The fall months are perfect for hanging your head out of a car as the breeze flips through your hair. Rather than a car, choose a good old fashioned train and allow the swish of the landscape and the grinding of the rails set the soundtrack for a day steeped in history.
Enjoy these laid-back moments on these Southern workhorses as you experience the slower side of travel.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
241 Depot St., Blue Ridge, Georgia
Enjoy a 26-mile round trip from Blue Ridge along the Toccoa River with a two-hour layover in McCaysville, long enough to explore local shops or restaurants. Take the must-have selfie, straddling two states at once, Georgia and Tennessee.
A new experience, Rail Bikes, allows four people to pedal along the motor-assisted rail bike on an 11-mile round-trip through the mountains along streams and vineyards. This journey leaves from the depot as well.
For more information and booking, visit www.brscenic.com.
Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad
1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia
Allow a 1940s locomotive to lead you on a five-mile journey around the mountain. Open-air cars allow the best views of the foliage and stone. Board the train at the Marketplace Depot in Crossroads.
A 30-minute ride, the relaxing excursion is fun for the entire family. Step back into the golden era of rail travel and let this be the highlight of your outing at Stone Mountain.
For more information and booking, visit www.stonemountainpark.com.
SAM Shortline
105 9th Ave E. Cordele, Georgia
SAM was once the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railroads that worked in the late 1800s. All vintage cars are state-owned built in 1939 or 1949. Excursions run from Cordele to Plains, through cotton fields, pecan groves, and Lake Blackshear.
Themed excursions happen throughout the year. From a murder mystery dinner train or a Day Out with Thomas (for the kids), SAM provides a fun day getaway. The Presidential Flyer is always a traveler’s favorite, departing from Georgia Veterans State Park and traveling to President Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home and farm in Archery. Book tickets early.
For more information and booking, www.samshortline.com.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Take a historic ride through the Tennessee hills and valleys. The Missionary Ridge Local rides over bridges and through a pre-Civil War tunnels. It’s the only full-sized passenger train in the state, and throughout the year, special runs highlight seasonal events. There’s no sound quite like a steam engine and that is showcased in the summer’s Summerville Steam Special. If it’s tea time, enjoy the a 65-minute ride while sipping your favorite tea. The Hiwassee Loop is a 50-mile roundtrip through the lower Hiwassee River gorge.
There’s something for everyone. For more information, booking and departure locations, visit www.tvrail.com.
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
45 Mitchell St., Bryson City, North Carolina
Choose from an excursion along the Tuckasegee River or through the Nantahala Gorge on a delightful day’s journey from Bryson City. Travel through the forests, sliding past lakes and foliage being pulled by a diesel or, passenger favorite, steam locomotive.
Plan additional activities, perfect for summer excursions, including a fully-guided raft and rail adventure that will shoot you down the Nantahala River. Choose the Tarzan package which hoists you high above the trees for a zip-line canopy tour.
Choose from first class to coach to an open-air gondola. Book early for peak seasons.
For booking and more information, visit www.gsmr.com.
Virginia Scenic Railway
12 Middlebrook Avenue, Staunton, Virginia
From the Staunton Amtrak station, hop aboard the Virginia Scenic Railway and experience the Shenandoah Valley. There are two routes — Alleghany Special and Blue Ridge Flyer — each offering dining. Rides run every Thursday through Sunday in air-conditioned or heated cars.
The Alleghany Special travels west toward the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The Blue Ridge Flyer ushers passengers through the Blue Ridge Tunnel. Tickets are released quarterly due to high demand, so plan ahead. Reservations are required and meals can be pre-ordered. This railway is not ADA accessible nor pet-friendly.
For more information and booking, visit www.virginiascenicrailway.com.
Tweetsie Railroad
300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Tweetsie Railroad opens a world of fun with a Wild West flare. Open weekends during the fall, enjoy the train rides, especially the Day Out with Thomas, a 20-minute interactive ride designed for the little ones.
Tweetsie operates two historic narrow-gauge steam locomotives: the No. 12 (Tweetsie) and the No. 190 (Yukon Queen). Dating back to 1919 and the first ride at the park, it is the last surviving steam locomotive of the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad. The No. 190 hails from Alaska and the Yukon Railway that connected Skagway to Whitehorse and came home to North Carolina in 1960.
For more information and operating hours, visit www.tweetsie.com.
South Carolina Railroad Museum
110 Industrial Park Road, Winnsboro, South Carolina
The love railroad history is palpable in Winnsboro. The museum, operated mainly by volunteers, has accumulated pieces of rolling stock from fright and passenger lines, including the Barnum and Bailey circus cars used to move animals.
With free admission, walk through the cars on site and be amazed at the 1924 dining car, the 1954 passenger car or the 1940 nickel plate road caboose. Stay as long as you want and stroll through history.
The gem of the museum is the BBQ Dinner Train, operated on Saturdays through September. Enjoy a five-mile trip in a climate-controlled car while enjoying a buffet of Southern barbecue. Tickets are available online.
For more information, visit www.scrm.org.
Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
1919 9th St., Calera, Alabama
The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum’s mission is to preserve the history of railroading for future generations. As the official railroad museum of the state of Alabama, the location highlights two restored depots.
Take a trip aboard the Calera & Shelby Railroad, which runs a portion of the former L&N Alabama Mineral Railroad. The diesel locomotive travels through the forests of Shelby County. The line runs Saturdays through the end of September. Seasonal rides and events happen throughout the year.
The Shelby & Southern Narrow Gauge Steam Railroad runs about three-quarters of a mile and lasts for five minutes. Short and sweet, it’s worth it for the steam. For more information, visit www.hodrrm.org.
Georgia Coastal Railway
400 S. Lee St., Kingland, Georgia
Home to the Florida-Georgia Railway Heritage Museum, it is dedicated to preserving the history of the railroad along the coast.
Ride the train on weekends and during seasonal events. All experiences are listed on the website.
For more information and available dates, visit www.thegeorgiatrain.com.
Photos by Len Garrison, Seeing Southern
