I apologize for actually talking about the magazine contents here – seems off limits somehow.
But in the latest issue of TRAINS, editor Wrinn suggests that the Grand Canyon Railway is “the ultimate in so many ways”.
I strongly disagree. Green maybe, good destination sure, but ever since Xanterra took over, it has been nothing but a big disappointment for this life long steam fan.
It would have been on my list of candidates before, but certainly not since they ended regular use of steam.
My list would include the D&S, the C&TS, the Nevada Northern and the WP&YR.
The “Ultimate Tourist Line” is a matter of opinion. And it’s pretty much a “two people, three opinions” issue.
That said, there is a market for travel articles that designate the “ultimate” or “best” of something. The typical tourist wants to know “the best tourist railroad”, even if riding it is only a fantasy. They can dream about riding first class on the Grand Canyon Railway, even though the most exotic trip they’ll really take is the South Shore Line to South Bend.
My list of “ultimate tourist lines” would include
Alaska Railroad
Cass Scenic Railway
Cumbres & Toltec
CTA Rapid Transit (Chicago)
Durango & Silverton
East Broad Top
East Troy Electric Railroad
Grand Canyon Railway
Illinois Railway Museum (go for the trains, not for the scenery)
South Shore Line
Strasburg Rail Road (go for the trains and community)
I agree, it’s a matter of opinion, and it depends on what one rates as important in a tourist line.
I think that Strasburg has fantastic working steam engines, a fantastic shop where they maintain and rebuild locos and the scenery isn’t all that bad as long as you mind the Amish. There is also the RR Museum of PA across the street with lots of static displays.
The best tourist line for steam, in my opinion, is Steamtown’s regular trips to Moscow and back. Reasons? It’s a real, mainline route run at decent speed with the engine working hard uphill all the way to Moscow - and the scenery isn’t bad.
D&S has great scenery and is a good trip, but 6 hours at 10 miles an hour is a bit much for me. The last hour to do the 10 miles back from Hermosa at is a real snoozer.
Strassburg is great. It’s neat an clean and has the picturesque Amish farms along the way, and a lot of the equipment is superbly restored and maintained, but it’s still just a low speed branch.
I don’t know about the Grand canyon being the ultimate tourist line but one thing I am tired about reading is this green movement crap.I would think Arizona is the last place in the world they should be worried about air pollution.If any state should be allowed to belch thick black locomotive smoke it should be Arizona.They are in the middle of nowhere!I also read they replaced their historic Alco’s with F40PH’s.I was planning on going there specificly to ride their train.I typically spend several days filming,photographing,and riding the train.As it stands now standing in the hot sun waiting for a train to pass with F40’s on the front is about as boring to me as watching grass grow.Old Alcos OK!Steam locomotives OK!
I think as railfans we should never take steam locomotives for granted.They may shut down the whole show across America for some stupid reason.If they are running steam I will always try to visit those places first and then do the diesel tours later.They make for better videos,better photographs,and put on a better show.As a railfan I am looking for the whole package.I will take locomotives over scenery any day.
As for my list of favorite rail tours…
1.North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club.Located in Ione,Washington in the middle of nowhere this train ride is about as rugged as it gets.Tunnels,bridges(including one over a dam),breathtaking scenery,it has it all.Only operates special dates of the year.
2.Royal gorge railroad.A railroad like no other.Pay a steeper price for a ride in the locomotive for a ride you will never forget.
3.Candian Pacific #1218 Vancouver,BC to Kamloops BC.Once or twice a year you can take the trip through Frasier canyon often refered to as some of the most beautiful scenery in North America.
4.Thunder Mountain Line in Cascade,Idaho.Majority of the trip is n
The Cumbres&Toltec is “the 1” of tourist lines - vintage equipment, vintage scenery and a committed crew. I’ve ridden it twice and the best was on a wet, drizzly day in Sept. Double-headed engines(steam), a balky sander on one engine, ‘drivers spinning’ out at the apex of the curves and frieman banging on the clogged sander after the “spin-outs”. It was a glourious example of early railroading. the other ride was tame by comparision. Just the best, bar none.
sorry to hear Grand Canyon RR has went downhill. When I rode it in 2005, it was still owned by Max & Thelma and we did have steam-CB&Q #4960 which I’ve wrote about on here before. I did see some pictures of her in the TRAINS article. A friend of mine is going to be riding it next week, so I’ll have to see what she thinks. She’s not a train buff, but she can report as to how the service is.
I forgot to add that I’ve ridden the original D&S when it was still being run by D&RGW. Riding along that high line from the open car was awesome. Missed the WP&Y by a couple of years. When our Alaska cruise stopped at Skagway, it hadn’t started operation yet. Sorry to have missed that one. Some of my most memorable rides were on various passenger trains over the years-Horseshoe Curve on the Pennsy, Donner Pass on the SP, even remote towns like Green River, WY which is not on Amtrak’s route. The Fraser River Canyon in BC from both sides, CN going out and CP return. Feather River Canyon from the original Zephyr. West Point on the hillside across the Hudson on NYC going north.
I agree, it’s harder to find steam. Frisco’s #1522 became too expensive to operate with the cost of insurance, so now she sits at St. Louis Museum of Transport. I’m glad I got to see under power a few times. And CB&Q #4960 on many steam trips around MO and IL years ago. When I read she had been purchased by GCRR, I hoped she’d pull our train that day and she did. There’s nothing to match the power of a steam engine pounding by. The ground shakes and it sends shivers up & down my spine to hear that haunting whistle.
Posibly what TRAINS meant was the ultimate line for the average tourist, not the average railfan. Of course for the average railfan, those lines running steam under conditions as close as possible to real operations in the steam railroad age are tops. including the D&S, C&T, NN. Strasburg, EBT. Glad that I also rode D&S and C&T when run by D&RGW.
You might want to add Adirondack Scenic Railway (ASR), although I hate the word “Scenic” in the title, to the list. Out of Utica, NY it traverses old NYC trackage to the “North Country”. Meanwhile, “Double Size” your fries at McDonald’s to keep the Grand Canyon Railway in fuel! Pretty silly, methinks.
I, too, winced at the use of the term “ultimate” in describing the Grand Canyon. I have visited there about two years ago and was struck by the organized “handling” of tourists. They guide everyone down to watch a sort of wild west show while the train is backed into the station. I do understand that not everyone is as interested in trains as I, but as I stood in a safe spot with my camera waiting for the train to come, I had several Grand Canyon employees remind me that the “show” was down at their little stage. I didn’t go there to see fake cowboys and a shoot-em-up.
I am of the opinion that an “ultimate” tourist RR can’t be called that without regular steam operation. It doesn’t have to be only steam, but there has to be regular steam. C&TS, Durango, Strasburg, and the EBT were far more enjoyable. I hope to visit the White Pass & Yukon later this year, and then can offer a better opinion about that one - which does usually have diesel power.
If you plan your visit to the White Pass & Yukon Route in advance, you can ride behind steam. I didn’t but had a great time anyway – see my photo essay:
Thank you both very much for the kind words about my stories. It is always good to hear that my efforts are appreciated.
As for the interesting track arrangement: The track ahead ends at the Railroad Dock, tracks going off to the right serve the current depot and the two other docks in Skagway. I’m only guessing but perhaps the reason for the unusual track arrangement is the tightness of the curve.
I do not know how or why GCRY got named the Ultimate, because yea sure they were right up there with the elite. That was until it was sold to Xanterra, and since then it has been a downward spiral. Yea sure, ridership might stay about the same, but the tourist railroad part is phasing out into “green”.
Just glad I got to ride the WP&YR, and for that its my ultimate.
I look at the GCRY as more of a common carrier, and not a tourist line, since they exist to move people to and from the Grand Canyon.
I had included the GCRY in my list of must do trips, but that was when they use steam locomotives regularly. Since steam use is now very limited, I don’t have any desire to ride with them anymore.