What are some of the best heritage railroads to visit in the United States?

19 comments

1. The Durango and Silverton Railroad in Colorado/New Mexico is a must do

2. If you are into that California has a zillion of ’em. So does Penn.

3. Cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad on the NM/CO state line is said to be pretty great.

4. Dubuque, Iowa.

   https://www.fenelonplaceelevator.com/

   Your’e in Dubuque so you have to accept that, but it’s kinda cool.

5. Cuyahoga Valley is pretty awesome.

   No crazy scenery, but it’s nice, and you can bike 20 miles, flag the train down, and it’ll take you back to your car.

6. Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton PA. One of the best train museums I’ve even been to.

7. Where are you located? In Socal you have the Southern California Railroad museum in Perris, which gives train rides. The best heritage railways are mostly in the eastern US, except for the Colorado narrow gauge.

8. Great Smokey Mountain Railroad if you’re in NC

9. PA has Steamtown and Strasburg. If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch R&Ns reading rambles. The narrow gauge RRs on the old D&RGW, Great Smokey Mountains, Cass Scenic, etc

10. More of a legacy railroad, but a Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 Steam Engine is in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It’s still functional and still goes out occasionally.

11. Cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad starting in Chama, NM. It is long, interesting ride up to the mountains with a lunch in the half-way point on the borders of Colorado and New Mexico.

12. Mt Hood RR in the Columbia River gorge!

13. Oh snap you have to visit Williams Loop in Plumas County California!

    Emphasis on the word *LOOP*

14. Mesa Verde Rail Road was a fun ride. White Pass & Yukon Route is iconic. Royal Gorge Route Railroad was awesome.

15. I would suggest Cass Scenic Railroad, and potentially some of the other associated lines with the Mountain Rail.

    Cass is a former logging railroad that uses geared steam engines. It was purchased very quickly after the lumber company quit using the lines, so it is very complete. The railroad was only down for 3 years between the time the lumber company quit running trains and the passenger service began.

    It is very scenic, there is a really nice ski resort nearby (Snowshoe) that has a lot of cool summer activities, and there is a radio observatory nearby that is really interesting as well.

    As others have mentioned, the Cuyahoga Valley and the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad are both a lot of fun, too.

    Note that ironically, almost none of these are reachable by rail…

16. There’s a train that goes up the North Shore from duluth.

17. It’s a small one, but the Wilmington Western Railroad is pretty neat! You can stop in Historic New Castle nearby to check out the plaque and building associated with the Boat Train that took boats from the Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay.

    [https://www.wwrr.com/](https://www.wwrr.com/)

18. We have the 1880 train out in Hill City.

19. I don’t know if it counts as a heritage railroad, but the Mount Washington Cog Railway in Bretton Woods, NH is an amazing experience.