The official railroad museum of Alabama offers occasional train tours on locomotives to celebrate seasons, such as fall, and holidays, including Christmas and Easter. Get on board the Cottontail Express, or the Pumpkin Patch Express in a rustic steam train, to explore Shelby County, Alabama. Tickets can be purchased online or by telephone.
The North Alabama Railroad Museum organizes occasional tours on their locomotives, with excursions such as the North Alabamian, Dog Days Express and The Patriot. Prices for the tours range from $8 to $12, depending on the excursion. Credit cards are not accepted, and guests are asked to reserve ahead of time, as tickets sell out fast.
If you're looking for a lengthy trek down the East Coast and through Alabama, Amtrak offers the Crescent Tour that departs from New York City, and heads south to stations in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and Anniston, Alabama. The excursion takes 30 hours, and one-way prices from New York to Birmingham cost as little as $128 per person as of October 2010.
