Ales on Rails is Verde Canyon Railroad’s way of toasting the German Oktoberfest tradition that has been interwoven into the American tapestry for over 200 years. It is a time to extol autumn’s flamboyance and bounteous harvest. The Verde Canyon Railroad’s Ales on Rails is an event to match nature’s exuberance and begins even before your scenic train ride departs, on the station’s patio. Festivities include a lively band, raffle give-a-ways; and a hearty feast of brats, pretzels and strudel. Local breweries will be showcasing their craft ales that are as amber as the leaves drifting in the crisp autumn breeze. And the sounds of polka music and the aroma of brats sizzling on the grill tell you its Oktoberfest.
The revelry continues aboard your train which departs the station at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 1:00 p.m. on Sundays throughout October for a four-hour round-trip to Perkinsville Ranch. Soak up the sights and suds, as the autumnal glory unfolds outside the panoramic windows of the deluxe climate-controlled coaches. As your scenic train ride rolls along at a leisurely 12 mph, you will be treated to one of the most colorful shows in Arizona.
Be sure to visit the open-air viewing cars and bring your camera. You will surely be rewarded by Arizona’s natural wildlife amid the valley ablaze with autumn’s vivid colors of gold, crimson, ruby, scarlet, amber, vermilion, violet and orange.
The Verde Canyon Railroad depot is located in Clarkdale, Arizona, 25 minutes from Sedona and two hours north of Phoenix. For reservations call 800-293-7245 or book on-line at www.verdecanyonrr.com. (more…)
The 3-hour tour starts with a unique opportunity to enter Magic Kingdom theme park before it opens to the public. You’ll accompany the railroad engineers as they ready the massive steam trains for another day of active service. Get the chance to see the backstage roundhouse where the trains are stored and serviced to keep them in impeccable working condition. Ride the rails as your guide shares with you how Walt Disney’s lifetime love of steam trains led to his decision to give them a starring role circling Magic Kingdom theme park.
The Magic Kingdom railroad trains are all meticulously restored antique freight trains. The 4 trains—named Lilly Belle, Roy O. Disney, Roger E. Broggie and Walter E. Disney—were built in the United States around the turn of the 20th century and taken to Mexico. They enjoyed long careers working for the United Railways of Yucatan hauling sugarcane, until they were spotted by Disney scouts in 1969 and brought to Walt Disney World Resort for opening day on October 1, 1971. They have been happily circling the 1.5-mile track around the Theme Park ever since.
Magic Kingdom theme park admission is required and is not included in the price of the tour. Please keep in mind that The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains is an outdoor tour, so be sure to check the weather report and dress appropriately.
disneyland · rides · rivers of america · why i love Disneyland · flowerbeds · california adventure · characters · holidays · main street · vintage disneyland · black and white · parades · partners statue · dca · photography · railroad …
Steam still thunders down the tracks on railroads across North America. A new generation of railfan photographers, equipped with digital video cameras, is riding and chasing the trains, capturing them in all their splendor with fantastic images. Pentrex has edited the best of the best to bring you a very special video experience. Three hours of nonstop steam action delivers ten different steam engines, including the sought-after final run of Frisco 1522, side-by-side running of Ohio Central’s 6325 and 1293, and SP&S 700 in Montana! You can enjoy the exciting sights and sounds of: -Canadian Pacific 2816 (23 Minutes) CP 2816, a 4-6-4, was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1930, retired in 1960, and sold to Steamtownin 1964. Canadian Pacific reacquired the locomotive in 1998 and restored it to service in 2001. We cover two of its trips through the spectacular Canadian Rockies. First, in May of 2002, we follow the Hudson pulling a short passenger train from Yale, British Columbia to Banff, Alberta. Some of the highlights are the Thompson River Canyon, Notch Hill, Glacier, Field, and Kicking Horse Pass. On parts of the journey the 2816 works unassisted, while on the steepest portion GP38-2 diesel 3084, painted in classic CP maroon and gray livery, is added on the point. Then in June of the same year we enjoy a mixed freight and passenger train on the Crowsnest Pass route with 2816 on the point followed by two tenders and the 3084. -Milwaukee Road 261 (8 Minutes) Join us as we chase the mighty Milwaukee Road 261 from Minneapolis to Duluth and return during May of 2002. Pulling a 16-car passenger special unassisted, the shiny black 4-8-4 looks great and sounds great roaring through the north woods of Minnesota. -Mt. Rainier Scenic 2-6-2T #7, Heisler #2, and 2-8-2T #17 (8 Minutes) Three engines are steamed up for a railfan event in June of 2001. We visit the south end of this ex-Milwaukee Road branch between Elbe and Mineral, Washington. Both freight and passenger trains are featured.
To get all the steam action, order your copy of Extreme Steam today.
Participating attractions include Center in the Square; History Museum of Western Virginia; O. Winston Link Museum; Science Museum of Western Virginia; Taubman Museum of Art and Virginia Museum of Transportation, all located within easy …
As a gesture of goodwill Norfolk and Western 611 was donated to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke in 1960. Here, this machine of precision engineering sat for more than 20 years on static display until the N&W …
We are going to such-in-such a place to go to this museum for this purpose. However, most of our museum trips are tied to other plans, such as conferences or book signings. Our trip to the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, …
OWOSSO, Mich. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 will be running two scenic steam engine day excursions for the Steam Railroading Institute in October.
The first fall scenic excursion will be to Cadillac, Michigan, with a 9 a.m. departure from Alma, Mich., on Oct. 16:, and a planned arrival at 12:30 p.m. After a 2 1/2 hour visit of downtown Cadillac, passengers will board at 3 p.m. for a scheduled 7 p.m. return to Alma. Coach tickets start at $125 each. First Class tickets are $200.
The second fall scenic train ride will take place on Oct. 23. The Nickel Plate 765 will power the “Autumn in Alma” special from Owosso, scheduled departing time of 9 a.m. from Alma and returning that afternoon. Coach seats are $99.
Photo run-bys planned for both of these fall scenic train rides have been strategically located for passenger photography only.
Before leaving Indiana, the 765 will be fired up and under steam for the public during the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society’s annual open house August 20-23rd.
The 28th annual Portola Railroad Days Festival in the beautiful Feather River Canyon of the High Sierra runs from Fri, 8/20/2010 – Sun, 8/22/2010. Travel aboard the Feather River Express 14 car train, the Domes to Feather River Rail Days, departing from Emeryville with stops to pick-up passengers in Martinez, Davis and Sacramento. After departing Sacramento the train swings onto the former Western Pacific Route. This route has been used for freight only traffic since 1970. Only a few private charters have been approved to travel in the Feather River Canyon since then.
This will be the first time a charter train has run directly to Portola, for the annual Portola Railroad Days Festival. This three day tour is packed full of exciting fun for the entire family and the rail fans wanting the unforgettable experience of traversing the Feather River Canyon. We are offering several classes of tickets for every budget with round trip fares starting at only $298 for adults and $148 for children. Come join the party!
Passengers in Pullman Sleeping car class will stay on board the train that will be parked at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum during the Portola Railroad Days Festival. This will give these passengers full access to the festival and the museum grounds from their sleeping car. For passengers in all other ticket classes we are offering several options for local lodging, and transfers in the Portola-Graeagle area. Transfers to Reno are also being offered.
A PBS TV crew will be filming a segment of their popular and long running “Tracks Ahead” program. They will include the Portola Railroad Days Festival, Western Pacific Railroad Museum and will travel aboard our train August 20 Emeryville to Portola to capture this exciting train ride in the Feather River Canyon.
The National Railroad Hall of Fame has inducted two names that were true pioneers and visionaries in the development of early American railroads, Henry Morrison Flagler and Peter Cooper.
The Tom Thumb designer Peter Cooper (Feb. 12, 1791, – April 4, 1883) joined the hall under the birth and development era category. Cooper built the nation’s first steam locomotive, in 1830, testing it onBaltimore & Ohio tracks. After loosing his famous race to a horse drawn car with passengers due to technical difficulty, he would later go on to prove the worthiness of the locomotive. The original engine no longer exists, however a replica is on display at the Baltimore & Ohio Museum. His great-great-great grandson, Tracy Brown, accepted the title on his behalf.
Henry Flagler (January 2, 1830-May 20,1913) began construction in 1905 onFlorida’s Great Ocean Railway all the way to Key West, over a series of 51 bridges. Passenger rail service began in 1912, however final work on the railway was not completed until 1916. The railroad to nowhere, or Flagler’s Folly as some of his critics refereed to it, was a magnificent achievement for more than twenty-two years, heralded as “the Eighth Wonder of the World” until the Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 ended the railroad’s link to the keys. The right of way would later be sold off to the State of Florida for $640,000 and would become theOverseas Highway.
Touted as “The world’s longest fishing pier” the Seven-Mile Bridge completed in 1938 was a magnet for hook-and-line fishermen who didn’t have a boat. They drove to their spot, stopped their cars, unloaded their tackle, and wet their lines. There was very little traffic on the bridge, and fishermen often camped out all night.
This is a view of the bridge from 1952.
Portions of some of the original bridges still exist today. The Seven Mile Bridge andPigeon Key were featured in the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis thriller, True Lies and today they are once again used mainly as fishing piers where they are safe enough. They no longer carry any vehicle traffic.
The railroad, which crossed more than 150 miles of open sea, was an engineering feat nearly equal in scale and difficulty to the digging of the Panama Canal.
Flagler also developed real estate holdings in the state, building a railroad empire that now operates under the Fortress Investments umbrella alongside RailAmerica. (more…)
When we started out planning for a special Mother’s Day, my wife and I wanted to bring the family together again to where we had shared our first train ride and Mother’s Day together in 1994, aboard the Seminole Gulf Railroad scenic excursion train. Because we were planning on having Laura’s 2 young grandsons along, we opted for a shorter day train ride without the typical 5 course meal and the famous Murder Mystery train performance. We had taken that dinner train before and had thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. But with the children, we wanted to give them more “freedom” to experience to the train ride. Holding a young child’s attention for 2 hours can be challenging in these type of conditions. But I digress.
Unfortunately, do to illness, Laura’s daughter and her 2 boys were unable to make the trip from Palm Beach to Ft. Myers. Since we had already made the 2 hour drive from our home in St Petersburg, and had a room for 2 nights, we decided to carry on with our intended plan and were well rewarded for it.
The train ride we were taking was actually the day before Mother’s Day, Saturday May 8 and fell on National Train Day. Railroading activities were planned in most of the major cities with special events and rides provided by Amtrak. There was no announced festivities planned for the SGRR, so just being able to take a scenic train ride in Florida would have to do.
As we boarded our 11 AM train ride, were greeted first by our conductor Mike Mulligan. Michael is the author of Railroad Depots of Central Florida (Images of Rail: Florida) and has worked in the parks and recreation field for the past 30 years. He is a member of the National Railway Historical Society, the Railroad Museum of South Florida, the Florida Railroad Museum, the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Seaboard Air Line Historical Society. On the job for less than 2 years, he proved to be quite knowledgeable of the Seminole Gulf Railroad’s history and the railroad’s freight operations for the west coast of Florida.
The railroad is trying to make the most of slow times due to the weak economy and has had to reduced freight traffic to only one train a week. This was also evident as we were traveling “out of season” (after the snowbirds returned back north), because there were not many passengers to enjoy our scenic train ride.
This, however, turned out to actually work out in our favor.
We slowly made our way through the industrial area of Ft. Myers and then turned eastward to parallel Palm Beach Blvd before heading north over the Caloosahatchee Trestle and Drawbridge. Once we cleared the river we began to pickup speed to about 30 mph. We ran along I-75 to the Lee county line where we would have to stop for the return trip.
Since the train is run in a push-pull mode, the trailing diesel would now be the lead locomotive for our return ride back to the station. After the engineer walked through the coaches to the rear engine, our conductor informed us that we would all be able to move to the forward engine’s cab for a cab ride and a rare view from the engineer’s seat.
There were only about 15 passengers on our train, so we were all afforded the opportunity to ride in the cab. Our train cab ride lasted only about about a mile, but all the passengers took a turn to look over engineer Richard’s shoulder.
The kids looked like they were really enjoying their first train cab ride and a railroading experience of a life time.
After we returned to our air conditioned, 1955 former B&M coach, we resumed the ride back across the river and into town. Eventually, we arrived back where we started–remembering we didn’t really get anywhere–but we had fun. And, wasn’t that the point in the first place?
Part of Florida’s railroading history is also represented at the Southwest Florida Museum of History, located in downtown Ft Myers. Using directions we got from our courteous conductor Micheal, we headed to the former ACL depot where early 20th century Florida tourists before us had arrived. The museum displays a 1929 Pullman private coach, the Esperanza, an 84 foot long, 101 ton luxury rail car. Cuban mahogany is used throughout for the walls and doors. Additional signs of luxury are achieved with filigree brass railing on dressers, sinks and has commodes in each sleeping compartment, along with electric outlets and steward bells.
We finished up the afternoon with a walk along the downtown waterfront with the entertainment and festivities of a bike rally. Hundreds of motorcycles lined the streets for last rally of the season. This vibrant town was full of music and fun loving people enjoying what they like best.
As the sunset, we settled in for a waterfront dining experience across the Caloosahatchee River at a local establishment called Pinchers, that served up some excellent seafood and fries.
Ft. Myers is well known for its beaches and sunsets. But, if you look in the right places, you will find much more, and maybe even a special train ride to nowhere.
Climb aboard a jet helicopter loaded with state-of-the-art, gyro-stabilized video equipment. Then soar skyward to enjoy sweeping panoramas, pace speeding locomotives, and get incredible aerial views of long curving trains.
The weather is crystal clear and there are plenty of trains to be seen. You’ll marvel at the ultra-smooth, incredibly close, breathtaking photography as our helicopter cruises above these fast freight and passenger trains. This video offers a perspective like no other!
After the successful release of “Above Southern California Rails”, a flood of requests came in from enthusiastic customers with ideas for the next helicopter video. Well, Pentrex listened to the requests and they’re sure you’ll be thrilled with the results.
Santa Fe steam engine 3751 traveled over Cajon Pass as it moved from Los Angeles to Sacramento to attend Railfair ‘99. Pentrex was there to document this incredible journey, with multiple camera crews capturing every highlight of famous Cajon Pass. As always, the handsome 3751 put on quite a show!
This video will give you a completely different perspective of Cajon Pass. Pentrex’s jet-powered helicopter with state-of-the-art broadcast equipment allows you to pace alongside the 3751 and hover over freight trains as they meet the steam special. You’re railfanning from the ultimate chase vehicle!
This spring, the Friends of the 261 became the proud new owners of Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261, purchased from the National Railroad Museum. The engine was torn down in the autumn of 2008 for overhaul, but work was held up while negotiations with the museum dragged on.
Now the Friends crew of volunteers is again hard at work, preparing No. 261 for road service.
A beautiful locomotive stuck in the middle of her rebuild
On a recent Saturday at their shop in Minneapolis, the crew began the long process of cleaning the brass bearings and the driving wheels to ready the wheels for removal. This is a big job, sincere moving the wheels will involve lifting the locomotive and rolling the wheels out. They hope to make this “lift” in July or August. The wheels will then be sent to a nearby shop for inspection and truing. Wheel repair is only one of the many jobs in what promises to be a long and expensive overhaul of No. 261.
Thanks to their volunteers and members the Friends of 261 know the rebuild will be a success. The Friends always needs your donations to keep their work going. Since the announcement that the Friends was buying the 261, fund raising has been going very well, and they are now about halfway to achieving their fund raising goal. Friends are truly grateful to all the people that have sent in donations.
This autumn the “Friends of the 261″ in cooperation with Amtrak, BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific will operate diesel-powered fall color excursion trains to help rise funds for the rebuilding of Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261.
261 heads into Union Station for the filming of "Public Enemies"
They are also asking fans to please consider making a donation to keep the work going – any amount will do!
You can make your donation through their web site by clicking Donate to the 261
The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wis., owns the engine, but has leased it to the Minneapolis-based Friends of the 261 since 1995. The two sides have been at loggerheads over a lease price going forward, and the engine hasn’t …
Ales on Rails is Verde Canyon Railroad’s way of toasting the German Oktoberfest tradition that has been interwoven into the American tapestry for over 200 years. It is a time to extol autumn’s flamboyance and bounteous harvest. The Verde Canyon Railroad’s Ales on Rails is an event to match nature’s exuberance and begins even before your scenic train ride departs, on the station’s patio. Festivities include a lively band, raffle give-a-ways; and a hearty feast of brats, pretzels and strudel. Local breweries will be showcasing their craft ales that are as amber as the leaves drifting in the crisp autumn breeze. And the sounds of polka music and the aroma of brats sizzling on the grill tell you its Oktoberfest.
today.
will power the “Autumn in Alma” special from Owosso, scheduled departing time of 9 a.m. from Alma and returning that afternoon. Coach seats are $99.
ended the railroad’s link to the keys. The right of way would later be sold off to the State of Florida for $640,000 and would become the
and today they are once again used mainly as fishing piers where they are safe enough. They no longer carry any vehicle traffic.
and has worked in the parks and recreation field for the past 30 years. He is a member of the National Railway Historical Society, the Railroad Museum of South Florida, the Florida Railroad Museum, the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Seaboard Air Line Historical Society. On the job for less than 2 years, he proved to be quite knowledgeable of the Seminole Gulf Railroad’s history and the railroad’s freight operations for the west coast of Florida.
