We have a historic railroad here, 2 steamers & a diesel. The maintenance shops, depot, offices, & freight barns are open for the public to tour free. They do a 6 mile run, if your pockets are deep enough you can be the engineer & run the thing.
We volunteer there, when we had horses we helped stage robberies, the wife & her work women dress up as hookers and have an exhibit right above the whorehouses (still legal here) next to the tracks.
Strasburg RR in Lancaster County Pa. No roundhouse but everything else. Plus the Railroad Museum of Pa. is right across the street. The National Toy Train Museum is just down the road (right next door to the Red Caboose Motel where you can sleep in a real caboose).
Grew up around some of the last remaining active steam locomotives, in the early 50's. Grandfather worked for the railroads from before WW1 in Mississippi, through Oklahoma after serving in France, then on to working in the yards in California from 38' until his retirement in 62', worked in the old Tayler yards in Glendale, CA not far from the old Lockheed plant, none of it there any more, neither the rail yard or the Lockheed plant.
Greatly reduced in size from the war years, and completely gone today except for a few rusty spikes and signs of its once existence amongst the weeds.
And the old Lockheed plant which I helped close down and amongst one of the most polluted piece of property's in the Los Angeles county area at that time.
my father worked for the santa fe for over 40years, and his father before him for over 40years too. My grandfather mostly was a section foreman and came here as they were laying track across northern arizona from kansas. the santa fe depot in prescott is about a block from my house, so was the roundhouse, machinest buildings etc. I grew up playing in/with that stuff. when they were switching cars, i often got to ride on an engineers lap when little, blow the horn, and work the controls. At least in my mind i thought i was. I can remember when they were switching over to diesels but do remember the steamers in the shop. There is a really good ride, not steam, but still, from williams to the grand canyon real popular at christmas time. I do remember sleeping in the pullman cars, and breakfast as we road over to california, almost no cost father being an employee.
We have a steam locomotive sightseeing trip here in Utah from the town of Heber (near Park City) down the Provo River Canyon and back. It fun and popular. The old roundhouse here in Ogden has only been gone a few years, but it was still open to visitors when we moved here. Utah is a huge railroad center.
We are planning to enjoy the Durango to Silverton narrow-gauge steam rail line this summer. It's an all-day trip on a line in continuous operation since the 1800s, formerly to haul gold and silver ore, now hauling tourists. It's rated the #1 train excursion in the nation.
I'm old enough to distinctly remember the last of the steam locomotives in active service running across Illinois to and from St Louis. The sight and sound of those brutes was unforgettable.
While I was in Germany during the early 70's they were still running Steam locomotives on most of the freight and some of the passenger trains... not sure but believe they are still running a few in some of the areas.
There used to be an operating steam engine over in East Texas that belonged to the state of Texas. They ran it during the summer and on weekends for tourists. I have no idea if it is still in operation.
Up in northern New Mexico, we have a narrow gauge railroad, the Cumbres and Toltec, that hauls tourists between Chama, NM, and Antonito, Colorado. And, of course, there is the narrow gauge railroad up in southwestern Colorado that runs between Durango and Silverton.
I have taken a ride on all of these at one time or another. The Cumbres and Toltec is my favorite, especially in the fall when the colors are at their best. YMMV.
Ben
Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
We have a steam locomotive sightseeing trip here in Utah from the town of Heber (near Park City) down the Provo River Canyon and back. It fun and popular. The old roundhouse here in Ogden has only been gone a few years, but it was still open to visitors when we moved here. Utah is a huge railroad center.
We are planning to enjoy the Durango to Silverton narrow-gauge steam rail line this summer. It's an all-day trip on a line in continuous operation since the 1800s, formerly to haul gold and silver ore, now hauling tourists. It's rated the #1 train excursion in the nation.
I'm old enough to distinctly remember the last of the steam locomotives in active service running across Illinois to and from St Louis. The sight and sound of those brutes was unforgettable.
The Heber Creeper! It is a fun ride.
We did the Silverton/Durango thing a while back, the round trip. In retrospect would have enjoyed the one-way trip more, too much of a good thing.
Eagles may soar, but a weasel never got sucked into a jet turbine!
Believe the White Pass and Yukon line is still running at least one of their two steam locomotives... #73 was the last one I've been on in full operation and can't remember but think it was using a diesel helper, was strictly a tourist excursion but fun, think it was about a 60 mile road. There is some eerie videos on YouTube about abandoned trains in the U.S., kind of like looking at the old ghost towns.
There is still a roundhouse here, but the rails and workings were removed many years ago. If I were to ride the Cumbres & Toltec again, I'd start the train portion in Antonito, while fresh. Then the most fascinating would be later, and I wouldn't be thinking "Darn, I wish this was over"
I've always been a curmudgeon - now I'm an old curmudgeon. ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
In the 90s we rode a few steam excursions on Norfolk Southern and CSX track in Tennessee. Riding behind a steam locomotive running at road speed through the countryside is an experience that will make the hair on your neck and arms stand up. When going through a curve you can see the locomotive wheels churning, the smoke belching, and the whistle really makes it come alive. What an experience!
It's interesting to see the look on peoples face at rural crossings, both people who came to see the steamer, but also people who just happened to be there when the train came by - they looked like they were seeing a ghost, and in a way they were.
Increasing my post count so people will buy stuff from me
Gramps used to take me down to the roundhouse when I was little (pre school age). I'd get a ride in the yard engine. I can recall a couple of times when steam engines went screaming up the tracks along a hillside visible from the house, maybe a quarter mile away....scared the hell out 3 or 4 year old me...belching smoke and fire, whistle just a screaming...
Durango & Silverton. Rode it twice long ago. Georgetown loop. UP runs 844 every year to Cheyenne Frontier Days, there is more listed this year on the UP Steam page. Cost is too much for me, but I follow when I can. Back in the late 60's and 70's I followed it all the way to Laramie, clocked around 100 in those days, now there is a lower speed limit for trains, not that my cars now could do it anyway.
When Forney moved, they had 4005 (4-8-8-4) and a 4-6-0 CNW parked outside where you could REALLY crawl around on it, along with a rotary plow and a crane. The keep off signs were ineffective.
When a wee lad, my brother, Dad, and cousin ran across one of the Great Western 2-8-0's parked at the end of the day, climbed in, sat in the seat, wondered how anyone (specially a little kid) could swing the Johnson lever through all the notches. No way you could park one unattended now.
If I ever get richer, I want to take the plunge and "run" that Nevada thing.
There's an old train that still runs between Cripple Creek and Victor not far west of Colorado Springs. I've ridden this one a couple of times but the trip is kind of short. http://cripplecreekrailroad.com/
There's another one that runs between New Mexico and Colorado. I've never ridden this one. The movie Apaloosa was filmed using this train. http://cumbrestoltec.com/
The Georgetown Loop Train is another one that I haven't ridden. Part of its' route is a cork screw and you can look down on the tracks below you, as you pass over them. https://www.georgetownlooprr.com/hike-and-ride/
The best one in Colorado is the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The scenery is spectacular. I've ridden it several times and gotten off at water stops to access wilderness backpack trips. That's a pretty fun adventure. http://www.durangotrain.com/
KC
Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.
If you like steamers, then you MUST visit the UP Steam Shop in Cheyenne, WY. They only do a few tours a month, but is worth it.
They store the 844 there since they restored it and just they just started on restoring the BIG BOY 4014. The 844 makes PR runouts from time to time.
Those that want to ride the rails on 844 can purchase a RT ticket from Denver to Cheyenne for Frontier Days.
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."
Decided to go see the #4014 while she was sitting down here in Rialto before heading up to Wyoming, all the years she was at the Pomona Fairgrounds rusting, I never bothered. Most of the old steam locomotives down here are in local parks and fairgrounds, places they call museums that haven't been maintained or even looked at in decades... rusting hulks nobody seems to know what to do with.
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