Yes, I saw the Aerotrain at the Green Bay museum, but I don’t remember what was coupled behind it, other than there were a couple or three cars. Also, the prime mover is missing, with sheet steel making its location into a mini dance hall. There are lots of goodies there, many of them under cover from the elements.
Hi Brad,
For a Father/Son Holiday that will be talked about at the Pub for a long time to come, it really would be hard to beat running the Steam Locomotives at either the Nevada Northern, or the Sumpter Valley.
The Nevada Northern has 2 Steam Locomotives the #93 is a 2-8-0, and the #40 is a 4-6-0. The Nevada Northern has more track, and the price is the same for one or two people, and a bit less expensive than the Sumpter Valley. The Nevada Northern is a Standard Gauge line. I did this program last July, and I had an ABSOLUTE BLAST, it got me HOOKED on running real Steam.
The Sumpter Valley Railway, is in the Blue Mountains of North Eastern Oregon, and is a 3 foot Narrow Gauge Line. This is my planned rental for this year, also in July again. They have a 2-8-2, and a Heisler 2 truck geared Steam Locomotive. While the SVRY does charge extra for a second person, and is a little more expensive, they have a nice advantage in that you actually shuffle some cars around, and take a complete train out on the main line, as opposed to just a light engine move like at the Nevada Northern.
If either fit into both your budget and schedule, I would HIGHLY recommend them. If You are interested in doing either though, I would recommend making your reservations as soon as you can be sure that you want to do it. I believe that both offer cancellations up to 7 days before your reservation without penalty, but be sure to verify this yourself if reserving either.
Again I Hope tha
Hi Brad, If You drove from California to Missouri and were taking the Nevada route and on to Colorado You might want to stop in Ogden Utah http://www.theunionstation.org/index.html and nearby is the Heber Valley rr http://www.hebervalleyrr.org/ and then just to the north is Promontory point http://www.nps.gov/archive/gosp/home.html also if You are interested in Military aircraft {actually if memory is right, there are some Military rr equipment here also} You may want to visit the Hill Air Force Base Museum Which is FREE by the way. http://www.hill.af.mil/library/museum/index.asp all of these areas are very close to the Ogden area. And here is a site that lists Museums and other Railroad sitesthat might interest You. http://www.railserve.com/Tourist/North_America/Mountain/ I hope You and Your Father have a Great trip visiting the United States!! Bring extra money for Gas as it’s almost $4.00 per gallon [banghead] !!
Thanks GWR, gas is currently $6 a US Gallon here & will probably hit $7.50 to $8 by Christmas, so with the US to AU dollars being almost equal, were laughing. Also food is cheaper there than here, my wife is always complaining about why we live here (probable the money I earn). Brad
I have to promote the home road, which I know has been mentioned. The Sumpter Valley Ry. in eastern Oregon (the dry side) has a very dedicated crew. While you are in the gift shop you might look at the drawings I have for sale there. [;)] (personal plug I know)
Fairly close by is the Thunder Mountain Line in Idaho, Mt. Hood railway along the Columbia river, Mt. Rainer Scenic Railway in Washington.
I have also been to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan and seen the C&O’s 2-6-6-6. That was an impressive piece of machinery, along with the other displays.
But since you will be in North Platte, in Colorado there is the Georgetown Loop, Cumbres and Toltec, Durango and Silverton, Royal Gorge, the museum in Golden, the Pueblo test track has put a few things on display at the airfield museum in Pueblo.
Wyoming has Sherman Hill, the Cheyenne depot and roundhouse (might be lucky enough to spot one of the steamers I lived in Laramie a year and missed 844 twice.)
In South Dakota there is the Black Hills Central Railroad with the only operating articulated logger in the US.
Hope this helps. I hope when I hit 84 (63 years from now) I hope my future kids would do something like this for me. Which has me thinking of taking my grandfather up to Sumpter, if gas wasn’t $4.11 a gallon.