Great American Railroads by Byways, Inc.

Featuring North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Travel Destinations

Great American Railroads

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The Medina Railroad Museum, Medina NY A 300 foot long wooden freight house built in 1905, full of New York Central railroad memorabilia. Tour the re-created NYC terminal, feature exhibits and a huge HO scale model railroad layout. The museum also offers themed train excursions throughout the year. www.railroadmuseum.net

Don’t miss out on all of the great adventures you

The D&R Depot, LeRoy NY Take a step back in time & dine in a former B & O train depot where the food is homemade, the service is friendly and attentive, and even the background music is old fashioned. www.dandrdepot.com

can have while exploring

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Cobblestone Museum Complex, Albion NY Tour seven buildings from the cobblestone era, 1825-1860, made of stones polished into cobble by glaciers. This National Historic Landmark includes the oldest cobblestone church in North America and the parsonage once owned by Horace Greeley. www.cobblestonemuseum.org

mighty falls! Visit Genesee and Orleans Counties. Our small towns are home to friendly people, quaint restaurants, wineries, unusual museums, steam train excursions

Barn Quilt Trails of Orleans and Genesee Counties Enjoy a scenic drive along quaint, rustic country roads through lush farmlands as you follow the Country Barn Quilt Trail of Western New York, and the Barn Quilts of LeRoy, NY. www.countrybarnquilttrail.com and www.LeRoyBarnQuilt.org

and more!

ANDY OLENICK

Visit our website at

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War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail. The garden route covers nearly 700 miles, beginning in Niagara, USA and extending across New York State to the Adirondacks region. Peace gardens have been established along this route where events of the War of 1812 unfolded. An audio tour is available at 585-201-5079.

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PREVIEW By Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher

elcome to the annual Great majestic Provo Canyon/Provo River, as well as enjoying American Railroads issue. If a slice of Americana as you ride. Two western states share ownership of the Cumbres & you enjoy the nostalgia of the Toltec Scenic Railroad: Colorado and New Mexico. It past and the lore of the rails, we’ve got was originally constructed in 1880 as part of the Rio it covered. Grande’s San Juan Extension, which served the silver In this issue we feature trains in musemining district of the San Juan mountains in southwestums, canyons, mountains, valleys, ern Colorado. ridges, and just about all of them have the word scenic in Some of the most famous families in America, includtheir names. ing the Webb, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Whitney, and I don’t know why, but when you put a train, especialRoosevelt families, traveled to their Great Camps in the ly a steam train, in a photo, it becomes a subject of beaubeautiful Adirondack Mountains aboard the Adirondack ty. No wonder so many people love to take pictures of Scenic Railway in New York State. trains! We explore the railroad heritage of New York’s We start our journey on the West Coast with a Skunk. Greater Niagara Region, where the expansion of the railThat’s right, the Skunk Train in California. Ride the roads influenced its culture, industry and history. Skunk through the beauty of the redwoods in Mendocino The Tennessee Valley Railroad in Chattanooga is an County. Oh, we’re not going to tell how it got its name. experience straight from the past. Listen to a steam locoYou’ll need to read the story for that! motive hissing and snorting away as it departs from the From Skunk to Wine. Only in California! The next station and don’t forget the lonesome wail of a whistle stop is the Napa Valley Wine Train, in the heart of the echoing through the ridges. wine country. During the three-hour journey, guests can In Virginia, rail lines see five towns: Napa, Yountville, weave romantically Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena, throughout Roanoke, and numerous wineries through the large tying the town to ports and picture windows on board. portals, far from the beckTraveling to Sacramento, we visit the oning Blue Ridge. Learn California State Railroad Museum, the about Roanoke’s unique most popular of its kind in North rail past, and visit its rail America. It is one of the world’s finest related museums includinterpretive transportation museums, ing the Virginia Museum offering exhibits in recreated settings of Transportation and the that remind one of a natural history O. Winston Link Museum. museum. But instead of mammoths or The Grand Canyon Railway Tucked into the charmmastodons, visitors are face to face with in Arizona ing mountain village of Central Pacific locomotive No. 1 in a Blue Ridge, Georgia in the Sierra tunnel, and other historic scenes. lush Chattahoochee National Forest, we’ll discover a From California we head north to Oregon, and some of great family adventure on the Blue Ridge Scenic the most spectacular views anywhere, to the Mt. Hood Railway. Scenic Railroad. Located 60 miles east of Portland, you Finally, we visit the B&O Museum in Baltimore, one want to have your camera ready for the beautiful views of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in as you enjoy this rail ride. the world, and the largest collection of 19th-century From one natural wonder to another, we travel next to locomotives in the U.S. Its theme, The War Came by Arizona and the Grand Canyon Railway. The train will Train, focuses on the role of the railroad in the U.S. Civil not only take you to the South Rim, it will take you back War. in time. Your tour group can experience the Grand What’s Happening features the 86th Shenandoah Canyon in the most memorable of ways. Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, VA, which each A ride on Utah’s Heber Valley Historic Railroad year welcomes spring: the birds, the blooms and happy includes breathtaking scenery of Heber Valley’s natural landscape, the beautiful Deer Creek Reservoir, and the crowds of people ready to celebrate the season. 4 • Byways

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Volume 30, Issue No. 1, 2013

On the cover. Spend a day exploring railroad exhibits at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, and see one of the most powerful steam locomotives in existence today: the Class J 611. Coverage of Great American Railroads begins on page 8. Cover photo courtesy Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Features

Great American Railroads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 California’s Skunk Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Napa Valley Wine Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 California’s State Railroad Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Incredible Views: Oregon’s Mount Hood Railroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Grand Canyon Railway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Utah’s Heber Valley Railroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Two States Share the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Adirondack Scenic Railway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Railroad Heritage of Greater Niagara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Railroading’s Golden Age in Chattanooga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Roanoke’s Unique Rail Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Georgia’s Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 The B&O Museum: The War Came by Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

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What’s Happening

The 86th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Coming in future issues of Byways… Beautiful Gardens and Western States. At right, the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Harrisonburg, VA. Photo courtesy Frank Doherty Photography.

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Great Americ

yways takes its annual tour of some of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great railroads, reliving the history of railroading while enjoying some of the most renowned destinations in North America. In this issue we travel from coast to coast to visit historic railroads, railroad museums, and enjoy traveling in the luxury of a bygone era. Join us as we visit a Skunk, take a unique wine train in the Napa Valley, travel by train to Mt. Hood in Oregon, visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona, explore a railroad owned by two states, and enjoy incredible railroad museums in California and Virginia. Photo: The Grand Canyon Railways travels to one of the wonders of the world in Arizona. Photo courtesy Grand Canyon Railways. 8 â&#x20AC;˘ Byways

can Railroads

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California’s Skunk Train

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The Skunk Train emerges from Tunnel #1 into the Redwoods of the Noyo River Canyon.

elcome to the world of Mendocino County, home of the famous Skunk Train. The California Redwoods provide an awe-inspiring backdrop for this piece of American history. The Skunk line operates different trains to power your journey into the redwoods. Depending upon your travel plans, you can ride the rails on an exciting variety of equipment. The vintage 1925 M-100 railcruiser, the only remaining train of its kind in use today, as well as the 1935 M-300 railcruiser run the line all year round while the diesel powered engines, or the famous “Ole’ No. 45” Baldwin Steam Locomotive reigns supreme mostly during the summer months. The trains begin their runs in both Fort Bragg and Willits. During select times of the year there are one-way or overnight roundtrips from either station. Fort Bragg is located on the breathtaking Mendocino Coast and Willits is conveniently situated on Highway 101, gateway to the redwoods and wine region. Nostalgia rings down the line in the sights, sounds, and smell of trains moving through the wild. Practiced movements of the conductors, steam of Ole’ No. 45 rising into a misty morning, cars placed slowly on the track set the tone for an unforgettable day. “All Aboard” sounds across the station in what seems to be American history, yet it is today. Take your seat, it is time to make new memories as you travel through the majestic redwoods forests and most beautiful scenery along the Pacific Coast.

Engine #45 rounding the corner at Alpine along the “Redwood Route.”

The Skunk Train winding its way through the redwoods.

ABOUT THE JOURNEY If it wasn’t for the passengers’ high-tech cameras and modern garb, a time traveler from the last century would feel quite at home riding on the Skunk Train today. The view from the restored rail cars is pretty much unchanged. The first few miles are along the Pudding Creek estuary where common sightings include blue heron, egrets, osprey, ducks, and the occasional lounging turtle. After passing through a dark 1,122-foot tunnel, the

Skunk Train makes its way along Noyo River and zigzags through the redwood thick Noyo River Canyon. With the occasional whistles as it chugs through tunnels, over bridges and past open meadows, the train follows the coastal “Redwood Route” as it has since 1885. It is the towering trees, a glimpse of a deer drinking from the Noyo River, an isolated fisherman’s cabin peeking from the forest, and the notion that you have left the rest of the world behind that draw people to the Skunk Train.

HISTORY Built as a logging railroad in 1885 by Charles R. Johnson, the Skunk line was a logical vehicle for moving massive redwood logs to the Mendocino Coast sawmills from the rugged back country, not to mention the train played a vital role in transporting families and workers who set up the various logging camps along the route.

The Skunk Trolley

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SMELLS LIKE A SKUNK The nickname Skunk originated in 1925 when motorcars were introduced, which today are sometimes referred to as railbuses or railcruisers. These single unit self-propelled motorcars had gasoline powered engines for power and pot-bellied stoves (burning crude oil to keep the passengers warm). The combination of the fumes created a very pungent odor, and the old timers living along the line said these motorcars were like skunks: “You could smell them before you could see them.” The length of the track is 40 miles. Roundtrips run approximately four hours, Fort Bragg to Northspur, or Willits to Northspur. For barbecue trips allow an extra hour. Trip Highlights: Pudding Creek estuary, Noyo River canyon, towering redwoods, waterfalls, 30 trestle/ bridges, two mountain tunnels, and wildlife. http://www.skunktrain.com

The Napa Valley Wine Train

he tracks the Napa Valley Wine Train runs on were originally built in the 1860s to bring guests to the hot springs resort town of Calistoga. While the track to Calistoga no longer exists, much of the rest of the route of the Napa Valley Wine Train is unchanged. The tracks run through the heart of the world-famous Napa Valley wine region. During the three-hour rail journey, guests can enjoy the scenery through five towns: Napa, Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena, and numerous wineries through the large picture windows on board. The Napa Valley Wine Train’s history is almost as old as the history of California. The rail line the train travels on was built in 1864 by San Francisco’s first millionaire, Samuel Brannan, to transport visitors to his spa resort of Calistoga. Shortly thereafter, Brannan was forced to sell many of his holdings, and the railroad became the property of California Pacific Railroad. Then in 1885, Southern

Pacific bought the Napa Valley Railroad. During the late part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, the railroad played a vital role in the economic and agricultural development of the Napa Valley, and provided regular passenger service to the communities of the Valley.

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With the birth of the automobile, however, the train began to lose much of its former importance. Passenger service was discontinued in the 1930s. In 1960, Southern Pacific abandoned the right of way between St. Helena and Calistoga, and eventually, Southern Pacific was run-

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ning only one freight train a week on the remaining tracks. In an effort to make a profit on the faltering rail line, Southern Pacific decided to abandon the line and sell the property in 1984. Some of the people in Napa Valley did not want the rail

line to be abandoned and lost. Lou Schuyler, a retired Southern Pacific Engineer, had driven freight along the route, and understood the significance and beauty attached to this specific railroad. A group founded by Dr. Alvin Lee Block was known as the Napa Valley Wine Train Inc. Their goal was to create a railroad that would preserve the transportation corridor for future use and reduce traffic congestion in the Valley. Immediately, the Napa Valley Wine Train Inc. went on a hunt to find investors. Their search led them to San Francisco resident, Vincent DeDomenico, inventor of Rice-A-Roni and former owner of Ghirardelli Chocolate and Golden Grain Pasta. DeDomenico loved the concept of the Wine Train and offered to buy the whole operation. The Napa Valley Wine Train Inc. sold him most of the shares in the company and appointed him as the Wine Train’s President and CEO. With DeDomenico involved, the Napa Valley Wine Train was finally able to buy the line from Southern Pacific and begin the transformation into the company that it is today. The Napa Valley Wine Train begins its

journey at the McKinstry Street Station in Napa. The Train then travels north to St. Helena, where the locomotive disconnects from the north facing side of the Train and reconnects to the south facing side of the Train in preparation for the return journey. Currently, the Napa Valley Wine Train stops at different locations depending on the day of the week. Guests are only allowed to disembark at these locations if they have pre-purchased one of the Winery Tours. Visit http://www.winetrain.com for details.

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California’s State Railroad Museum By Dr. John A. Kirchner

A visitor from China stands in front GM-EMD E9A locomotive #6051, a classic example of diesel-electric passenger locomotives of the “Streamline Era.” It is painted in the Southern Pacific’s famous Daylight red, orange, and black. 16 • Byways

ocated in Old Sacramento, along the banks of the Sacramento River, the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) is the most popular of its kind in North America. Opened in 1976, and a part of the California State Parks system, it draws over 500,000 annual visitors. Built at a cost of $30 million, it consists of six original, reconstructed, and new buildings. The primary exhibit hall, totaling some 100,000 square feet, was opened in May 1981. Much more than just a collection of old locomotives and cars, the CSRM is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest interpretive transportation museums, offering exhibits in recreated settings that remind one of a natural history museum. Instead of mammoths or mastodons, visitors are face to face with Central Pacific locomotive No. 1 in a Sierra tunnel, or standing next to a Sierra snow shed, or watching Chinese laborers braving the odds while placing explosive charges in the hard granite rock of the Sierra Nevada. Within the main primary exhibit building, some 21 meticulously restored locomotives and cars can be seen. One is struck by the great variety of engines and rolling stock, both standard gauge and narrow gauge. Both diesel and steam are displayed. Most majestic is

Central Pacific 4-4-0 locomotive No. 1, the Governor Stanford, was built by Norris in 1862. Shipped in crates, it traveled by sea from Philadelphia around South America to San Francisco, and then by riverboat to Sacramento, where it entered service only a short distance from todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s museum.

Thousands of Chinese laborers, mostly from Guangdong Province in southern China, were brought in to build the Central Pacific, and their hard work and heroics in the face of great danger are part of the epic story of the trans-Sierra railway.

Southern Pacific 4294, a massive 4-8-8-2 articulated locomotive, a rare type built to literally run backwards. Because smoke from hard working steam locomotives filled the confined space of tunnels and snow sheds, the trans-Sierra crossing was hazardous to the engine crew’s health. Thanks to oil fuel, which could be pumped forward from the tender to the firebox, the Southern Pacific created the so-called “Cab-Forward” or “Cab-Ahead” locomotive, and while never adopted by other major railroads, the design was highly successful and saw over 250 of the type delivered for service. Built in Philadelphia by Baldwin in 1944, 4294 was retired in 1956. The last steam locomotive acquired new by the Southern Pacific, she is also the sole survivor of her breed. Visitors often have their favorites, and among the diesel locomotives, none is more special to me than 18 • Byways

bright red, orange, and black Southern Pacific number 6051, built in La Grange, Illinois in 1954. Housed in a roundhouse-like exhibit area, this streamlined (GM) EMD E-9A cab unit developed 2,400 hp, and was a regular on famous passenger trains like the Coast Daylight and Lark between San Francisco and Los Angeles. As a kid I saw her many times as she passed through Redwood City, my childhood home. The main exhibit hall is but one part of this vast museum complex, which overall has some 225,000 square feet of total exhibit space. The Central Pacific depot has been recreated, marking the starting point of the famed First Transcontinental Railroad. The museum’s excellent library is housed in the “Big Four” building, one of several original 19th century structures, each with its own history, adjoining the main exhibit complex on its west side. Work is now

Southern Pacific Cab-forward 4294, a massive 4-8-8-2 articulated locomotive, was built in 1944. Long tunnels and snow sheds in Sierra Nevada created a very hostile environment for engine crews, so these locomotives were built to run in reverse, a successful adaptation because they burned oil, not wood or coal. Southern Pacific was the only railroad in North America to adopt the unusual design.

underway on the new “Technology Museum,” a massive undertaking located in the former Southern Pacific shops, situated north of the current CSRM complex, and quite close to the former Southern Pacific station, now a busy Amtrak facility. The CSRM also operates the Sacramento Southern Railway, a six-mile, forty-minute roundtrip along the banks of the Sacramento River. Part of a former Southern Pacific branch line, diesel locomotive power trains run from April through September, with fares starting at $10 for adults, $5 for youths (6-17), with younger kids free. Trains leave from the Central Pacific Freight Depot in the Old Sacramento complex. The museum is justly famous for its periodic “Railfairs,” major events which see many guest locomotives, from all over the world, as participants. The next such event is tentatively planned for 2020 to celebrate the opening of the new Technology Museum. All in all, the CSRM is an exceptional experience, with wonderful dioramas and displays, an excellent staff, and a world-class collection. But CSRM is only part of the fun, because it is located in Old Sacramento State Historic Park, a masterful preservation success which has made this fascinating part of Sacramento’s history into a true people place, with hotels, restaurants, riverside docks and steamboats, and numerous fascinating buildings, each with its own story to tell. http://www.csrmf.org/ North Pacific Coast Railroad #12 “Sonoma,” Baldwin-built 4-4-0 type constructed in 1876.

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The Mount Hood Railroad in Oregon offers four-hour scenic tours through the Hood River Valley and narrated historic excursion train tours, as well as special events. 20 â&#x20AC;˘ Byways

Incredible Views: Oregon’s Mount Hood Railroad

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oday the Mount Hood Railroad offers four-hour scenic tours through Oregon’s Hood River Valley and narrated historic excursion train tours. It offers the perfect escape for couples, families and groups in the scenic Hood River Valley. From beautiful pear trees, and great views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams, to classic dinner trains reminiscent of the Golden Age of rail travel or the excitement of a “Western Train Robbery,” make sure to fit the Mount Hood Railroad into your travel plans. The Mount Hood Railroad is located 60 miles east of Portland. The majority of the railroad’s revenue is generated from passenger excursions although a few small freight shippers remain that generate several carloads of traffic per week. The northern terminus of the Mount Hood Railroad is at Hood River, Oregon, where the line interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad. The line starts out parallel to the Hood River for the first three 3 miles until it reaches a switchback. Switchbacks used to be common, but this is now only one of five remaining railroad switchbacks in use in the United States. After the trains reverse direc-

ilroad. Hood RaRailroad. t n u o M the od Dining oonurtesy Mount Ho c Photo

Aerial view of Hood River, Oregon. Photo courtesy Sam Beebe.

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tion at the switchback, the line continues south through the communities of Pine Grove, Odell, and Dee before reaching the southern end of the line at Parkdale. The total length of the line is just over 21 miles. The line south out of Hood River was first built in 1906, extending as far as Dee. In 1909 the line was extended to the present-day end of track at Parkdale. The Union Pacific acquired the line in 1968 and operated it with the primary customers being fruit shippers and the lumber operation at Dee. As local industries switched to truck-based transportation for their goods, carloads on the line dwindled and the Union Pacific proposed abandoning the line. In 1987 a group of local investors purchased the railroad from Union Pacific and began to offer passenger excursions to augment the freight business. The line was sold again in 2008 to Permian Basin Railways, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings. All trains depart from and return to the Mount Hood Railroad depot in Hood River, Oregon. Visit http://www.mthoodrr.com for additional information.

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ss rlor Cla a P y r u Lux

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Service

The Grand Canyon Railway

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ince 1901, the Train has taken people to the fabled canyon, once dubbed “the most sublime of all earthly scenes.” Today, the Train will not only take you to the South Rim, it will take you back in time. Your tour group can experience the Grand Canyon in the most memorable of ways on board Grand Canyon Railway. With access to lodging inside Grand Canyon National Park and in Williams, at both the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, as well as buffet-style dining at the adjacent Grand Depot Café, planning and booking packaged group travel has never been easier! For history, one would be hard pressed to compete with the five million year old Grand Canyon, but at Grand Canyon Railway, we try our best. Each locomotive and passenger coach has been painstakingly restored to its original state by a staff of mechanics who see their work as more a labor of love than a job. During the journey, your crew is no less enthusiastic. Each is bursting with local and Grand Canyon folklore and history, as well as Grand Canyon Railway knowledge. Strolling musicians catch you up with what was hot way back when. And there are even fun recreations of an old fashioned shoot out and a train robbery. Grand Canyon Railway now operates 5 unique classes of passenger service: Coach, First Class, Dome, Luxury Parlor, and the all new full-length Luxury Dome. Our climate-controlled Coach Class passenger cars hold 26 • Byways

Luxury Parlor Car service is available on the Grand Canyon Railway. enough people for large groups to ride together, and feature bench seating and wide windows for enjoying the view. Coach passengers also have access to the Café Car in the middle of the Train, where snacks, beverages, and ice cream are available for purchase. The artfully decorated First Class cars upgrade your group to plush, captain’s chair seating, plentiful leg room, and extra-wide picture windows. Complimentary fruit, pastries, and beverages are served north bound in the morning; an assortment of cheese, crackers, and veggies is provided for the return trip in the evening. Most First Class cars also feature a cash bar, serving bottled beer and wine, and cocktails mixed to perfection. For more information about the Dome, Luxury Dome, or Luxury Parlor classes, please contact our Group Sales Department directly or visit us online at thetrain.com/groups. Once at the Canyon, there’s no shortage of sights to see and things to do. If your group is staying just for the afternoon, make the most of your time and see the most amazing vantage points on our 90-minute guided motorcoach tour of the South Rim. A hot buffet lunch at Maswik Cafeteria is also available. If your group is interested in the complete Grand Canyon Experience, why not add a night at one of five lodges inside the National Park? Your Grand Canyon Railway sales agent can reserve rooms, banquets, meeting space, and even additional activities around the South Rim. Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges are both

Although diesel engines do the heavy lifting on the Grand Canyon Railway today, steam engines are still used on excursions to the Grand Canyon. situated right on the Rim, and offer Canyon-side rooms. Maswik Lodge is less than one half mile from the edge of the Canyon, has dining and retail on site, and has easy access to trails and shuttle busses. For much larger groups needing several rooms, there is Yavapai Lodge, which also features on-site dining and retail, and is just a

short drive from the Rim. Our Group Sales Department is standing by to help your company plan your groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grand Canyon Adventure, toll-free at 1-800-843-8723 or via email: groups@xanterra.com

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Utah’s Heber Valley Railroad

he Heber Valley Historic Railroad’s history began in 1899, when trains served the pioneers who first settled the valley. In the early 1970s, the railroad became the Heber Creeper, a tourist passenger train operating on a seasonal basis. We now operate as a nonprofit organization focused on tourism, education and the restoration of historical railroad equipment. The Heber Valley Railroad is reminiscent of the typical short-line railway that could be seen in many parts of Utah and throughout rural America during the Golden Years of U.S. railroading. Our goal is to help you enjoy a slice of Americana which has otherwise disappeared. The train ride, depot and atmosphere around the rail equipment, yards and buildings have been designed to be educational for all ages. The Heber Valley Railroad is owned by the State of Utah. The Heber Valley Railroad has appeared in a number of motion pictures and was featured on television episodes of “Touched by an Angel” and “Promised Land.” Our steam engine and ten of our railroad cars have been featured in more than 35 motion pictures over the past 20 years. Today, vintage and restored coaches are pulled through the beautiful Heber Valley by a variety of diesel electric locomotives. We are also in the process of restoring and rebuilding a 1907 Baldwin Steam Engine for future generations. Our track runs the original Denver & Rio Grande Western rail line along US Highway 189, across the valley floor, alongside the renowned Provo River to Vivian Park. 28 • Byways

Utah’s 114-year-old Heber Valley Railroad is a tourist passenger railroad that runs through a beautiful, lush valley, along the shore of a year-round recreational lake and through a steep, forested canyon. Amenities on-board include heated coaches in the winter, restrooms, snack car, and gift shop.

The Heber Valley Railroad has created several scenic excursions, adventure trains, dinner trains, and special events for you to choose from. Scenic Trains include breathtaking scenery of Heber Valley’s natural landscape, the beautiful Deer Creek Reservoir, and the majestic Provo Canyon/Provo River.

Photos courtesy Heber Valley Railroad.

These scenic trains include the Provo Canyon Limited, Lakeside Limited (winter only), and the Deer Creek Express. If you are looking for something more exciting, then you will enjoy one of the Adventure Trains. You can go rafting down the Provo River on the Raft ‘n Rails. Don’t like rafting? Take a beautiful ride through the Wasatch countryside astride a majestic steed on the Reins ‘n Trains. Still need more excitement? Well then, dare to ride fast paced steep inclines of the intense Wilderness Zip Line! Perhaps you would rather sit down with your loved ones and enjoy a beautiful sunset while eating a dinner fit for a cowboy on the Sunset BBQ Special. Are you an amazing detective waiting to find out Who Dun It? Then join us on this fantastic mystery aboard the Comedy Murder Mystery. Looking for a fun family outing around the Holidays? Then come and join one of our many Special Events like The Valentine’s Day Special, Chocolate Lovers Train, Magic Train, Fiddle Fest, Summer Kick Off, Day Out With Thomas, Pumpkin Festival, or The North Pole Express. Your ticket helps ensure that this priceless piece of Utah and American history will be here for future generations to enjoy. Whether you are planning to ride a train for the first time, or this is one of many trains you’ve enjoyed, choosing to ride the Heber Valley Historic Railroad will be a great experience. For more information, visit http://hebervalleyrr.org Byways • 29

Two States Share Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

Finally, in 1969 the Interstate Commerce Commission he Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was originally constructed in 1880 as part of the Rio granted the Rio Grande’s request to abandon its remainGrande’s San Juan Extension, which served the ing narrow gauge main line trackage, thereby ending the silver mining district of the San Juan mountains in south- last use of steam locomotives in general freight service in the United States. western Colorado. Most of the abandoned track was dismantled soon Like all of the Rio Grande at the time, it was built to a after the ICC’s decision, but through the combined gauge of 3 feet between the rails, instead of the more common 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches that became standard in the United States. The inability to interchange cars with other railroads led the Rio Grande to begin converting its tracks to standard gauge in 1890. However, with the repeal of the Sherman Act in 1893 and its devastating effect on the silver mining industry, traffic over the San Juan Extension failed to warrant conversion to standard gauge. Over the ensuing decades it became an isolated anachronism, receiving its last major upgrades in equipment and infrastructure in the 1920s. A post-World War II natural gas boom brought a brief period of prosperity to the line, but operations dwindled to a trickle in the Coal in the firebox. Photos courtesy Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. 1960s. 30 • Byways

efforts of an energetic and resourceful group of railway preservationists and local civic interests, the most scenic portion of the line was saved. In 1970, the states of Colorado and New Mexico jointly purchased the track and line-side structures from Antonito to Chama, nine steam locomotives, over 130 freight and work cars, and the Chama yard and maintenance facility, for $547,120. The C&TS began hauling tourists the next year. Today the railroad is operated for the states by the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, an interstate Mexico, who own it. agency authorized by an act of Congress in 1974. When you visit us, be sure to take the self-guided tours Care of the historic assets, and interpretation of the railroad is entrusted to the Friends of the Cumbres & of the railroad yards. For a map and tour information Toltec Scenic Railroad, a non-profit, member-based about the railroad yards, visit: http://www.cumbrestoltec.com organization whose mission is to preserve and interpret the railroad as a living history museum for the benefit of the public, and for the people of Colorado and New

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has four operating coal-fired, steam-operated, narrow gauge locomotives.

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Adirondack Scenic Railway

The Saranac Lake Station on the Adirondack Scenic Railway.

ransportation in Central New York underwent a transformation in the early part of the 19th century with the completion of the Erie Canal and New York Central and Hudson River Railroads. With people and goods now traveling more easily and more quickly than ever before across New York State, as well as the increased pressure to utilize natural resources of the northern part of the state, the Adirondacks began to experience an influx of people. In addition to loggers, trappers, and hunters, many wealthy families began to construct estates in the Adirondacks, today known as the “Great Camps.” Roads, difficult to construct through the heavily wooded and mountainous terrain were not practical for transportation of large quantities of goods or wealthier families, accustomed to a higher class of transportation. Dr. William Seward Webb, a medical doctor by trade, president of the Wagner Palace Car Company, and husband of Lila Vanderbilt, of the wealthy Vanderbilt family, figured the best way to access Nehasane Park, his large hunting preserve to the north, was by train. In 1890, he financed a railroad into the Adirondack wilderness, work on the line started the next year and was completed in just 18 months. The rail line was a significant engineering feat for its 32 • Byways

day. Starting in Remsen, the line travels up 1,135 feet to its highest point at Big Moose Lake, at 2,035 feet. The line itself includes 17 bridges over several bodies of water as well as a large number of buildings, constructed along the line to support rail operations, many of which are still standing or in use today. The railroad later became part of the New York Central System. The railroad carried the Webb, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Whitney, and Roosevelt families along with other not-so-famous families to their Great Camps in the Adirondack Mountains. It also provided freight service to communities along the way. In 1961, part of the line was abandoned from Lake Clear Junction to Malone. Scheduled passenger service was continued on the Adirondack Division from Utica to Lake Placid but ended in April of 1965. In February 1968 the New York Central System merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad becoming Penn Central Transportation Company. Freight service was continued with decreasing frequency until 1972. In that year, the Penn Central’s application to the Public Service Commission to abandon the line was approved. In 1975, the state of New York purchased the abandoned line. The Adirondack Railway Preservation Society was started by a group of devoted preservationists who, in

1992, banded together and proposed to fix and operate a short section of the former New York Central line from Thendara south to Minnehaha. New York State approved the four mile demonstration and on July 4, 1992, the Adirondack Centennial Railroad ran its first train. With a positive response from the public, New York State allowed the railroad to operate again in 1993. In July of 1994 the Adirondack Centennial Railroad became the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, and New York State has extended the permission to run each year since. By the year 2000 the railroad had restored the line all the way south to Snow Junction. At that point it connects with a freight railroad, the Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern, and continues on to Union Station in Utica, NY, six miles north from Thendara Station to Carter Station and between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. Work to complete another section of track, from Carter Station north to Big Moose Lake are underway. Today on the Adirondack Scenic Railway you can relive the golden age of railroading, a time when wealthy entrepreneurs like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, J.P. Morgan and Collis P. Huntington built fab-

ulous wilderness estates in the heart of the Adirondacks. The Adirondacks played host to the rich and famous on their way to these Great Camps. To learn more, visit http://www.adirondackrr.com

Saranac Lake Village

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The Railroad Heritage of Greater Niagara

f you search heritage, you’re likely to find an ancestor who had a tie to railroads or canals. The expansion of these transportation modes influenced our culture, industry and history in innumerable ways. Housed in one of the last surviving wooden freight depots in the United States, the Medina Railroad Museum features one of the largest collections of New York Central Railroad artifacts and memorabilia of its type in the country. The 1905 structure contains the longest HO scale layout and diorama all on one floor, and the displays/exhibits offer visitors the opportunity to marvel at the growth of this industry. For a real life history lesson hop aboard a 2-hour vintage train excursion along the banks of the Erie Canal from Medina to Lockport. In Lockport you’ll actually travel high over the Erie Canal on the 34 • Byways

“Upside Down Bridge,” built in 1902. Fall foliage, winery and Christmas excursions will delight the young and young at heart. A motorcoach group tour arrives at the Medina Railroad Museum.

A train excursion of the Niagara region departs from the Medina Railroad Museum.

Photos courtesy Mike Dorofy

The railroad era is remembered in tribute at the Spend a weekend delving into history, and experiencPullman Memorial Universalist Church, in Albion. Built ing the wonder that the first settlers must have felt. in 1894 by George M. Pullman, manufacturer of railway For more on visiting the Greater Niagara Region of sleeping cars, the church is of “Old English Gothic” New York follow the link: http://www.countrybyways.com design and constructed of Medina Sandstone. Pullman (1831-1897) grew up in Albion and built the church in memory of his parents. It is adorned with windows created by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. Before the railroads the Erie Canal was the information superhighway of its time, in 1825 connecting the waterways of the Northeast, opening up trade and development. Today, Lockport Locks & Erie Canal Cruises gives a glimpse into what it would have been like to travel the canal. The cruise boats are raised and lowered 50 feet in the only double set of locks on the Canal while the captain narrates stories and lore about its construction and the original Flight of Five locks. The conductor announces “All Aboard!” Byways • 35

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Railroading’s Golden Age in Chattanooga

Photos courtesy Steve Freer, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Byways • 37

op aboard a vintage train at the Tennessee Valley Railroad in Chattanooga for an experience straight from the past. Listen to a steam locomotive hissing and snorting away as it departs from the station and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the lonesome wail of a whistle echoing through the ridges. The Tennessee Valley Railroad offers daily rides using restored vintage rail coaches pulled by a steam locomotive or a WWII- era diesel locomotive. Each roundtrip passes twice through pre-Civil War Missionary Ridge tunnel, which was built by hand between 1856 and 1858. Back in 1961, several Chattanooga residents joined together to form the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, hoping to preserve a sampling of both steam locomotives and passenger trains. Miraculously they succeeded through perseverance and determination. One of the founding members purchased a 38 â&#x20AC;˘ Byways

recently surplused steam locomotive from the Kentucky & Tennessee Railway in Stearns, Kentucky. It was promptly rebuilt by TVRM members and leased to the

Southern Railway which immediately began running the engine on excursion trips throughout the southeast region. The Southern Railway also lent an encouraging hand by donating surplus land in East Chattanooga to the fledgling railroad museum. The property happened to include Southern’s abandoned mainline through Missionary Ridge via a 979-foot, pre-Civil War tunnel. TVRM personnel began rebuilding the line, eventually constructing a new span across Tunnel Boulevard, allowing a complete railroad of three miles from terminus to terminus. Events accelerated in the early 1980s as construction of the East Chattanooga Depot and Grand Junction Station was completed. A turntable was installed at one end of the line and a wye track at the other so trains could always operate with the locomotive facing forward. A large restoration shop was also erected to refurbish and maintain the priceless rolling stock. Through many years of equipment acquisition and effort, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has become the “Largest Operating Historic Railroad in the State” and a popular tourist attraction hosting nearly

100,000 visitors annually. Where else can you hear a conductor announce “All Aboard?” Plan a trip to the Tennessee Valley Railroad in Chattanooga where you can see the “Rebuilding of Yesterday for Tomorrow.” Trains run daily mid-March through October (weekends only other months), offering a six-mile roundtrip, which takes just under an hour. Special events include extended length Dixie Land excursions throughout the year, featuring Autumn Leaf Special trips complete with a dining car luncheon onboard the train. North Pole Limited and Christmas trains run in November and December. “Chickamauga Turn” service to Chickamauga, Georgia operates on summer Saturdays from May through September. For more information check the web page or call 423-894-8028 or tol1 free 1-800-397-5544. The past lies just ahead at the Tennessee Valley Railroad, and it is all conveniently located at 4119 Cromwell Road in Chattanooga. From Interstate 75 take exit 4, Highway 153 North to the Jersey Pike exit and follow signs 1/3 mile to the Grand Junction Station. Visit www.tvrail.com for more information.

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The Norfolk & Western Steam Engine 1218, one of the most powerful ever built, is on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke. Photo courtesy Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau and Virginia Museum of Transportation. 40 â&#x20AC;˘ Byways

Roanoke’s Unique Rail Past

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O. Winston Link is famous for his night shots of Norfolk & Western Steam powered trains. Photo courtesy O. Winston Link Museum.

ail lines weave romantically throughout, tying the town to ports and portals, far from the beckoning Blue Ridge. Once a place called “Big Lick,” Roanoke took its present name for an Indian word meaning “shell money,” not long after the railroad arrived in western Virginia in the 1850s. Today, the city skyline glistens in the starlight, as well as Roanoke’s man-made wonder – the Roanoke Star – while, at the city’s heart, rail lines shine in the summer sun, providing a continuing link to the city’s past. In nearly all ways, the railroad has spurred a sophisticated spin within this city and continues to inspire wonder through the mystique of its museums, train-side thoroughfares, architectural gems and the fabulous Hotel Roanoke. Roanoke spotlights its heritage as a manufacturer of steam engines at the must-see Virginia Transportation Museum on Norfolk Avenue. Situated alongside a muchactive rail, the museum boasts life-size and legendary locomotives at the site of the historic Norfolk & Western Railway freight station. Here, you can spend a day exploring railroad exhibits, including two of the most powerful steam locomotives in existence today: the 42 • Byways

David R. and Susan S. Goode Rail Walk in downtown Roanoke. Photo courtesy Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau. Class A 1218 and the Class J 611. As the Official Transportation Museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the facility tells the story of what it takes to keep Virginia moving, especially by land. Exhibits feature antique automobiles, a restored dining car and train collectibles plus model trains with tracks at everybody’s eye level. More crowd-pleasers include horse-drawn buggies and a trolley bus.

The Hotel Roanoke was built by the railroad, and today stands as a showpiece of the Roanoke Valley. Photo courtesy Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau.

An exhibit on intercity bus transportation features the history of both Greyhound and Trailways, and a nearly full-size cutout of an Abbott Bus motorcoach honors the motorcoach charter and tour business. Outside, take a stroll on the David R. and Susan S. Goode Rail Walk, paralleling the railroad for a third of a mile, with kiosks explaining the details of Roanoke’s iron horse history. Then cross the Market Square Walkway, an enclosed glass pedestrian bridge built in 1994 to catch a bird’s-eye view of massive tracks cutting through the heart of Roanoke, the “Capital of the Blue Ridge.” At the center of it all, feast your eyes on the elegant Hotel Roanoke. Dating to 1882, this historic hotel offers a conference center, fine dining and endless amenities, plus antiques, making it the ultimate showpiece of the Roanoke Valley. Over a century, as the city grew, so did the hotel and its reputation for excellence. Now, thanks to a multi-million-dollar restoration in the 1990s, funded by a package of public and private financing in conjunction with the City of Roanoke and Virginia Tech, the handsome hotel remains a draw all on its own, whether it’s for the Hotel Roanoke’s romantic “Train Lover’s Package” or for a busy schedule in the conference center’s 63,000-square-foot, high-tech meeting space, able to accommodate up to 1,200 people. From Hotel Roanoke, the Market Square Walkway slips past generous samplings of public art to reach Roanoke’s central downtown business district, highlighted with its perennially popular farmer’s market; a wealth of shopping opportunities; and the eye-catching Taubman Museum of Art, reaching for the sky with its pointed architecture, providing a conversation piece Byways • 43

The O. Winston Link Museum features stunning railroad photos. It is located in the city’s former passenger railway terminal, which also serves as the Roanoke Valley Visitors Center. Photo courtesy O. Winston Link Museum.

amid bustling urban streets. The city’s active arts community even extends to the world of trains, with nationally renowned rail artist Andy Fletcher joining the Virginia Museum of Transportation as its first artist-inresidence. Fletcher’s output has included drawings of over 2,500 trains – from steam locomotives to modern diesel engines, rail cars and cabooses. Often commissioned to paint trains for many railroad historical societies and museums, Fletcher’s place at the museum now draws inspiration from a studio facing the rails of Roanoke. No visit to Roanoke can be complete, of course, without stopping at the O. Winston Link Museum, inside the century-old Norfolk & Western Railway passenger train station. Named for the famed New York photographer, this museum demonstrates why a picture is worth a thousand words and perhaps so many more. The late Link, the man behind the camera, traveled the tracks of Virginia’s railroads during the 1950s, especially along the famed “Virginia Creeper” of Abingdon, artistically catching the dying days of steam locomotives. Decades later, Link’s famous frames are celebrated, along with his cameras and his recordings of the high lonesome wails of train whistles, sounding every bit as musical as the bluegrass tunes heard at whistle stops all around Roanoke. Galleries bearing local names like “Radford,” “Pocahontas” and “Shenandoah” encapsulate the richness of railroads in the surrounding mountain 44 • Byways

villages, scattered like satellites from Roanoke’s shining star. Music calls quite naturally across the Rail Heritage Corridor of Virginia, including the Roanoke Valley, with notes inspired by the tapestry of tracks crisscrossing the corridor where Southwest Virginia meets the Shenandoah Valley. Roanoke serves as the gateway to

both fabled regions, and it’s not just by geographic happenstance; it’s simply the path of pioneers and progress. Stretching across Western Virginia, from Lynchburg to Clifton Forge, Virginia’s Rail Heritage Region encompasses the largest concentration of historic rail facilities in Virginia, including the shops in Roanoke, where the most modern steam locomotives in the world were designed and built. From anywhere, you can watch the action of downtown Roanoke on Virginia’s Rail Heritage Region Web Cam. Best of all, it’s on all the time, capturing the trains

The Virginia Museum of Transportation features railroads, airlines, autos, motorcoaches (see above) and much more. Photo courtesy Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau.

of Norfolk Southern’s busy mainline tracks, positioned in the heart of the city. The lens looks east under the 2nd Street Bridge (Commerce Street) and refreshes every second so that locomotive and car numbers are easily legible. Headquartered in Roanoke, the famed Norfolk & Western Railway made its own locomotives and, in turn, employed thousands of craftsmen in a multitude of trades, designing and maintaining the cars and engines that kept trains moving. These craftsmen were simply the best and helped make Norfolk & Western the most profitable railroad in America during the steam era. Today, while nearly all steam trains have gone up in smoke, a celebration of history remains the mission of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society, headquartered in Roanoke, with archives of drawings, photographs and documents open to the public. The Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, meanwhile, also strives to educate, offering train excursions while restoring the antique rail equipment of Roanoke and the Virginian Railway’s historic Roanoke passenger station. Home to more than the Link museum, the historic Norfolk & Western Railway passenger train station represents the railroad’s royalty in Roanoke. Rebuilt and redesigned, continually, as Roanoke grew, the depot’s earliest portions date to 1881, though the station’s distinctive columns, with a Greek design, come from a 1905 reshaping. The station owes its classic yet modern look, to famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who added accents in 1947 with a $1.5 million facelift, exuding the influence the railroad had in bringing riches to Roanoke. Loewy’s vision prompted the placement of terrazzo floors, 17-foot plate glass windows, and escalators, the first of their kind in the Roanoke Valley. Passenger service might have ended in 1972, and while the station was once abandoned in the 1990s, the cherished structure was lovingly saved and restored, finally entering its current life as the site of the Link Museum and the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau. Roll into Roanoke: Discover the depot, the museums, the busy railroad, Hotel Roanoke and all the history that goes along with this city with the star on the hill. Even better, mark your calendar for National Train Day, held along the tracks on the second week of May; the leafchanging and life-thrilling train excursions of the Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society on the first weekend of November; and all the family fun of “Santa By Rail,” with St. Nick rolling into Roanoke on the first weekend of December. For more on visiting Roanoke, follow this link. http://www.visitroanokeva.com Byways • 45

Georgia’s Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

46 • Byways

ucked into the charming mountain village of Blue Ridge, Georgia in the lush Chattahoochee National Forest, the area is known as the “antique capital” of Georgia with friendly folks and an old-time atmosphere. It all starts at the historic 100+ year-old Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and depot in downtown Blue Ridge and heads north from there. As the train winds through the mountains through historic Murphy Junction alongside the beautiful Toccoa River, Car Hosts share the history of the railroad and sights along the way. The views are spectacular from both the vintage climate-controlled coaches and from the open-aircar. Need a snack? Visit the concession car for snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. After a leisurely one-hour trip, the train stops in the unique twin border towns of McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee. Copperhill/McCaysville is one town with two names because it is split by the Georgia/Tennessee State Line. Visitors have a two-hour layover with plenty of time to eat lunch, shop for unique crafts and antiques, snack on ice cream, visit the model railroad layout, or walk across the old bridge in town to view the river. Then, reboard the train for the one-hour return trip.

Photos courtesy Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad.

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great family adventure on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, chugging along in an historic rail car during the fun 26-mile roundtrip, arriving back at the Blue Ridge depot, built in 1905. At the end of the trips, the engineers have been hosting tours of the engine as long as the weather is nice enough. The steps are tall, but children of all ages manage to climb up for a look. In 1990, after many new owners and name changes, the line was purchased by a group of local investors who stepped in to preserve rail service into north Georgia. As a result, passenger trains are operating once again into the beautiful North Georgia Mountains. Since excursion service began operating in 1998, the train has been staffed with dedi- mining industry, contributed to the growth of small cated volunteer Car Hosts from all over the surrounding towns as resort communities, and made it possible to log the last remaining virgin timber in the area. area. To learn more, visit http://brscenic.com. Railroads played a significant role in the development of this area between the 1800s and the early 1900s, as they determined the routes of local roads, saved an ailing

48 â&#x20AC;˘ Byways

www.arrowstagelines.com

motorcoach.com

Trieloff Tours

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Byways â&#x20AC;˘ 49

The B&O Museum Roundhouse in Baltimore.

The B&O Museum: The War Came by Train

he Civil War was the first major conflict where railroads played a prominent role, and the B&O was the major line that straddled a divided country. Between April 19, 1861 (The Baltimore Riot of 1861) and April 21, 1865 (Lincoln’s funeral train leaving Baltimore for Illinois), the B&O stood as witness and participant in the greatest conflict the United States has ever faced. The B&O Railroad Museum exhibits “The War Came by Train,” the largest Civil War railroad exhibit in the world, now through May 2015. This exhibit tells the story of how railroads and railroaders shaped the course of American history. The Museum’s guest curator, prominent Maryland historian and author Daniel Carroll Toomey, has just released his latest Civil War book commemorating this historic railroad story, The War Came By Train – The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad During the Civil War. The B&O Railroad Museum has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the largest collection of 19th-century locomotives in the U.S. The museum is located in the 50 • Byways

“Memnon” #57, an 0-8-0 built in 1848 by Newcastle Manufacturing, one of the oldest surviving freight locomotives. Photo courtesy © James G. Howes.

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s old Mount Clare Station and adjacent roundhouse, part of the B&O’s sprawling Mount Clare Shops site begun in 1829, the oldest railroad manufacturing complex in the United States. It has been over seven decades since Festus P. Summers wrote The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the Civil War, which was primarily a corporate history of the railroad during war years. It begins with the B&O’s reaction to John Brown’s Raid in 1859 and ends with the demobilization of the Union Army in 1865. Toomey’s new book is a highly detailed, yet readable history of America’s most famous railroad during the Civil War. The author blends the overall strategy and political aims of that time period with the battles, raids and daily operational challenges of a Civil War railroad. He introduces an array of little known personalities who worked for, attacked, defended or travelled on the B&O Railroad. He also shows in numerous instances how the railroad and the telegraph combined to conquer time and distance on the battlefield and ushered in the era of modern warfare with the introduction of armored railcars, hospital Byways • 51

trains, and large scale troop movements. states about its publication, “In this book Toomey brings Courtney B. Wilson, Executive Director of the B&O to life real human interest stories. It is definitely an epic Railroad Museum, wrote the forward for the book and novel that will continue to remain in society long after

52 • Byways

the Museum’s Civil War railroad exhibit, ‘The War Came By Train’ closes in May 2015.” The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American railroading and its impact on American society, culture, and economy. The Museum is home to the oldest, most important and comprehensive collection of American railroad artifacts in the world including an unparalleled roster of 19th and 20th century railroad equipment. The 40-acre historic site is regarded as the birthplace of American railroading and includes the 1851 Mt. Clare Station, the 1884 Baldwin Roundhouse, and first mile of commercial railroad track in America. For further information please call 410-752-2490 or visit: www.borail.org

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The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Photos courtesy Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival. or the 86th year, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival ® welcomes spring – the birds, the blooms and the swarm of people ready to celebrate the sea-

son. Springtime in the Shenandoah Valley is a breath of fresh air, both figuratively and literally. The warm breezes carry with them the sweet perfume of flowers crowded in boxwood gardens in the colonial town. The lush green of the rolling countryside provides the perfect back drop for orchards resplendent with the delicate pink and white of apple blossoms. The Festival is held in Winchester - Frederick County, Virginia, in the beautiful and historic Northern Shenandoah Valley, just 75 miles west of Washington, D.C. A small city with a rural atmosphere, Winchester is within easy driving time from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA, Baltimore, MD and Richmond, VA. Crowds in excess of 250,000 attend the Festival each year. “Love to Bloom” is the theme for the 2013 spring celebration, set for April 26 to May 5. Bring your group, friends or family to share in the celebration of springtime by attending the 86th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival ® in Winchester, Virginia. During the Festival, Winchester residents open their 54 • Byways

Celebrity Mario Lopez greets the crowd during the parade.

g n i n e p p a H s ’ t Wha doors to tens of thousands of new guests and old friends who gather in this All American Community for the traditional celebration of a promising apple crop. From the pomp and pageantry of the Queen’s Coronation to the mechanized wonder of the Firefighters’ Parade; from the glitter and glow of our tremendous Fireworks Show to the serene beauty of the floats in the Grand Feature Parade, the Festival has something for the entire family. Carnival; midway; dinners; dances; displays, shows – make plans for your family to be part of the fun at the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®. The first Festival was held Saturday May 3, 1924 and was just one day. This year marks the 81st Anniversary of the Firefighters’ Parade (originally called the Torch Light and Mummers’ Parade). The first Torch Light and Mummers’ Parade stepped off at 8:00pm, Thursday, April 18, 1929. Each participating firefighter carried a flaming torch not only to give light, but also to achieve a dramatic presentation. The first parades exhibited the finest firefighting equipment, decorated vehicles, marching units, bands and floats. Today, fire and rescue units from many East Coast states exhibit pieces of their antique firefighting equipByways • 55

ment as well as the latest state-of-the-art equipment. The Firefighters’ Parade is one of the nation’s largest parades of its kind and one of the major attractions of the Festival. Celebrities appearing as Firefighters’ Marshals include Dottie West, Kitty Kallen, Tanya Tucker, Jim Ed Brown, Bill Anderson, and Marty Stewart, to name a few. In 1965 sports celebrities were invited, the first being Jack Dempsey, followed by Sammy Baugh, Whitey Ford, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Darrell Green, Bobby Allison, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Johnny Bench and Jerry West, among others who have appeared as Sports Marshals. A Wine Fest weekend kicks off the festivities and will be held April 26 and 27, with local wineries, artisans, live music entertainment and vendors located in two food courts. The Festival continues April 29 through May 5, 2013. 56 • Byways

The Apple Bloosom Festival features one of the largest Firefighters’ Parades in the world. For more information, contact: Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® 135 North Cameron Street Winchester, Virginia 22601 540-662-3863 www.thebloom.com

The Budweiser Clydesdales will be participants in the 86th annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.

Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed electronically throughout North America. Byways is emailed to more than 4000 tour operators and 13,000 travel agencies through the internet. Subscriptions are complimentary. An iPad version is available for consumers in iTunes and Newsstand in the App Store. Byways’ distribution includes motorcoach companies, tour operators, travel agents, bank travel managers, school band and athletic planners, and meeting planners. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to place advertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine, 42 Cabin Hill Lane, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Telephone 540-477-3202. Fax 540-477-3858. Toll-free 800-469-0062. ©Copyright 2013 by Byways, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be duplicated in any form without express written permission of the publisher. Editor and Publisher Stephen M. Kirchner

Advertising Director 1.800.469.0062 • 540.477.3202 • Fax 540.477.3858

Internet: bywaysmagazine.com byways@motorcoach.com

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motorcoach.com - National Reservation Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau, Ohio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Shipshewana Flea Market, Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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