Train rides resume in Oak Ridge

SARM offers spring colors, Easter dinner trains

Southern Appalachia Railway Museum, or SARM, kicks off its 2014 excursion train schedule in Oak Ridge with one-hour Spring Colors trips and an Easter Weekend dinner train for April.

The narrated one-hour Spring Colors train rides will depart at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, and Saturday, April 19. Ticket prices are $19 for adults and $15 for children three through 12. Popcorn, refreshments and railroad souvenirs will be available in the train’s commissary car. During the rides, a short narrative will describe the historic Manhattan Project and the historical significance of the railroad that served it. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling the museum at (865) 241-2140.

At 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 the museum will run its popular dinner train. Passengers will enjoy the quality cuisine found on the dining cars of the great railroads of the 30s and 40s. Chef Andras Bartha offers a choice of four delicious entrees, including beef filet, chicken, grilled shrimp, or vegetarian stuffed tomato, along with salad, side dishes and dessert. Guests will be served in the museum’s restored Southern Railway dining car that was built in 1924.

The cost is $70 per person, including tax and gratuity. Reservations in advance are required as seating is limited. Payment by check must be mailed in advance, and callers must be prepared to choose their dinner entree when reserving. Reservations can be made by calling (865) 241-2140 any day, including weekends, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Southern Appalachia Railway Museum is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization. The museum’s volunteers restore, maintain, and operate vintage railroad equipment that formerly served on railroads in Tennessee and the South. Membership is open to anyone who has a love of trains and the desire to be involved in preserving the railroading history of Tennessee and the South. Interested persons can call (865) 241-2140, or go to the web at www.southernappalachia.railway.museum.