Trains chug through a town where children are enjoying swings and seesaws in a playground, musicians in a bandstand are playing their instruments, and a dog chases a mailman who is making his rounds. Other workers are sawing logs, a fire truck is responding to a call for assistance, and hot-air balloons are hovering over the setting.
What makes this scene unusual is that it is taking place in a single room. Welcome to the Naples Lionel Train Museum in Florida, home to a world-class collection of model engines and cars and buttons that activate a vast variety of interactive displays.
This is a must-see attraction for railroad buffs and those seeking to recapture colorful scenes from the country’s transportation past. It offers a miniature immersion in railroading and an introduction to rides around the United States that help people recall that segment of history. Much larger trains provide real riding-the-rails experiences in a variety of scenic settings.
The museum is located in the Naples Depot building, which was constructed by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and opened in 1927. After enjoying the enticing exhibits inside, I checked out vintage cars resting adjacent to the museum then boarded a small-scale version of a train pulled by a steam locomotive that runs around a circular track outdoors.
When the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire began operating in 1869, it also used a steam engine to climb up the highest peak in the Northeast. The wood-fired engines later were replaced by coal, then joined by diesel-powered pullers. The route follows the second-steepest rack railway in the world, after one in Switzerland, as it ascends from an elevation of about 2,700 feet above sea level to its terminus near the mountain’s summit at 6,288 feet.
That ridge is but a foothill compared with the snow-topped soaring heights the Rocky Mountaineer passes as it travels between Utah and Colorado. En route, it traverses the Continental Divide, which separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from the river systems that flow toward the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers ride in plush carriages with vast picture windows that provide panoramic views of the scenery, relax in sumptuously furnished cabins, and enjoy fine dining that uses locally sourced ingredients.
Canapés and cocktails are available for people seeking to relive the heady days of the Prohibition era. Speakeasy Train rides that depart from New Hope, Pennsylvania, immerse those on board in the clandestine world of the 1920s. The 90-minute journeys pass through the rolling foothills of Bucks County, an area of scenic countryside, working farms, vineyards, and picturesque towns that have changed little over the years.
Those who board a Castaway Caboose in Durbin, West Virginia, take their food from a refrigerator and use a stove to prepare their own meals. They are “cast away” in the wilderness in a refurbished suite that includes sleeping accommodations for up to six people, a heater, a shower, a bathroom, and other amenities. The remote setting overlooks the rushing Greenbrier River, and at the end of the stay, the caboose car is pulled back to where the experience began.
Although people overnighting where the Castaway Caboose takes them are likely to see a sky full of stars at night, their view can’t compare with the gorgeous celestial vista enjoyed by riders on the aptly named StarGazer Train that departs from Sante Fe, New Mexico. That rolling observatory is equipped with telescopes aimed at the best constellations or planets viewable that night, and professional astronomers narrate tales of the dark skies. Live music and champagne enhance the journey.
Music and much more entertain riders on the Rock-n-Roll Train operated by the Heber Valley Railroad in Utah. They hear music, engage in trivia games, and raise their voices in sing-alongs of tunes from popular Broadway musicals. Some participants wear costumes from their favorite shows. Among trips with other themes are the Chocolate Lover’s Train and the Deer Creek Express, which offers dramatic views of the Wasatch Mountains that run along the western edge of the Rockies and rise to a height of close to 12,000 feet.
