Mountain Rail Adventures offers several excursions on its trains. The wheelchair-accessible Durbin Rocket is a rare steam train with open-air carriages; only three of its kind, the #3 locomotive, still exist, according to the company's website. This trip takes you to the historic town of Durbin. The Castaway Caboose combines a steam train ride with an overnight camping trip. Other options include a dinner train, a luxury train for an all-day ride and a mountain ride that takes you up steep grades and S-curve tunnels.
Cass Scenic Railroad is a West Virginia state park that offers steam train excursions. You can explore the park and historic town of Cass with its train depot and museum, go on a ride, or both. The ride takes you along a former lumber railroad, built in the early 20th century. You travel by a Shay locomotive that pulls former logging flat cars. The ride takes you to Whittaker Station, a reconstructed logging camp and, if you opt for the 4-1/2 hour trip, to Bald Knob, the third highest point in West Virginia.
The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad is another historic train ride option. The three-hour trip takes the form of a guided tour through a mountain valley. The focus is on pointing out wildlife and plants, including river fish and bald eagles. You'll usually depart from Wapocomo Station, at Romney, though some rides depart from Petersburg or Moorefield. Your journey is made in a converted caboose.
The New River Train is a railroad and train restored by the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society. Train trips go through New River Gorge and depart from Huntington, West Virginia, though you can also pick up the train at St. Albans or Montgomery. Your ride goes along the former C&O railroad tracks and takes you to Hinton. You'll see natural features, such as Kanawha Falls, along with evidence of coal mining in the past. You will have three hours in Hinton before you return home.
