Introduction

The image above represents the Strasburg Railroad. It is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was chartered in 1832.

This railroad offers excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 miles of track. This provides a perfect segway for the introduction of this article series. This is the first article of a six-article series.

The weather is changing for the better at this time of year. Soon, families and singles alike will be vacationing and enjoying the outdoors. I want to remind you that some beautiful and exciting train excursions are available in almost all states, so you should consider those venues for pleasure. Riding trains allows us to enjoy them and to learn as well.

Some people decide to include a rail excursion as a vacation. From Alabama to Alaska, Washington to Florida, and many places in between. Some rail fans book trips to and from locations they may have enjoyed earlier or even perhaps go to locations they have yet to see.

One thing is almost inevitable: if you choose one or more of the United States to ride a train, you will find something that suits your desires and makes for a beautiful time.

Also, don't forget that many museums around the country deserve your time and consideration. They can provide some of the history of railroads in their areas. Museum exhibits such as rebuilt locomotives, rolling stock, and railroad equipment with a storied past are also available at many locations.

We will now examine some of the heritage railway excursions and museum offerings in the United States. Almost all states have at least one heritage railroad except for Mississippi and North Dakota. We will begin in the south with our discussion.

Southern United States

Alabama — Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum is in Calera, Alabama.

The museum is available to preserve, restore, and operate historic railway equipment. Visitors can view various locomotives, cars, and other railroad equipment. The museum operates an excursion with museum equipment over its track. It features two railroad depots from 100 years ago. ("Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum", 2023)1

File: HodIMG 3054.JPG, Description English: Interior historical displays at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. Author Civilengtiger, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed | Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported | Creative Commons File:HodIMG 3054.JPG — Wikimedia Commons
File: HodIMG 3054.JPG, Description English: Interior historical displays at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. Author Civilengtiger, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed | Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported | Creative Commons File: HodIMG 3054.JPG — Wikimedia Commons I made no changes to this image.

Alabama — Wales West Light Railway

This narrow-gauge track (2 foot) one-mile-long is owned by Ann and Ken Zadnichek in Silverhill, Alabama. Built to resemble a Welsh narrow-gauge railway, The railway has an associated RV park that hosts more than 30,000 visitors annually. ("Wales West Light Railway", 2024)2

File: Steam tank locomotive Dame Ann releasing steam.jpeg, Author Tim D Williamson, This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed | Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International | Creative Commons File: Steam tank locomotive Dame Ann releasing steam.jpeg — Wikimedia Commons
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Florida — Florida Railroad Museum is in Parrish, Florida.

The museum operates a heritage railroad and offers round-trip tourist excursions along six miles of the former Seaboard Air Line Sarasota Subdivision in Manatee County. The Florida Railroad Museum has provided excursions since 1992. The museum is active in the ghost town of Willow, which has its own maintenance facilities. ("Florida Railroad Museum", 2024)

File: Parrish FL Florida Railroad Museum01.jpg, Author Ebyabe, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed | Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported | Creative Commons File: Parrish FL Florida Railroad Museum01.jpg — Wikimedia Commons
File: Parrish FL Florida Railroad Museum01.jpg, Author Ebyabe, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed | Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported | Creative Commons File: Parrish FL Florida Railroad Museum01.jpg — Wikimedia Commons I made no changes to this image.

Florida — Seminole Gulf Railway

This short-line freight and passenger excursion railroad is located in Fort Myers, Florida. It operates two former CSX Transportation railroad lines in Southwest Florida. The Fort Myers Division runs from Arcadia south to North Naples via Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Estero, and Bonita Springs.

The other line is the Sarasota Division and runs from Oneco south through Sarasota. The railway operates a dinner train five nights each week, year-round. ("Seminole Gulf Railway", 20244

File: GP9.jpg. Description English: An EMD GP9 of the Seminole Gulf Railway — Fort Myers, Florida, Author Harvey Henkelmann. The copyright holder of this file, Harvey Henkelmann, allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other uses are permitted. Attribution: Harvey Henkelmann
File: GP9.jpg. Description English: An EMD GP9 of the Seminole Gulf Railway — Fort Myers, Florida, Author Harvey Henkelmann. The copyright holder of this file, Harvey Henkelmann, allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other uses are permitted. Attribution: Harvey Henkelmann. I made no changes to this image.

Georgia -Southeastern Railway Museum

This railroad museum is located in Duluth, Georgia, in suburban Atlanta. Over 90 pieces of rolling stock are on exhibit on the 30-acre site. A wide variety of artifacts and an extensive archive are also available here.

Some notable items are a restored 1871 Duluth passenger train depot, a G16/Park train ride, and a model railroad. Visitors can ride on restored cabooses over the track that runs the length of the property. ("Southeastern Railway Museum," 2023)5

File: General Electric 44-ton switcher.jpg Description General Electric 44-ton switcher — Duluth, GA Author Harvey Henkelmann, the copyright holder of this file, allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other uses are permitted. Attribution: Harvey Henkelmann
File: General Electric 44-ton switcher.jpg Description General Electric 44-ton switcher — Duluth, GA Author Harvey Henkelmann, the copyright holder of this file, allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other uses are permitted. Attribution: Harvey Henkelmann. I made no changes to this image.

Georgia — Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

This railroad is in Blue Ridge, Georgia. An excursion follows the former Marietta and North Georgia Railroad line along the Toccoa River north to McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. Georgia Northeastern Railroad uses the same line to provide freight service. Trains run Fridays to Mondays from late March to the last weekend in December.

The train runs daily during spring break (the first week of April), summer (mid-June to the end of July), and October until Thanksgiving. A special Christmas train runs Thanksgiving weekend, the weekends following, and the whole week of Christmas itself. ("Blue Ridge Scenic Railway", 2022)6

File: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway train.jpg Description English: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge Georgia, 2013, Author Thomson200, this file is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. You can copy, modify, distribute
File: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway train.jpg Description English: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge Georgia, 2013, Author Thomson200, this file is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. You can copy, modify, distribute, and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. CC0 1.0 Deed | CC0 1.0 Universal | Creative Commons File: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway train.jpg — Wikimedia Commons I made no change to this image.

Midwest United States

Next, we turn to the Midwest to see what museums and trains we can find there.

File: Illinois Railway Museum Overhead.jpg Description English: An Overhead shot of the Illinois Railway Museum Author Lectrician2, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilinois_Railway_Museum_Overhead.jpg
File: Illinois Railway Museum Overhead.jpg Description English: This is an overhead shot of the Illinois Railway Museum. Author Lectrician2, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed | Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International | Creative Commons File:Ilinois Railway Museum Overhead.jpg — Wikimedia Commons I made no changes to this image.

Illinois — Illinois Railway is the largest railroad museum in the United States. It is located in the Chicago Metro area, fifty-five miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The museum operates around its campus just east of the Union.

The Illinois Railway offers train rides on the main line and the streetcar loop. Electric trains operate from April through October. Diesel and steam trains run from the start of May through the end of September.

Trolleybus operation occurs on Saturdays from Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day weekends. The Trolleybus also operates on "Bus Day," the last Saturday in September or the first Saturday in October. The Illinois Railway Museum property covers more than 80 acres. ("Illinois Railway Museum", 2024)8

The museum is the most extensive physical plant of any rail museum in North America. As a buffer against development, the museum bought 89 adjacent acres in 2009. The museum includes revenue trackage and the main campus in Union. The main campus comprises: ("Illinois Railway Museum," 2024)8

  • Eleven equipment storage barns total 3.25 miles of track undercover.
  • Two additional garages provide space to house trolleybuses and motor buses.
  • A dedicated steam restoration shop.
  • A former Chicago and Northwestern Railway depot that dates from 1851.
  • Also on the campus is a complete ground-level station from the Chicago Rapid Transit Company's bygone era.
  • Visitors can view five streetcar stations of varying designs on the campus.
  • Several restored and functional neon signs and concrete entablatures are on display.
  • An indoor dining facility was built in 2003 (open by season)
  • The Multipurpose Building houses the Model Railroad Display, the Rotating Exhibit Gallery, the Pullman Archive, and the Milwaukee Road Historic Association.
  • The museum saved the Union Pacific Railroad's Burnham Shops 130-foot turntable.
  • The museum saved seven railroad crossings with five wigwags. A wigwag is the nickname for a type of railroad grade crossing signal that once was common in the United States. The signal device has a pendulum-like motion that signals a train's approach.
  • Two of the five wigwags are upper-quadrant from the Magnetic Signal Company, one from the Union Switch & Signal, and the other two are lower-quadrant wigwags from the Western Railroad Supply Company. The other two crossings are from the Griswold Signal Company.

IRM also owns one off-site library: the Strahorn Research Library in downtown Marengo. The Pullman Archive, located in downtown Union, IL, moved on campus to the Multipurpose Building in 2021. ("Illinois Railway Museum," 2024)8

The museum has the following numbers of locomotives of different classes and types with the status of operational, display, or various stages of restoration:

36 Operational locomotives

31 locomotives on display

one locomotive undergoing restoration

one locomotive awaiting restoration.

one locomotive on display awaiting restoration.

Five locomotives owned by this museum have since gone to various railroad companies for static display and are in storage or being made operational. ("Illinois Railway Museum," 2024)8

Conclusion

This is the end of article one of a six-article series. We have much to offer you in this six-article series and encourage you to read them all. This article examined railroads and museums in the southern and midwestern portions of the United States.

These certainly differ from the total offerings within these regions, but these locations offer great places to see and things to do. If you want to further your knowledge of railroads, these are also great locations for that to occur. Follow us now to article two of this series; we believe you will enjoy reading it.