on tourist trains � jim wrinn

MORE THAN 600 U.S. TOURISTrailroads and museums offer travelersthe chance to ride into history, explorethe country’s most scenic locations, andget in touch with the men and machinesthat made America.

Scattered across the nation, touristrailroads and museums direct riders andvisitors to the nation’s railway heritage.These venues showcase some of thecountry’s most incredible and unspoiledvistas via steam- or diesel-poweredtrains. With more than 30 dinner trains,from Rhode Island’s scenic NarragansettBay to California’s Napa Valley, travelershave the opportunity to ride the railsand dine in splendor with a five-course,gourmet dinner or enjoy a hobo lunch.Museums provide the chance to stepinto historic buildings, view luxuriousprivate cars or climb on board some ofthe largest steam locomotives to tacklethe Sierra Mountains.

Tourist railroads and museums haveproliferated over the last 50 years as U.S.railroads scaled back their operations inthe automobile age, leaving behind lit-tle-used rail lines and a bounty of loco-motives and cars for use on these routes.That means that more opportunitiesthan ever are available to take a train tripin more parts of the country.

SHORT HOPS, LONG HAULSTrips vary in their mileage and dura-

tion. Some, like Arizona’s Grand CanyonRailroad, which provides a hassle-freeoption to the South Rim for a few hours,are all-day outings. Others, like Pennsyl-vania’s Strasburg Rail Road, which givesriders a trip through the Amish country-

side, provide shorter journeys of less thanan hour or up to a half day.

While many trains are hauled byvintage diesel locomotives, some stillfind propulsion from one of the 190 orso wood-, coal- or oil-burning steamlocomotives still in operation today.Almost all trains use vintage coaches,

but some use open-sided or rooflesscars for unobstructed views. In somecases, glass-domed, extra-fare sightsee-ing cars or luxurious private cars canbe booked.

Some of the most popular tourist rail-roads and museums are:

New Hampshire’s Mount Washing-ton Cog Railway, which scales the6,288-foot peak on ladder-like tracks.

Pennsylvania’s Railroader’s Memo-rial Museum in Altoona, one of thebest interpretive museums of its kind, inthe city where the Pennsylvania Railroademployed more than 10,000 to keep thetrains running.

West Virginia’s Cass Scenic Railroad,where geared steam locomotives travel tothe second highest peak in the state.

Minnesota’s North Shore ScenicRailroad, which provides views of LakeSuperior and the northwoods. It startsfrom the excellent Lake Superior Rail-road Museum.

Colorado’s Georgetown Loop,Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, Rio Grande

Scenic, and Durango & SilvertonNarrow Gauge railroads are all won-drous for their Rocky Mountain views.

Utah’s Promontory Summit, a Na-tional Park Service site, where the firsttranscontinental railroad was joined in1869 on the northern edge of the GreatSalt Lake.

Sacramento’s California State Rail-road Museum, which tells the story ofhow railroading shaped the Golden State.

California’s Roaring Camp & BigTrees Narrow Gauge Railroad nearSanta Cruz, where steam trains piercethe redwood forest.

Alaska’s White Pass & Yukon, whichstarts at the sea and climbs into the gla-cier-covered mountains.

Group tour planners with advancereservations are welcome at tourist rail-roads and museums, and these venuesoften provide a group discount as wellas an exclusive coach or private guidedtour. All it takes is a phone call or e-mailto the railroad or museum’s marketingdirector or visitor services coordinatorto set it up. Once that call is made, thetracks await and a railroading adventureis just around the next bend.

All Aboardfor Nostalgia

Jim Wrinn is editor of Trains magazine, thenation’s most popular railroad magazine. Itis published by Kalmbach Publishing Co., ofWaukesha, Wis. (kalmbach.com). The com-pany’s line of railroad books includes TouristTrains Guidebook.

24 June 2009 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Vintage locomotives transport groupsback to the golden age of railroading.

LeisureGroupTravel.com June 2009 25

BACK IN THE LATE 1800S AND WELL INTOthe 20th century, train whistles echoed across the land,swaying cars clickety-clacked along the tracks and

mighty “iron horses” belched billowing puffs of steam thathovered over the countryside. The rail depot was a beehive ofactivity, and every boy dreamed of becoming a train engineer.

Even in this age of airplanes and automobiles, travelers cansample the golden days of railroading by taking a short ex-cursion on one of America’s many tourist trains.

Pulled by old-fashioned steam or early diesel engines, theserelics of our past have been lovingly restored by rail buffs andhistorical groups dedicated to preserving the nation’s colorfulrailroad heritage.

Trips ranging from 45 minutes to five hours give passengersa chance to relax and feel the rhythm of the rails as they slipback in time. For older folks, a hankering for the good old daysis a chief draw. Adults should not hesitate to bring along thekids because most children are fascinated by trains. For every-one, it’s a real adventure to pass through unspoiled mountains,forests and farmlands, minus commercial development.

Scenic trains are equipped with vintage coach cars, someauthentically appointed with antique furnishings. Your trainmight have an open-air observation car or a club car that servessnacks. Another treat is having a dinner in the diner. The meal

is the main deal on moving restau-rants like the Napa Valley WineTrain and Montana’s Charlie Rus-sell Chew-Choo Dinner Train.

Narration, musical entertain-ment and costumed folks in periodgarb are part of the experience onsome excursion trains. Many tripsdepart from historic rail depotsthat offer museum exhibits andplenty of souvenirs.

An excellent resource for tourplanners is Tourist Trains Guide-

book (Kalmbach Books, $19.95).Written by the staff and contributors of Trains magazine, the304-page, full-color guide describes 175 leading excursiontrains and railroad museums in the United States andCanada. In addition, there are shorter listings for 270 otherattractions, including dinner trains, trolleys and historic de-pots. To obtain a copy of the brand new second edition, call800-533-6644 or visit kalmbach.com/books.

It’s hard not to feel happy, carefree and a bit nostalgicwhenever you board a train, your magic carpet to good times.

Following is a sampling of trains that welcome groups:

Old Road Dinner TrainEnjoy classic dining on North America’s longest-oper-

ating dinner train, which makes roundtrips on weekendsfrom Blissfield and Charlotte in Southeast Michigan. Joinus for our Murder Mystery Dinner Train, where you’ll beserved a five-course dinner while performers involve youin comical murderous events filled with intrigue, excite-ment, music and laughter. Who knows, you may be theunfortunate victim of their devious plot! On the country’sonly five-star dinner train, all tables seat four guests andare elegantly appointed with white linens, crystal andchina. Blissfield is 20 minutes northwest or Toledo. Char-lotte is 15 minutes southwest of Lansing. (888-467-2451,www.murdermysterytrain.com)

railroading � randy mink AMER I C A’ S

SCENICTRAINS

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

26 June 2009 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Texas State RailroadA must on your next group tour is to visit the Texas State

Railroad, est. 1881. The Texas State Railroad is the “OfficialRailroad of Texas”and is truly a “Texas Treasure.”This historicrailroad offers steam and diesel train excursions year-round thattravel through the scenic piney woods of East Texas.Passengerswill enjoy a relaxing train excursion onboard passenger carsbuilt in the early 1920s. Depart from the beautiful Victorian-style depots located in Palestine and Rusk, Texas. Special ex-cursions to the 1890s Maydelle turntable or the Jarvis Wye aregreat for groups! Visit www.TexasStateRR.com for more in-formation or call 1-888-987-2461 to book your group today!

Great Smoky Mountains RailroadAll aboard for rail adventure! With the romance and mys-

tique of an era gone by, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroadtakes you through a remote corner of Western North Carolinainto river gorges, across fertile valleys and through tunnelscarved out of mountains. You may choose from a variety of ex-cursions departing from ourBryson City, N.C. depot, includ-ing a Raft & Rail combination,the Mystery Theatre Dinnertrains or one of our many SpecialEvents. Enjoy warm summerbreezes or crisp fall air while tak-ing in the panoramic views fromyour open car, or upgrade to theadults’ club car and savor muffinsand fresh fruit on the outboundtrip along with a champagnetoast on your return, all while enjoying the beautiful scenerythe Western North Carolina Mountains offer – the very ele-ments that create a happy group and memories of a great trip.(800-872-4681, www.gsmr.com)

railroading �

Durango & SilvertonNarrow Gauge Railroad

The Rocky Mountains and San Juan National Forest ofSouthwest Colorado provide awesome vistas for passengerstraveling the 45-mile stretch between Durango and Silverton.Marvel at the rugged Animas River Gorge from 350 feetabove the water. Dating back to 1882, the line was designed tohaul gold and silver ore. Guests have two hours to eat lunchand look around the old mining town of Silverton and thedepot’s freight yard museum before heading back to Durango,a colorful place chockful of restaurants, shops and art galleries.Coal-fired steam locomotives stop to replenish their watersupply on each leg of the trip. Rides are especially scenic inSeptember, when the aspens glow bright yellow. Four classesof service are available, with the Presidential Class offeringhistoric private cars with a large outdoor viewing platform.(877-872-4607, www.durangotrain.com)

Maine Eastern RailroadYour groups will love the Maine Train! And we love buses!

Maine Eastern Railroad is a passenger excursion train withroundtrip service between Brunswick and Rockland. With

stops in Bath and Wiscasset,Maine Eastern passengers ridein comfort and style in fullyrestored, climate-controlled,Art Deco vintage railroadcoaches. There are 33 bridgesand trestles, more than 100curves and an unlimitedamount of wildlife scenery,woods and water views in the57-mile trip. Take the one-way and let the bus chase thetrain, or go roundtrip and givethe driver a break for a fewhours. A rolling museum, theMaine Eastern is perfect forseniors looking for scenic nos-talgia, and active adults and students who missed out on thetrain travel experience. Just a short drive from almost any-where in the state, the Maine Eastern will take your groupsfor a ride that will keep them talking for years to come. Call866-637-2457 or visit www.maineeasternrailroad.com. LGT