuine memorabilia, vintage rail gear, and historical equipment saved from the scrap heap. On Saturdays, model rail builders take over the depot space to run intricate HO and N-scale layouts. Out back on the sidings sits the main fleet: nine diesel-electric locomotives and thirty historic passenger and work cars.
What really sets the place apart is that the collection isn't purely static. The museum operates vintage rail excursions right off its grounds along the active tracks of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad, hauling restored passenger coaches behind classic diesel-electric iron out toward middle Tennessee towns like Monterey.
What it's like
Expect a gritty, authentic yard setting tucked into an industrial pocket off Murfreesboro Pike. The volunteers staffing the floor are real train historians who will happily talk brake systems and locomotive restoration for as long as you let them. Saturdays bring the best indoor atmosphere when the HO and N-scale model tracks are running, though you can wander outside any open day to inspect the heavy locomotives parked on the back tracks. If you want to ride one of their scheduled vintage excursion trains, you'll need to plan ahead and secure tickets early.
The move: Poke through the freight-depot artifact room and watch the model trains loop on a Saturday, then check the excursion calendar for one of their themed vintage-rail rides.
- 📍 South Nashville
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 220 Willow Street, Nashville, TN 37210
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Lane Motor Museum — Trade heavy iron locomotives on fixed tracks for propeller-driven cars and microcars just a mile and a half down the road.
- The Forge Nashville — Pair this volunteer-preserved heavy rail depot with an active 23,000-square-foot non-profit makerspace and gallery.
- Nashville City Cemetery — Head a mile west to visit Nashville's 1822 public burial grounds where many of the city's early industrial-era residents rest.
Good to know
When can you see the model trains running?
The HO and N-scale model train layouts run inside the depot on Saturdays.
What is kept in the outdoor yard?
The yard tracks behind the depot hold nine diesel-electric locomotives and thirty preserved rail cars.
Where do the excursion train rides actually go?
Passenger rides depart directly from the Willow Street depot and travel east along the Nashville and Eastern Railroad line toward destinations like Monterey, Tennessee.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: tcry.org · Wikipedia
last checked: 2026-07-20