If you are looking for train tours in the state of Texas, you will find plenty of options. From steam engines touring the hill country around Austin to excursions celebrating Texas' sights such as dogwood blooms, you can find just the train tour you want for you and your family.
The Austin Steam Train Association offers two train rides in and around the Austin metropolitan area. You can hop on the Hill Country Flyer from the depot in the Austin suburb of Cedar Park for a two-hour journey through the Texas Hill Country. Passengers can enjoy lunch and a stop at the town of Burnet, where they can witness a "wild west gunfight." For a shorter ride, the Bertram Flyer follows a scenic route through hill country and makes a brief stop at the 1912 train station in Bertram before returning back to the depot. Both trains are steam engines (an Alco Diesel 442 and a Southern Pacific 786), both with authentic parts and a real steam engine ride. Train tours depart at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only throughout the year.
Austin Steam Train Association
401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste A-103
Cedar Park, TX 78613
512-477-8468
austinsteamtrain.org
Traveling along the historic "Cotton Belt Route" between the city of Grapevine and the stockyards in Fort Worth, you can ride your choice of two locomotives: "Puffy" (a 1896 steam locomotive) and a GP-7 diesel locomotive built in 1953. Passengers will enjoy the luxury of riding in Victorian-style coaches as they turn back the clock and experience train travel from a different era. Monthly events are available including Mother's Day, Father's Day and Halloween themed rides. Purchasing advance tickets is recommended since many of the train rides sell out early. The Grapevine Steam train rides leave from the Cotton Belt Depot in Grapevine; the depot is an attraction itself with a museum, blacksmith's shop and visitor's center on-site.
Grapevine Steam Railroad
Cotton Belt Depot
707 S. Main St.
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-410-8136
grapevinetexasusa.com
Centrally located two and a half hours from Dallas and three hours from Houston between the towns of Palestine and Rusk, the Texas State Railroad offers scenic train tours through the pine woods and hardwood creeks of Eastern Texas. Train excursions operate year-round and include special events and dinner trains. You can choose from steam engine rides, vintage diesel excursions, special rides on the "Jarvis Wye," and an opportunity to experience a 1890s steam engine "Turntable" in Maydelle, Texas. Round-trip excursions depart each weekend at 11 a.m. and return at 3:30 p.m. for an eventful four-and-a-half-hour adventure. Special themed rides include dogwood excursions and Sunday barbecue excursions where you can experience traditional Texas eating.
Texas State Railroad
P.O. Box 166
Rusk, TX 75785
903-683-2561
texasstaterr.com
