on tourist trains ❖
jim wrinn
Scenic Railroads Offer Seasonal, Holiday Departures LOOKING FOR A HOLIDAY OR seasonal train trip with a different twist? Scenic railways across the country offer themed departures to celebrate almost every holiday imaginable. They put together special trips that spotlight everything from deserts and mountains to wildlife, gold mines and timber operations. Groups are especially welcome, whether a busload or smaller contingent New Mexico’s Santa Fe Southern Railroad, profiled in the July issue of Trains magazine, offers Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Gay Pride Day trains. The railroad is even investigating special nighttime trains for stargazers who can ride into the dark desert for spectacular views of the heavens. Starting with Independence Day specials (including some evening trips that include fireworks), American tourist railroads enter into a time of the year when they offer excursions that appeal to broad audiences. Most popular, of course, are fall color trips that provide unique viewing opportunities for passengers from mid-September to early December, depending on the location and elevation of the railroads. The unfolding kaleidoscope of colors from a passing train is a delightful experience, especially among the hardwood forests of the Appalachians or in the groves of quaking Aspen trees that shade the Rockies a bright yellow. Halloween trains offer two kinds of entertainment: Some take passengers to pumpkin patches where guests can 18 June 2010
select their own pumpkin, while others are all about frights and thrills with trains in the darkness. A recent addition to this line-up is a Peanuts cartoon strip-themed Halloween train. Starting in November and going into December, tourist railroads offer many types of holiday trains. Most popular are the Polar Express trips that replicate the experience seen by mil-
step into their own fantasy “Murder on the Orient Express” experience. Want to ride and then cool off? North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers a chance to ride the train one way and raft the Nantahala River the other way. Hanker for the Old West?– The Lone Ranger wants to meet you on board the Texas State Railroad.
Groups should book early for fall color, yuletide and other themed train trips lions in the 2004 movie of the same name. Children on these trips often dress in their PJs and enjoy a reading of the famous story en route. They get hot chocolate and a bell. The trips conclude with a visit by Santa Claus. New Year’s Eve trains, including some that include a dance car, provide an outing for adults. Dinner trains, which run year-round, provide special menus for the New Year’s celebration. Looking for something more exotic? It’s out there. West Virginia’s Potomac Eagle train, for example, offers glimpses of our national bird from a train that offers open-air, coach and first-class dining cars. Want to go snow tubing? Utah’s Heber Valley Railroad will carry you to a venue near Salt Lake City, where you can take a ride at a 2002 Winter Olympics venue. Several railroads, including Idaho’s Thunder Mountain Line, organize a murder mystery express where passengers can
The secret to getting your passengers on these special event or themed trains is to book early. Trains sell out long in advance and the earlier that a trip is booked, there’s more opportunity to find seating, especially on highvolume railroads like Colorado’s Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Some railroads will charter special trains if the group is large enough. These can include custom departure times and railcars to meet the needs of the visiting group. You’ll find an unending number of specialty train trips. As long as there are holidays or other fun activities, there are trains to take your riders into the spirit of the event. Many tourist trains offer group rates and provide group information on their websites. Jim Wrinn is editor of Trains magazine by Kalmbach Publishing Co., which also publishes Tourist Trains Guidebook, a guide to North American tourist railroads and train museums.
LeisureGroupTravel.com
on trains ❖
Rhythm of the Rails Tourist trains revive routes of yesteryear
I
ncluding a scenic train trip in a group itinerary is a sure-fire way to spread happiness and contentment. Everyone likes a relaxing journey through the countryside that harks back to a time when track-bound transportation was the main way of moving around the nation. Riding through forests, fields and mountains in vintage passenger coaches pulled by an old-fashioned steam or diesel locomotive provides a little adventure away from the trappings of civilization, a nostalgic escape into yesteryear. Mountain states like Colorado, where miles of track served the mining industry, have the greatest number of tourist trains. Colorado’s Durango & Silverton, Cumbres & Toltec and Georgetown LeisureGroupTravel.com
Loop are legendary among rail buffs. You’ll also find plenty of scenic rail options in the mountains of New England and in the Appalachians. Fall is always a favored time, so leaf-peeping groups should reserve early. The 304-page Tourist Trains Guidebook (Kalmbach Publishing Co., $19.95) is a gold mine of information on scenic railroads in the United States and Canada. Written by the staff and contributors of Trains magazine, it provides detailed descriptions of 175 leading excursion trains and railroad museums, plus dozens of other smaller attractions, including trolleys and historic depots. To obtain a copy, call 800-533-6644 or visit kalmbach.com/books. Following is a sampling of trains that welcome groups:
New River Train The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society, Inc. will operate four, 300-mile roundtrip rail excursions from
Huntington to Hinton, W.Va., in October 2010. Amtrak locomotives and a mixture of Amtrak and privately owned Amtrak-approved coaches, lounge cars and dome cars make up the 28-car train. These trips started in 1966 with a very small train and have grown to become a must for rail travelers. With Mother Nature’s co-operation you will enjoy one of the most breathtaking autumn color excursion trains in the world. Your train will travel through the 65-mile-long New River Gorge, where the sole vestiges of civilization are the old C&O Railway tracks, the New River Gorge bridge and whitewater rafters on the river. You will also travel along the Kanawha River and go past the beautiful State Capitol building in Charleston. At Hinton you will enjoy approximately three hours at the annual fall festival in this scenic mountain town. There will be arts, crafts, hometown entertainment, a railroad museum and food each day. June 2010 19
Yvonne Lashmett
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad showcases the mountain splendor of Southwest Colorado.
on trains ❖ American Heritage Railways The company’s Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, in continuous operation since 1881, travels through the high-mountain landscape of the San Juan National Forest in Southwest Colorado. In 2009 it was named “One of the World’s Top Ten Train Rides.” The Texas State Railroad, departing from Victorian-style depots in Palestine and Rusk, offers excursions year-round through the piney woods of East Texas. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, also owned by American Heritage Railways, takes groups through a remote corner of North Carolina into river gorges, across fertile valleys and through tunnels carved out of mountains. New for 2010—a package for First Class passengers that includes lunch served by the car’s private attendant, a souvenir tumbler with unlimited fountain sodas and a GSMR embroidered tote bag. For more information on these three trains, see the online article at http://tiny.cc/ds72k. LGT
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE For an overview of scenic rail travel in Switzerland, go online and see the article “Staying Connected: Travel on Switzerland’s Train System.” Log on to LeisureGroupTravel.com and scroll down to “Online Exclusives” on the home page.
20 June 2010
LeisureGroupTravel.com
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