Have you ever been on a Steam Train?

Question

Where?

Answer 1

3 times.

Once on a special tour to Starved Rock State Park in Illinois.

Once on the "Skunk Railroad" between Willets and Fort Bragg in Northern California.

http://www.skunktrain.com/

Once on the Durango to Silverton railroad.

http://www.durangotrain.com/

If you take that last one, don't be fooled by the warm weather when you leave Durango.  Durango is at 6,512 feet above sea level but the train crosses a 12,000 foot pass.  Silverton itself sits at 9,300 feet.  It gets COLD!  The merchants of Silverton make a land office business selling blankets and sweaters at ridiculous prices.

Answer 2

Yes a big smelly  coal fired train in England. It was a field trip while in school, the normal thing to do when it went into a tunnel was to close the windows,  we left them open a filled up the train with stinking nasty colored smoke, it was fun though :)

Answer 3

yep in Metamora, Indiana at a railroad museum.  it was a tanke engine though.  it was still lots of fun! i got ot go in the cab.  it hd 2 cars and a caboose i rode in the top of the caboose it was so much fun!  do it every year.  if u want to ride it find out the dates at www.whitewatervalleyrr.org  it's usually in late august and early september.

Answer 4

Yes;

http://www.roaringcamp.com/

http://www.camp5museum.org/

http://www.tvrail.com/

http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/

Answer 5

Yes.  I was raised in London UK during WWII

I went about anywhere in England Scotland and Wales that had tracks  Especially after the war when travel restrictions were lifted

Spent many hours as a train spotter filling in my little log book with train name and numbers  I never left home without my log book  My favorite book was the Railroad Children

I remember watching the troop  trains sending men off to war as well as those returning with many of the wounded

Thanks for the Q   I'm a bit past 70  and your Q  brought back

many bitter sweet memories The smell of coal and smoke

and the thunderous noise of those huge steam engines as they sped along remains in my minds eye

Thanks for the memory

Answer 6

Yes, I recently went on the Dean Forest Railway which runs 4.5 miles through the Gloucestershire countryside in England.

Vintage steam loco and carriages, giving a good impression of what rural rail travel was like in the middle of the last century, before the railways were modernised.

Answer 7

I regularly ride on and behind a steam locomotive at Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC.  There are two locomotives; 4-6-0 #12 and 2-8-2 #190.

Answer 8

Yes I have ...... in Oregon ....... it was a day trip and steams through the Cascade Mountains ....... it was so beautiful and the view was breathtaking ....... = )

Answer 9

Prior to the deisel engine all the train engines were steam powered They ran between New York and Boston, New Haven and Hartford and connected all over the country. We took the train several  times when it was steam powered . We went to New York for Holidays, baseball games and just to hang around.  Today, in the states, steam trains are confined to special tracks and are repaired and operated by " railroad buffs "who have sightseeing runs.

Answer 10

Yes a few times. It's something everyone should get to experience. The railroad i work for still has two steamers still active on the roster.I'm still trying to get a turn behind the throttle of one.The last time one was here they let a fellow engineer that was retiring run it so i'll have to wait for next time and try again.But i have rode the Durango & Silverton in Colorado and the Cumbres & Toltec in New Mexico.

Answer 11

Not since 1958. Took the train from Parry sound to Toronto with my big brother to see the CNE. I saw an elephant and the stunt drivers. I bought an all day sucker for my little sister and ate it on the train home.

Answer 12

Happy-

The California Western Railroad, (Skunk Train), in Fort Bragg, CA

Niles Canyon Railway, Sunol CA, (Current Member)

www.ncry.org

Yosemite Mountain and Sugar Pine Raiload, Fish Camp, CA

Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad, Felton, CA

Sacramento Southern Railroad, Sacramento CA

Jamestown Railroad Museum, Jamestown, CA

Cumbres and Toltec Railroad, Chama, NM

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge, Durango, CO

and there will be more coming next summer.  

Interesting note about the last two I mentioned.  Andy also mentioned them.

The Cumbres and Toltec, and the Durango and Silverton are actually part of the same Railroad Network left from the Denver and Rio Grande narrow Gauge line.  

The Durango and Silverton part of the railroad being the North West end of the line and The Cumbres and Toltec being the Southern end of the line.  

Both of these tours are very close to eachother and if you are looking to make a very nice trip for yourself, I would highly recommend doing the two together.

Lastly, there is a club in Portland, Oregon called the Friends of 4449.  They occasionally do steam excursions behind their pride and joy.  Southern Pacific Daylight #4449.  This Locomotive is probably one of the most recognized Locomotives in the world.  Its bright Orange, Red and Black paint scheme is immediately familiar with many people.  

Just as a trivia note, Amtrak has one of their Passenger Trains named for its route from Los Angeles, CA to Seattle, WA.  Currently known as the Amtrak Coast Starlight #14 Northbound and #11 Southbound.  If you ever want a really nice rail experence, this is definately a ride you will never forget.  Though its not Steam, its definately a Digital Camera must do.

Good Luck!

Answer 13

Yes thanks. You...?