Transit

I know, this might fit better in the kids and trains section, but it doesn't look very active over there. 

Curtis Sliwa, that Gardian Angel founder, was written up in the NY Times regarding his weekly subway outing with his five year old son.  Sorry, I'm not sure if getting a link to it was allowable, but if the Times online has it, if you're interested I thought I'd toss it in the mix.  My twins love trains too, but we can't go riding all over NYC every week.

HEdward:

I know, this might fit better in the kids and trains section, but it doesn't look very active over there. 

 

Curtis Sliwa, that Gardian Angel founder, was written up in the NY Times regarding his weekly subway outing with his five year old son.  Sorry, I'm not sure if getting a link to it was allowable, but if the Times online has it, if you're interested I thought I'd toss it in the mix.  My twins love trains too, but we can't go riding all over NYC every week.

If you want to develope in your twins a love of trains, plan a trip to Connecticut next spring (or during the Christmas Season for the "Santa" runs).

Easy drive from New York City on expressways, running from April to October, check Schedule

Thomaston Ct (just north of Waterbury), ride behind diesel power (RS3, FL9, or U23B) along the Naugatuck River.   www.rmne.org   Railroad Museum of New England   

East Haven CT, Ride old Trolley cars and New York Subway cars from East Haven 3 miles to the shore line. Oldest operating Trolley museum in the U.S.    www.bera.org The Shore Line Trolley Museum  

A few miles further east from East Haven to Saybrook/Essex Ct.   Steam Trains, your kids will never forget.   An 16 mile round trip ride down the tracks to Deep River and Haddam behind a 2-8-2 Mikado class or 2-8-0 Consolidation class Steam Locomotive.   At Deep River you can transfer to an optional 1 hr cruise on the Connecticut River, making a 2 1/2 hour adventure.  The Valley Railroad Co., www.essexsteamtrain.com  The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat  

HEdward:

I  My twins love trains too, but we can't go riding all over NYC every week.

You don't say exactly in the NYC area you live.  But that doesn't matter.  You can get from Montauk Pt to New Haven, Poughkeepsie, Port Jervis or Philadelphia and thensome by train.  I put such trips together for railfans and others who really want to see how to get around the Metropolitan area by train, light rail, subway, and even bus.  There is a lot of history to the rides, a lot of contemporary railroading to see and experience  And a lot of secrets on how to do it.  Admittedly for us over 62 (NJT, AMTRAK) and 65 (PATH, MNRR, LIRR, MTA) it is 40 to 60 per cent cheaper than regular fares, but it still can be a fun and full railfan exploring day for much less than $50 bucks...a night at the movies, bowling, or golfing.  The railroad museum at Danbury CT is a good one for you and the kids as well as the beauty and historical sights and sites up the Hudson on Amtrak or MNRR (MNRR, check bus connections to the many historical sites at virtually all stations but don't foreget the newly opened walk across the Poughikeepsie Bridge). Also on MNRR the Shore LIne ride to New Haven or the industiral history up to Waterbury and the sylvan setting to Wassaic. On NJT to Port Jervis there is beautiful scenery with high bridges and tunnels, Spring Valley affords some fantastic village and industrial architecture, Hackettestown and High Bridge both have a wide variety of scenery, to Gladstone a unique single track so reminicent of the Interurban era, see the industrial belt to Trenton and on to Philadelphia, or the myriad of eras reflected on a ride down to Bay Head.  And what can be said about riding the LIRR with a high steel viaduct on the way to Port Washington, the sylvan setting to Oyster Bay to see TR's place, or on the "mountain division" to Port Jefferson, the agricultural LI enroute to Greenport, the wealthy stomping grounds on the south shore to Montauk, the beachfronts at Long Beach and Far Rockaway, or a trek to the middle of things at Hempstead or West Hempstead.  The subway of the city, especially the elevate and above ground rides give you a very different perspective than from street level.  But the street level and private right of way of NJT's light rail operations on the River Line between Trenton and Camden, the Newark City Subway to the far reaches at Grove St. or the street running from Penn station to Broad St. Station, and the myriad sights old and new of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail including Liberty State Park and the other transformations along the waterfront all the way to Bayonne are just marvelous for less than two bucks a head.  Don't be afraid, HEdward, do it now because it will be different tomorrow and again in the days after tomorrw.  It can be a learning experience for all and not just about trains and the rideing of them.

I lived in Queens a block away from Fresh Pond Yard.  My father in law gets the NYTimes where I spotted the article on Curtis Sliwa and his son.  We go every year to Strasburg.  We were members of the Danbury railway museum for about three months before we moved from CT to PA, got pregnant, lost a brother in law, all in one week.  All those rail trips you describe, well, from the article, the Sliwa boys have probably taken many of them already.  My minute younger son can take up residency at the Toy Train Museum.

Hello Super Fan and all train lovers:

My family and I are train fans too. I see lots of posts about the "slow" speed of the trains that run coast to coast. I have to say we love it. We have traveled round trip on the Sunset Limited, The Southwest Chief, and the Empire Builder. These trips with our two grandchildren are a vacation in themselves. Traveling at a slow average speed only tends to extend a safe vacation. The train trip is the vacation. I hope these trains continue to provide pleasure to other families in the future.

I believe that train travel does need to be faster, more frequent, and more or less on time in order to be competitive.

However, I am retired and the speed of the train doesn't bother me.  I don't care that it takes longer; I am not in a hurry and it is a much more pleasant way to travel than than driving or flying.