Trains

I like trains. They are 1) mechanical 2) big (huge even) 3) noisy/loud 4) require little or no physical effort (i.e. work) on my part. I really like the steam engines which is just more of the same.  What's not to like?

I've ridden a few:

• Cass Scenic
• Durango & Silverton
• Cumbres & Toltec
• Branson Scenic
• Amtrak's Cardinal
• Amtrak's line from Washington D.C. to Wilmington, DE (now the Acela)
• Shenandoah Valley Railroad
• Polar Bear Express
• White Pass & Yukon to Skagway
• Alaska Railroad - McKinley Explorer to Fairbanks

I need to ride some more:

• Durbin Rocket
• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic
• Green Mountain Flyer
• Granite Eagle-Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train

If you have some suggestions I hope you'll share those with me.

I think riding the trains is fun.  The very first train I can remember riding is the Cass Scenic Railroad in 1961.  The state of West Virginia had just bought the property including cars and engines and the log cars had just been converted to carry passengers but hadn't been covered to protect passengers from the cinders.  Great FUN!   I can't remember which engine was used but I remember being given a ticket and allowed to ride unaccompanied by my own adults (although there were other adults on the train).  That was great fun, too. The train swayed, it clicked and clacked, it rumbled, there was the steam and whistle and cinders and I thought it was grand.

Here's just a taste...