There are many railroad tour providers in the United States, so I decided I would look at the category called tourist railways, which is something quite different from the regular passenger trains we know. In this case, we are talking about special railcars, taking you to and through tourist destinations such as parks, canyons, restored towns, and so on. My first look at this subject uncovered dozens of choices, including six in Arizona, three in Arkansas and twelve in the state of New York, to just name a few.
Here is a short list of some that I thought were interesting, just to give you a little taste of what could be an interesting vacation destination. In Arizona, you can see a good portion of the Grand Canyon by rail. The trip includes a meal and a close up look at the canyon by motor coach or bus. There is even a restored Pullman car from the 1920s, as a choice for the ride. You may want to try the Superstition Railroad, so named because of the Superstition Mountains in this southwestern state. This particular ghost town theme and the narrated trip last about 20 minutes.
If you are heading to the east coast, you might want to consider the Cape May shoreline trip by rail in New Jersey. One of the trips takes you to the old courthouse and through Historic Cold Spring Village. A second option is the charter train for groups, with times destinations tailored to your interests. Then, if you are planning a trip to the Bluegrass State, there are several choices for railroad theme destinations. For instance, there is the Big South Fork Scenic Railway in the Appalachian Mountains and the Bluegrass Railroad Museum, a visit that includes a relaxing trip through the heart of Central Kentucky. The trip follows the former Louisville Southern Railroad line.