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Tourist Railroads, Where You Can Simply Enjoy A Trainride While Taking In The Passing SceneryAnother facet of railroad museums is tourist railroads. Perhaps the one key advantage they have over museums (at least those without operating equipment) is that tourist lines actually come to life with functioning railroad equipment! Even better, these non-freight hauling railroads (most of them anyway) are meant to give you, the visitor, the enjoyment of what it’s like to experience a trip aboard a train. Sometimes, as in the case of the Strasburg Railroad, the journey is also meant to take you back in time to see what riding a train was like years ago pulled by authentic steam locomotives while other times diesel locomotives do the job (some historic themselves). One thing almost all tourist railroads have in common, however, is the breathtaking scenery afforded along their respective routes.
While most tourist lines do not haul freight they do earn revenue from their services of hauling passenger, many as 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporations. Albeit, this does not necessarily mean they are profitable, actually quite the contrary. As with most railroad museums, tourist railroads are almost always in a pinch for cash, whether it be to restore historic equipment, upgrade/maintain its track, or just simply pay the bills. Every little bit helps so if you have a tourist railroad you enjoy riding or simply want to help one out they could very much use your donation, whether it might be of the monetary variety or just by volunteering. Most tourist lines in our country have come about merely because a group of railfans wanted to preserve a piece of railroad history, and in most cases to prevent a stretch of railroad from being pulled up and abandoned. While not all lines have been successful in both staying in business and preventing a railroad from being abandoned many have, thanks to the dedicated, hard work of volunteers who have spent many countless hours keeping the railroad running.
While it may not seem like it, you might be surprised to learn that for an industry run mostly by volunteers, tourist lines offer a variety of different styles and services. For instance, if you’re interested in steam railroads and authenticity then a trip to Strasburg is definitely in order. However, if you are just after a comfortable train ride with a meal and plenty of good scenery then you might want to take a train like the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train, run by the RJ Corman Railroad, which features climate-controlled cars and a full-course meal. Whatever your interests might be there is a whole host of tourist lines operating around the country to find what you’re after. And, hopefully, the railroads I have highlighted below will also help you in making your choice (more coming soon!). Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad Westrn Maryland Scenic Railroad Great Smoky Mountains Railroad The My Old Kentucky Dinner Train - RJ Corman Railroad Seminole Gulf Railway Excursions Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad
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