Strasburg Railroad (1970's), New Hope & Ivyland (1970's), Steamtown to Moscow, PA, behind steam (1990's)
Grand Canyon Railway, behind steam engine 4960, in stainless steel dome car, (2001)
Strasburg Railroad (several times in the 2000's)
Amtrak, Harrisburg to Philadelphia several times for work related meetings.
Amtrak Silver Meteor and Silver Star, Philadelphia to Orlando and return (circa 2005). One nice touch: they had old posters of the great ACL and SAL trains framed on the walls of the lounge car. Heritage Fleet baggage cars from the great days of American railroading were still on the head end.
And a few local dinner trains I'd prefer to forget...
I know it's not a particularly auspicious list. I was always either a college student, extremly busy with life, or otherwise not very well off financially when the really big steam like the N&W 1218 was available to see and ride behind.
Perhaps this year I'll get to ride behind C&O 1309? Always wanted to see a big mama jama articulated run, even if it is a baby compared to the really big ones.
John
Hilarious. Love it! I was trying to think of something myself.
The Milwaukee Road Warrior riogrande5761 I haven't ridden any trans, but I have ridden a few trains. Just about spit out my coffee when I saw this. Lord have mercy.
riogrande5761 I haven't ridden any trans, but I have ridden a few trains.
I haven't ridden any trans, but I have ridden a few trains.
Just about spit out my coffee when I saw this. Lord have mercy.
ATLANTIC CENTRALOnce I got the "deluxe" shop tour because a close friend knew the gentleman there in charge of the Thomas program at the time. He has since retired.
In my "past life" in Industrial Sales, Strasburg called us. They needed a new air compressor and asked me to mail them a brochure, then they would call us to get a quote. My move was obvious; "I need to leave the office". Brought them the info and got a behind the scenes look.
Back to the original post - besides Strasburg I've riden a lot of the Pennsylvania excursion lines and SEPTA to Philadelphia.
I rode the Oil Creek and Titusville (The Valley that Changed the World), Steamtown, West Chester, Jim Thorpe, WKS and others.
I rode in a Smokey and the Bandit (Trans) Am T'Bird with a 455 under the hood in my younger days. It was quite exhilarating and exciting, almost scary as Joe was driving the car and I wasn't.
As far as trains go. Years ago Judy and I found an Amtrak coupon on a box of Wheaties and used it to take Amtrak down to Chicago and back. I think it was a promotional thing to get more people to ride passenger trains as the trip barely cost anything. The trip down was a delight as we spent most of our time in the observation car. The trip back out of Chicago, Not so Much! A rather rude and rambunctious crowd of people on the way back. Yuck!
We took the Amtrak to see my son that dropped us off at the Minot Station in North Dakota. Again a delight on the way there. High winds delayed the train for the ride back and we spent 19 hours waiting for the train at the Amtrak station. As I seem to remember Judy and I got quite bored so we walked down two blocks to the local gender and spent the rest of the time in the station passing a brown bag back and forth Well what else are you going to do in a situation like that to occupy your time?
We rode three different trains in Duluth at various times, scenic tourist trains. I don't remember what they were called. One was a Great Northern and another one a steamer that went up the North Shore. The line traveled over lots of high bridges on the rock bluffs, some overlooking Lake Superior. We had a lot of fun.
TF
Forgot this one for total obscurity.
Saudi Arabia
2012 Riyadh to Dammam
Had my eyes peeled going through the yards to see if i could spot the observation cars from the Powattan Arrow. Seemingly this was where they went after the N&W but of course nothing. Nothing lasts over there.
I have ridden on Amtrak a couple of times as a young kid. We travelled twice from Milwaukee to Texas: one trip took us as far south as San Antonio where we were picked up by my aunt and driven (ugh!) down to McAllen to see my grandparents. That is a LONG drive.
Another time we went as far as El Paso, where my uncle picked us up and brought us to his place in Las Cruces, NM. I was young (early 80s) but I loved both rides. As a young family of 5 we couldn't afford anything but coach seats. Long way to ride (and sleep) in a coach seat! But we made the best of it and it was a blast. Except for that part where the toilets and A/C stopped working in August in St. Louis...
Andy
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Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/
My wife and I took the California Zephyr from Chicago to Oakland about 20 years ago. A major screw up on Amtrak's part, they booked us in a sleeping compartment in a car that did not exist. We flew from Boston to Chicago and took the subway to Union Station in Chicago. That's when we found out there was no sleeping compartment for us. We were given the one extra compartment usually reserved for train crew and left Chicago on time. The next morning in Denver our car was pulled from the train because of faulty equipment. We were given the choice of being flown to San Francisco at Amtrak's expense, or having our tickets down graded to coach in one of the coach cars. My wife wanted to take the plane, but I said no way, we were just going to get to the good part of the trip, through the Rocky Mountains. So we took our coach seats and spent most of the trip in the dome car admiring the scenery. The coach seats are as big as a first class seat in an airplane, so snoozing in them was no problem. We got a partial refund on our first class tickets when we got to San Francisco. We were the only passengers who did not take the plane trip.
I took a train from San Diego to Los Angeles a number of years ago, don't remember the name of it, then took the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to San Francisco later the same day.
I have taken the Acela from Boston to New York and back a few times. Great fun entering New York over the Hell Gate Bridge. It really is not worth spending the extra money on the Acela Express rather than the regular Acela. The High Speed Acela only gets up to full speed for a few miles south of Route 128. The time difference is not worth the extra expense.
Rode the Conway Scenic Railway through Crawford Notch in New Hampshire a few years ago.
Took the Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire a couple of times while they were still running steam.
Rode the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales a bunch of years ago. Interesting 2 foot narrow gauge with double ended steam locomotives.
Rode another 2 footer in Wales, the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway during the same trip to Wales. Not as cool as the Ffestiniog, but still pretty cool behind a small steam engine.
That's all I can think of right now.
I am in my 70's now, and I recall numerous train trips with my family in the mid 1940's through mid 1960's. I was born in Texas, and I lived in Tennessee until I was 5 years old. My remaining childhood was in the Chicago area living very close to CB&Q tracks. Most of my adult years have been in Michigan and in Kentucky.
Before moving to Chicago, we traveled there from Knoxville, TN. I was too yound to recall what railroad, but I somewhat remember it was in a heavyweight sleeping car.
Later while we lived in Chicago, suburban trains were mostly CB&Q, but other suburban trains were C&NW, MILW, and IC. Electric trains were CNS&M, CSS&SB, and CA&E. There were numeroud rides in Chicago on CTA subways and elevated trains. I also have been on subway trains in New York City and Washington DC.
Intercity train rides from/to Chicago were on CB&Q, ATSF, PRR, B&O, NYC, MILW, and IC. i rode on Canadian National (and later Via Rail) several times between Windsor, ON, Toronto, and Montreal.
We were stranded on Halifax, NS during the 9/11/2001 attacks. To get home, we rode Via Rail from Halifax, NS to Montreal, and then to Toronto from where we took Amtrak to Flint, MI. In Flint, we rented a car to get to Nashville, TN where our car was parked at the airport.
In 1957, we took a long train ride to California, up the West Coast, to Canada, and return via Canada to Chicago. Trains were ATSF Super Chief to LA, ATSF to / from San Diego , SP Coast Daylight to San Francisco , SP Shasta Daylight to Portland, UP to Seattle, CP Princess Ship to Vancouver, CP to Lake Louise and then to connection with SOO at border with North Dakota, SOO to St Paul, CB&Q Zephyr to Chcago.
Other name trains in the 1950's to early 1960's were PRR Broadway Limited, B&O Capital Limited, MILW Hiawatha, and IC City of Miami. There were repeated trips on the CB&Q Twin Cities Zephyr.
I have been on several Amtrak trains over the years.
Scenic trains include The Rocky Mountaineer in Canada, The Grand Canyon Railway, Verde Canyon Railway (AZ), Alsaka Railroad (loco cab ride) and Smokie Mountain Railway. I rode the Cog Railway on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, and a Maine two foot narrow gauge in Portland, ME. I road the Durango and Silverton in CO. Dinner trains include My Old Kentucky Dinner Train at Bardstown, KY, and the dinner train at Branson, MO. I have been in locomotive cab rides on freight trains in Michigan (GTW) and Alaska (ARR).
I have been on trains in the UK and in Germany.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Let's see if I can remember ...
The small Oaks Park railroad in Portland or.( that's where 4449 resided for decades)
The Walt Disney train that went around the entire park.
There use to be an amusement park out on the Oregon coast near Tillamook, or Lincoln City, (cant remember exactly) the place was called Pixi Land. They had a 1/2 scale steam train that went around the park.
The coastal starlight
The empire builder. This was my last vacation ( 1993) . The food was microwaved pizza ( bleccchhh, yuck!) But the Denver station was the set for a Steven Segal movie ( cant remember the name, but the train from the movie was parked there. ) It was purple and silver if that jogs anybody's memories. I also stopped in to Caboose Hobbys while there...... bought a bunch of stuff I could have got at home... but it was Caboose Hobbys ..... I HAD to by stuff!
I also took a train from Spokane Wa to Portland Or, but I cant remember what the train was called.
Rust...... It's a good thing !
Furthermore:
Best quality: Frecciarossa First Class was absolutely exquisite. I had prosecco before we even started moving at Milan. Every little detail was perfect.
Worst quality: Trenord. Trenitalia could take notes from Amtrak, for crying out loud. I have literally nothing good to say about it, except for the curious experience of having open windows at 120+ mph.
Best scenery: RhB over the Alps. Come on, there's no way to top that.
Most comfortable: honestly, the Superliners were the most comfortable. My perception is that the seats were bigger than anything else in the US or Europe.
Biggest letdown: I was too tired (read: hungover) and fell asleep on the Eurostar. Missed the Chunnel. Whoops.
Favorite Station: Gotta go with the home base. Alexandria is a classic of American design.
Least Favorite Station: Charleston. Awful, awful location.
Billwiz ATLANTIC CENTRAL The Strasburg Rail Road, at least 60 or 70 times, maybe more, Sheldon, the next time I ride the Strasburg, I'm shouting out your name over and over until my wife is embarrased or you answer! We've probably rode the train together my friend!
ATLANTIC CENTRAL The Strasburg Rail Road, at least 60 or 70 times, maybe more,
Sheldon, the next time I ride the Strasburg, I'm shouting out your name over and over until my wife is embarrased or you answer! We've probably rode the train together my friend!
Just drop a line next time you go, if I'm free I will shoot up there.
Just in the last 25 years I know I have been there close to twice a year nearly every year.
I have lived in this region effectively all my life, Strasburg and other Lancaster County attractions have always been part of my life.
Once I got the "deluxe" shop tour because a close friend knew the gentleman there in charge of the Thomas program at the time. He has since retired.
Stayed in the cabooses a few times when the kids were young, have brick in the walk of the Toy Train Museum that was a gift, for me it never gets old, they have done such a good job creating the "experiance" of a "1900" train ride.
Sheldon
Empire Builder, Minot ND to Ellensburg WA Dec 1972
CP or CN (don't remember which) Vancouver BC to Ottawa ON March 1973
Lake Shore Limited Syracuse to Chicago and back numerous times.
Syracuse to Schenectady to Montreal to Quebec City and back 1981
Ten o'clock at night, I'm sitting in front seat with facing backwards when the enginner flys out of his cab and throws himself down in the aisle next to me as we splatter a cow.
Auto train FL to VA Sept 2019
Syracuse to Boston a couple of times
ATLANTIC CENTRALThe Strasburg Rail Road, at least 60 or 70 times, maybe more,
PC101 - Funny you mentioned the Oil Creek & Titusville RR...
That was the host railroad for my Bubbly Steamer experience and pic!
You must have at least at one time been in my neck of the woods...
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
My first trip on an intercity train was from Omaha to Chicago during the 1959 Holiday season on what I believe was the Nebraska Zephyr based on an old timetable I found. After visiting my mother's relatives in Chicago, we took the North Shore to Milwaukee to visit my father's relatives.
My next trip was on Amtrak's Desert Wind from Omaha to LA in 1982. More recently I took Amtrak from Toledo to Oakland to attend my niece's wedding in Northern California. This of course required a change of trains in Chicago. My most recent trip I took a one way trip from Portland to Chicago after having flown to the west coast. Food service aboard Amtrak was top drawer in 1982 but with each subsequent trip the quality declined. Not terrible food but it didn't compare with what was offered when I took my first Amtrak trip. Also on that last trip, because of the delays caused by the North Dakota bottle neck, one more meal was required than what the train had stocked up for. Apparently they had a contingency plan because everyone was served a meal of beef stew over rice.
Edit: I forgot to mention the steam excursions I have ridden on. The first was Columbus, OH to Bellevue OH behind N&W 611. The next was a Columbus to Huntington WV behind N&W's articulated which I can't remember the number of. I took another from Columbus to Coshocton, OH behind what I believe was one of Ohio Central's steamers. Three and a half years ago I made a trip to the northeast and road a half dozen tourist railroads including Mt. Washington. That one was a major disappointement because high winds from the remnants of the hurricane prevented us from going all the way to the top. They said the winds were over 100 mph. To make it worse, the mountain was shrouded in a dense fog and visibility was less than a quarter mile. This wasn't anybody's fault. Just bad luck for me and all those who booked the trip on that day. Mt. Washington is still on my bucket list and hopefully I'll book it on one of those days where you can see all the way to the Atlantic. Our guide told us they get about ten of those days a year.
Edit#2: I forgot I've ridden the Grand Canyon Railroad, the Durango and Silverton, and the Strasburg Railroad. I wonder if I'll remember some more that I've ridden.
Edit#3: Yup. I just remembered another. I've ridden the Conway Scenic Railroad.
Pre Amtrak The Metroliner NYC to Washington DC cab ride
Seaboard Coast Line Washington DC to Tampa Fl
Post Amtrak
NYC to/friom Chicago more times then I can count including some trips NYC to Cleveland
NYC to Albany or Syracuse for business a few times.
NYC to Philadelphia for National Train Day 2011
NYC to DC
Other
Strasburg Railroad twice
NYC subway LIRR and MetroNorth
Staten Island Railway
London Underground
DC Metro
Jerusalem to/from Tel Aviv or Haifa Israel
Cleveland RTA
Chicago Northtwestern (now Metra)
and the list goes on .,;
Joe Staten Island West
My first train ride was a class trip when I was in the 4th grade in 1957 on the Pennsy behind a steam engine. The trip was only about 30 miles round trip, but it was enough to light the fire in me.
Years later in no particular order was the ride at Steamtown in VT. The Conway Scenic RR. Algoma RR to the picnic area. Strasburg RR in PA. We were going to ride the Mt. Washington cog RR up the mountain, but it was totally fogged in, so that didn't work out.
Also a little RR in Indiana that had an assortment of steam engines, but I can't remember the name of it. (Whitewater Valley RR) We did get to ride behind a Shay and a Climax.
When I lived in Chicago I took the subway/elevated from Sheridan RD to Roosevelt RD and back every day.
There were a few others, but old age has diminished the memories to the point they are forgotten.
G Paine On vacation in the UK, we rode the Intercity 125 from London to Edinburgh We also rode the Fenistung (??spelling) Railway in Wales IN Norway we rode the Flamm Railway. At a 5-1/2% grade, it is the stepest standard gauge traction railway in the world, and considered one of the 8 great railway journeys
On vacation in the UK, we rode the Intercity 125 from London to Edinburgh
We also rode the Fenistung (??spelling) Railway in Wales
IN Norway we rode the Flamm Railway. At a 5-1/2% grade, it is the stepest standard gauge traction railway in the world, and considered one of the 8 great railway journeys
I live in the UK so I have been almost everywhere here by train and riden on many of the steam heritage railways. In fact I lived right beside the Severn Valley Railway for a few years.
In Europe I can't think of a country I haven't travelled on a train but I did a few years in my youth doing the Interrail thing.
In the US in 1988 I was on:
The Cardinal NY - Chicago
The California Zypher Chicago - Salt Lake City
The Pioneer Salt Lake City - Portland
The Coast Starlight Portland - Oakland
The California Zypher Oakland - Glenwood Springs return
The Coast Starlight Oakland - Santa Barbara
In 2009
Southwest Chief Chicago to LA
We toured around India top to bottom and side to side for 2 months in 1994 by train even saw 2 or 3 steamers shunting when we were on the train.
2006 Japan Osaka to Tokyo and Tokyo to Hiroshima.
Biggest trip of all over 3 months was in 2008 when I sold my shares in my company and went from Glasgow Scotland to Sydney Australia once they'd opened the line from Alice Springs to Darwin. That was via Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Hanoi, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore then flight to Indonesia and then Jakarta to Surabaya. Unfortunately from there it was back to KL and fly to Darwin and then Darwin to Adelaide and Sydney. I should also say I had to get a bus over the Thai border. I was lucky though because it was in a 15 year or so window after the Channel Tunnel opened and before the last service train from KL to Singapore.
I'd like to try the old single level equipment in Canada but the prices are hilarious for the sleeper. Conversley in the US at least in the '80's 1st class was phenomenal value especially with the then delicious meals thrown in.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
I will add here as I get time to, an the memory comes back.
PRR #1361.
One of the Cass RR Shays.
Middletown and Hummelstown. M&H or Milk and Honey.
Hawk Mountain WK&S.
East Broad Top.
Something at Steam Town.
Oil Creek & Titusville.
Knox & Kane.
Stewartstown RR.
Something from Altoona to Johnstown.
Strasburg RR.
Tiogo Central RR.
WOW, you guys road some really cool trains.
In 1965 I got to ride the Canadian Pacific 'Canadian' from Toronto to Vancouver, and from Calgary back to Toronto several weeks later. There were so many highlights that I could write a (small) book, but the best was a ride in the F series cab across Northern Ontario. A friend who I had met on the train asked the conductor if we could ride in the cab, and the conductor promptly ushered us to the front of the train and into the cab, with the engineer's permission of course. Unfortunately it was at night so there wasn't much to see, but I do remember the noise and the heat radiating from the engine room, and the occassional deer in the headlights.
Previous to that I had been to Toronto from Oshawa and back a few times but I don't remember the details. I do remember being disappointed when my mom decided to take the bus instead of the train to get to Toronto in later years.
Other than that, I have ridden the Algoma Central from Sault St. Marie to the Agawa canyon, and I have ridden the South Simcoe Railway from Tottenham to Beeton and back behind 4-4-0 #136 built in 1883.
I doubt that this counts, but I also rode behind a large scale steamer of unknown configuration at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers compound north of Toronto. I remember being covered in soot! Their club used to allow the public to visit every Sunday but unfortunately insurance costs put a stop to that.
Our next trip train might be the Rocky Mountaineer. We have decided to take a trip with some of the cottage proceeds and that will definitely be on the list of possibilities.
Dave
P.S.
I was going to comment on the rather unfortunate misspelling of the word 'trains' in the title but the thought of such a thing made my back sore!
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
My family and I rode in the UP City of Los Angles from Salt Lake City to LA and the SP Golden State from LA to El Paso TX in December 1949. Great ride, the City of LA got stuck in deep snow on Donor Pass for 19 hours. Quite an experience for a 12 yr old.For my 14th birthday I road in the cab of SP Cab Forward 4287 from El Paso to Alamogordo NM and back in the cab of SP AC-9 3807, my greatest railroad moment ever.In the 70s the family road the Durango Silverton many times, the Cumbres and Toltec once. After moving to California in the late 80s we road the Sugar Pine and Roaring Camp narrow gauge several times. Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Sorry GN24, but you need to edit your thread title...we pretty-well all know what you meant, but as it stands, it's easily interpreted as offensive.
Wayne
Ferrocarril Central Del Peru in the late 50's and early 60's, between Lima and La Oroya; and
Passenger train pulled by Baldwin Consolidation owned by Cerro Mining Corp, between Cerro de Pasco and La Oroya. It's highest point was at Ticlio, just over 15K feet.
German Autowagon rail car maybe ten passenger (?), also ran between Cerro de Pasco and La Oroya.
Steam train to Wakefield from Gatineau, Quebec. The steamer was an import from Sweden.
VIA between Ottawa and Toronto, return, business.
Slovenian Railway from Zagreb, Croatia, to Bled, Slovenia for a 72 hour R&R partway through my peacekeeping tour in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Return trip.
Alberni Pacific (heritage) railway to Canada's only operating steam sawmill. Baldwin 2-8-2T. I have two lovely paintings by the Irish/Canadian mechanical engineer who rebuilt the engine about 20 years ago and who operated it until a few years before his death in 2017. His name was George Williamson.
Kamloops Heritage Railway's ex-CN 2-8-0 between Kamloops and Armstrong on a fall colours excursion.
British Columbia's Heritage Railway Royal Hudson, a short pull of maybe 25 km each way in the lower mainland, from New Westminister to White Rock.
White Pass & Yukon Route, day out-and-back from Skagway. Glorious day, glorious Mike on the front end, lots of photos and memories. Would do it again.
City Park train in New Orleans.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
Train at Lakes Park in Fort Myers, Florida.
Train into park at Six Gun Territory.
Train at the Indianapolis Zoo.
Train at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
and of course... The train at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.
Oh... the Thunder Mountain Railway, also in Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
LastspikemikeCould the OP just edit the title of this thread to insert the missing "i". Please.
Ridden trans will certainly bring up some interesting searches.
Model Railroading IS fun!
Cheers, Ed