Any Train Aficionados?

[Rich Riddle]

I love to travel Amtrak when possible but am looking for some smaller lines to ride. I did the Whitewater rail excursion but it was only 15 miles. At Arnfest they say there is quite the railroad museum, so that will be nice. Any other train nuts like riding the rails? Please share your favorite lines/trains to ride.

[Mike Null]

Nothing quite as special as you're talking about but the railroad is the only way to travel in Europe. It is easily the most comfortable mode of transportation and is usually quite scenic and unlike airports, the train stations are always in the heart of the city.

[Art Mann]

It is a little bit far but the steam train ride from Silverton to Durango Colorado is one you will never forget.

http://www.durangotrain.com/ride-us/-route

[Rich Riddle]

It is a little bit far but the steam train ride from Silverton to Durango Colorado is one you will never forget.

http://www.durangotrain.com/ride-us/-route

We took the Amtrak from Denver to San Francisco last year, but that's when she swore off trains.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

We did the Durango to Silverton ride backwards by taking a tour bus to Silverton and riding the railroad down. If you do this one, consider staying in Cortez, CO a few miles away. The rates were cheaper and in the evenings during the summer months you can attend the free shows at the Community Center. There we got these 3 photos:

Cortez1.jpg Cortez2.jpg




Cortez3.jpg

This 3rd one was pretty special. My now deceased FIL got to meet a Navajo code talker. In conversation they discovered during WWII, they fought on the same island in the South Pacific at the same time. The Navajo man was with the US Marines and my FIL with the US Army.

[Sean Troy]

I really enjoy the Durango to Silverton train ride.

[James Gunning]

Rich,

There are lots of tourist and museum lines you can ride. many are fairly short rides, but some longer. The Durango & Silverton has been mentioned, but in the same area, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad running between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO is spectacular. The D&S runs mostly in a canyon. The C&TS climbs a 10,015 foot pass out of Chama and is mostly high out of the canyon bottoms. Both railroads are parts of the former Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge lines and powered by steam locomotives original to the RR. Either is a very worthwhile ride.

Closer to home, the Potomac Eagle at Romney, WV: Cass Scenic Railroad at Cass, Durbin & Greenbrier Valley at Elkins, WV: Western Maryland Scenic RR at Cumberland, MD: Great Smoky Mountain RR in Bryson City, NC: Pennsylvania has dozens of tourist RR's.

Just Google tourist railroads, and you will find hits in most states. Lots of museums only, so you need to check websites to see which offer rides. Been photographing trains for 50 years.

[Paul F Franklin]

Haven't yet done this trip, but it's on my list: http://www.agawatrain.com/

I think it would be spectacular in the fall color season.

[Mac McQuinn]

Haven't yet done this trip, but it's on my list: http://www.agawatrain.com/

I think it would be spectacular in the fall color season.

My folks and brother took this trip years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. My brother is such a train enthusiast he now works for the railroad. Say's it's the best job he's ever had.
Mac

[Maurice Hood]

Rich, are you familiar with these day trips?

http://www.nctrans.org/Events/Autumn...formation.aspx

[Rich Riddle]

Rich, are you familiar with these day trips?

http://www.nctrans.org/Events/Autumn...formation.aspx

That Virginia one looks lovely; unfortunately it conflicts with the tool show, Arnfest, in Chicago at the Illinois Train Museum.

[Bruce Wrenn]

611 has wrapped up her 2016 season. Contact Virginia Trans Museum for up coming trips. NS is getting back into steam excursions business. A fun trip would be to start at NC Trans Museum. A couple miles north on I-85 find Linwood yard on Southern main. Then on to Roanoke for Virginia Museum of Trans. and Scahffer's Crossing Yard (N&W.) Next off to Cass and Greenbrier and Durbin. Continuing north to Romney WV, then on to Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. A short distance away, visit Harper's Ferry, then I-81 north to Scranton PA for Steam Town National Historic site. Last year (2015) they had no steam running. Next travel south to Strausburg RR and Pennsylvania Railroad Museum (they are across the street from each other.) Continue south to Baltimore and B&O museum. Stop by DC and visit with Southern's Pacific at the Smithsonian. Ollies Outlet stores have a "coffee table book" titled "The Illustrated Directory of North American Locomotives" for $15 which is a great purchase, with lots of pictures of different engines. The reason it's so cheap is it was printed in China, and contains a lot of errors.

[Kurt Kintner]

Rich,

There are lots of tourist and museum lines you can ride. many are fairly short rides, but some longer. The Durango & Silverton has been mentioned, but in the same area, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad running between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO is spectacular. The D&S runs mostly in a canyon. The C&TS climbs a 10,015 foot pass out of Chama and is mostly high out of the canyon bottoms. Both railroads are parts of the former Denver & Rio Grande narrow gauge lines and powered by steam locomotives original to the RR. Either is a very worthwhile ride.

Closer to home, the Potomac Eagle at Romney, WV: Cass Scenic Railroad at Cass, Durbin & Greenbrier Valley at Elkins, WV: Western Maryland Scenic RR at Cumberland, MD: Great Smoky Mountain RR in Bryson City, NC: Pennsylvania has dozens of tourist RR's.

Just Google tourist railroads, and you will find hits in most states. Lots of museums only, so you need to check websites to see which offer rides. Been photographing trains for 50 years.

We travel out West a lot, and do the Cumbres & Toltec every time.... It can't be discribed or filmed to justify how great it is... Takes most of the day traveling at 10-12 mph.... And the free lunch at the pavilion is a nice bonus....
if you like the sound and smell is a steam engine, like we do, you'll love it.... We spend most of the time on the open air car ....

[Howard Garner]

[QUOTE=Kurt Kintner;2595659]We travel out West a lot, and do the Cumbres & Toltec every time.... It can't be discribed or filmed to justify how great it is... Takes most of the day traveling at 10-12 mph.... And the free lunch at the pavilion is a nice bonus....
if you like the sound and smell is a steam engine, like we do, you'll love it.... We spend most of the time on the open air car ....[/QUOTE

Try to ride it from east to west (Antinito to Chama). That way you get to listen to the locomotive all the way to Cumbras Pass which is 3/4 of the trip. Yes you miss the assault of the 4%, but then the eastward trip would mostly coast for the rest of the day.

[Jim Becker]

New Hope and Ivyland https://www.newhoperailroad.com/

You can even buy into riding in the engine cab. The extended runs actually pass my house. This is old Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way and NH&IR does a very nice job with their business. While the "face" of the company is the tourist rides, they also haul some freight into places along their way that otherwise would have lost service decades ago.

There's another one across the river in NJ that's actually planning on building up and extending back into Lambertville NJ which is directly across the bridge from New Hope PA.

http://www.blackriverrailroad.com/