Delaware's first railroad was the New Castle & Frenchtown RR, which began in 1832. Wilmington's Amtrak station along with the adjacent PRR office building and freight station comprise the largest existing concentration of railroad structures in the country.
Amtrak's 135mph Acela Express operates between Washington and New York, as part of the Northeast corridor. Norfolk Southern maintains 203 route miles as part of it's Cresent Corridor. With nearly 90 trains a day running through the state, it makes for some exciting trainspotting.
A 10 mile round trip steam train ride on the Wilmington & Western will take you back to a time when the steam locomotive ruled the rails. You'll travel in antique passenger coaches pulled by either a coal-burning steam locomotive or an early-generation diesel locomotive. Some train rides feature the historic self-propelled Pennsylvania Railroad "Doodlebug" railcar, where you can relax in plush seats surrounded by a polished wood interior. Regardless of how you travel, you and your family will experience early 20th Century railroading at its best. Engine # 98 was built in 1909 and is the only operating 4-4-0 east of the Mississippi. Directions.
