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Where in the USA would one have to go to take a passenger steam train?

The only regular steam trains I know of are all excursion type trips,

not as an actual means of travel:

All Aboard! Excursion Train Rides

One of the most interesting (IMHO) is the Silverton & Durango.

I'd expected there would be excursion trains out on the main rail system travelling between cities. Would they not sell lots of tickets at a heritage premium and make large profits? Are the old conserved steam engines and carriages not kept safety-rated for passenger use?

I'm just puzzled and curious, not niggling. Both of those examples seem to be on museum railroads using conserved stations rather than main line tracks.

Týr;1427555 wrote: I'd expected there would be excursion trains out on the main rail system travelling between cities. Would they not sell lots of tickets at a heritage premium and make large profits? Are the old conserved steam engines and carriages not kept safety-rated for passenger use?

I'm just puzzled and curious, not niggling. Both of those examples seem to be on museum railroads using conserved stations rather than main line tracks.


Rail travel died off in the States around the time Air Travel came to ascendancy. One of the major causes was that the rail lines found freight much more profitable than passengers and passenger trains were often delayed to allow freight right-of-way.

By the sixties, rail travel was very unreliable and very uncomfortable. The Bus lines took a lot of low cost passengers away from railways, and Airlines took the business travelers.

by the eighties, only a few diehard rail enthusiasts were willing to put up with the hardship of rail travel.

Most of the passenger cars from the steam days were left to rot.

Railways are only now beginning to see the market for "Excursion trips"

The only place to find operating Steam engines is in these local excursion locations where enthusiasts have restored old equipment and taken over unused lines.

Golly.

We have odd ways in England. Back in the 1960s I was part of a preservation group buying land, mainline track and engines to keep these things running. Five years ago there was a new steam engine built at the old Darlington works, it's out pulling tourists around the country now. Here, I've even found photos.

LarsMac;1427554 wrote: One of the most interesting (IMHO) is the Silverton & Durango.


I've enjoyed the website - that's startlingly attractive countryside it travels through.

It is a very beautiful part of the country.

LarsMac;1427564 wrote: It is a very beautiful part of the country.


I have it in mind that if I head over for a holiday this summer I could perhaps hire a pick and shovel for a week and try my hand at bringing home a fossil or two. Ebay refuses to disgorge any bits of saber tooth tiger and I'm quite keen on putting a skeleton together eventually.

The following is about 45 minutes from where I live.

Train Rides in California - Riding Steam Trains and Other Trains in Northern California