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Indiana Train Rides
 The major railroads transversing Indiana's east-west main lines are the CSX and the Norfolk Southern, as well as the two Canadian systems. Elkhart has a large NS yard and is home to the NYC Railroad museum. The first railroad in Indiana was the Madison, Indianapolis & Lafayette RR, completed in 1838. The restored Nickel Plate #765 is on display in Fort Wayne. The state has 8 active rail tunnels, one of them on the French Lick, West Baden & Southern RR. There are over 4100 route miles of track. Amtrak routes run between Chicago, Michigan, New York and Washington DC. Scenic train rides in Indiana can be found at the Whitewater Valley RR, the CK&SRR and the Indiana Transportation Museum.  Custom Search Results For Scenic Rail Excursions.com
The Whitewater Valley Railroad scenic train ride runs on weekends from May through October. The 32 mile round trip train excursion lasts 5 hours, including a layover for touring and exploring a restored canal town. Ride aboard open-window coaches or on a caboose as your route follows along much of the Whitewater Canal. Speciality trains include an Easter Bunny Express, a Civil War Train, a Fall Foliage Train, a Polar Express Train and a Santa Train. Day Out with Thomas trains are scheduled for June. Directions.
Visitors enter the National New York Central Railroad Museum through a 1915 passenger coach. This area introduces a timeline to the local railroad history beginning in 1833 with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern RR, and tracing it through 1914, when the New York Central gained control of the LSMS. At the end of the coach, the path leads through the Central System Gift Shop and into the Museum's main gallery in an 100 year old freight house complex. Hands on exhibits allow you to constrict track and operate a steam locomotive. Rolling stock includes the 1940 NYC Mohawk 4-8-2, #3001, the largest piece of NYC steam equipment left in existence. An O' gauge model railroad layout is on display and open to the public year round. FRENCH LICK A 1907 depot serves as you departure point aboard the French Lick, West Baden & Southern Railway. The 20-mile, 2 hour round trip scenic train ride travels through the forested countryside and through the 2200 foot Burton tunnel to Cuzco. Train Robbery specials operate on weekends April through November. and on Tuesdays June-October. Santa trains and haunted trains are also run. Museum displays include both steam and diesel locomotives. October train rides feature beautiful fall colors of the Hoosier National Forest. Lake Central Rail Tours, which operated excursion trains on Michigan's Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway and successor Great Lakes Central Railroad, is canceling 2008 operations, citing rising insurance and fuel costs as the reasons. Great Lakes will continue to occasionally operate Northern Arrow Excursions to Petoskey, Mich., in cooperation with Cincinnati Railway Co., which operates luxury private car tours out of its namesake city; the next tour to Petoskey will operate July 30-Aug. 9, 2008.
This 10-mile round trip, 75 minute scenic train ride departs from an old NYC station. Special events, including the CKS Railroad Train robbery. Train rides run from May through October.  Located in a park like setting, the Hesston Steam Museum features two narrow guages, a two foot and a three foot miniature live steam train rides. Locomotives include a 1939 0-8-0 , a 1940 Czech built 0-4-0T and a 1929 3T Shay. The Hesston Steam Museum is filled with other steam powered machinery including a steam-powered saw mill, a railroad steam crane, steam powered electric power plant, steam traction engines and more. Train ride run weekends and holidays, Memorial Day through Labor Day, and Sundays only after Labor until the end of October. Directions. Linden Depot Museum resides in a former 1907 Nickle Plate depot. Exhibits and photos along with memorabilia from both the Nickel Plate RR and the Monon RR are on display. Linden is home to the Monon Railroad Historical Technical Society's World Headquarters. Located south of the Depot Museum. The depot, which houses the museum is the oldest junction depot in the State Of Indiana and is listed on the National Registry Of Historic Places. It has been restored to a 1950's era of railroading and is operated by the Linden- Madison Township Historical Society. A Nickle Plate caboose sits on display as well as two former Monon cars . Open May through September.  The Heritage Center offers visitors a permanent exhibit gallery featuring Jefferson County and Madison history, a restored 1895 Pennsylvania Railroad station, a wooden caboose, and a Children’s Education facility. Directions. The Monon Connection Museum features a completely furnished, full-size replica of a Illinois Central depot with outdoor displays. Exhibits include a large collection of dining car china along with hundreds of hand-held lanterns, some dating back to pre Civil War, dozens of immaculately restored brass steam locomotive bells and whistles. Directions.  TrainTown is the official museum of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society. They operate regular train rides, host an annual open house, and give visitors the chance to experience historic railroading up close and hands on. The museum is home to the Nickel Plate Road "Berkshire" 2-8-4, No 765. This 22 mile scenic train ride through the Indiana countryside operates on weekends. The Indiana Transportation Museum offers a wide variety of special trains, including the Hamiltonian Dinner Train, a Pizza Train and the Dinner in the Diner, that includes a 4 course meal served aboard the Cross Keys Tavern, a restored L&N dining car. Caboose rides are available on Sundays. Operations run from April through October with pumpkin patch specials. Polar Bear Express and holiday charters are also available in December. Museum includes the 1918 Nickel Plate No. 587, a 2-8-2 Mikado, which is currently undergoing a complete rebuilding at this time. The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum features 30 pieces of rolling stock, a former C&O 2-8-4 steam locomotive, No 2789 along with various types of restored railroad signals. The museum is open Saturdays, and caboose train rides are available from May through October. Admission is free.
Directions.  The Wabash Valley Railroaders Museum features two interlocking towers. The last lever interlocking machines on the CP, were at the now preserved 1910 Spring Hill and the Haley Towers, and was one of the very last manned interlocking towers in the Midwest. They are preserved by the Haley Tower Historical & Technical Society, along with a depot, and a viewing platform adjacent to CSXT maimlines. Museum is open weekends May through October. |
 
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