Category: Trains

Posted on

Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant – Ronks, PA

Well hello there again WebTraveller!

Red Caboose Motel entrance taken from the Strasburg Railroad in 2004.

After the previous post from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, the next part of my Railroad vacation was bringing me back to a place I had visited back in the summer of 2004. It  was a family trip back then to the southern part of Pennsylvannia, that trip including a day in Strasburg and Gettysburg, PA. That trip the family and myself were staying in York, PA, which had made travelling to each of these areas easier. Gettysburg was to the West and Strasburg was to the East. It was on the trip to the East in Strasburg that I had the chance to experince the “Amish Country, ” which is a very peaceful place to visit for sure. Strasburg, PA is also where I decided to make a mini vacation and visit once again. So thinking back on that trip to 2004 is where I got the inspiration for the full day I had planned in Strasburg/ Ronks, PA. I wanted to recreate the day I had with family for memory purposes, and that was the plan, but the only challenge was that I needed a place to stay!

I will be the first to admit that I am a shutterbug and in this case I am so glad that I am, looking back in to the photos that were taken back in 2004, I had stumbled across a photo I took of the Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant, which is the first picture posted with this post (Just up above).

Picture of the Red Caboose Motel taken in 2017

Seeing that photo in the photo library I was sold and that is where the real inspiration behind my railroad trip was, to look at the trains from the days past, ride on a real live running steam train and stay in a CABOOSE! I remember when I had seen the hotel the first time from the Strasburg Railroad that it was a neat place back then but now I was gonna stay there! Continue reading “Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant – Ronks, PA”

Posted on

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum – Baltimore, Maryland

Well hello there WebTraveller!

This post I am gonna share my experience with you on my first visit to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore, MD. I have always had a love of railroads and trains, steam engines more specifically, I had recently heard about this museum through a couple of venues, the latest would be the museums YouTube page, The Museum’s web link is here. The Museum’s YouTube channel really gave me a lot of insight to the history of the museum and a lot of handy information to plan my trip.

Waiting in line to head into the B&O Railroad Museum
Engine #1 – American Freedom Train

I arrived at the museum approximately 30 minutes before the main area had opened to the public. I decided to stop for a coffee before hand and let the excitement build for the days adventures. Driving into the parking lot it was nice to see some railroad rolling stock and a bunch of engines that had once been used by the railroads themselves. The one engine that had caught my attention was engine number 1, she’s a steam engine and had a banner on her entitled “American Freedom Train.” Continue reading “Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum – Baltimore, Maryland”

Posted on

Amtrak Train Trip – Train #98 – Silver Meteor – Orlando, FL to Fredricksburg, VA

Well hello there again WebTraveller,

Arrival at Orlando Amtrak Station to start a vacation

So this post is one that is a writing in progress as I am starting the post from my seat aboard Amtrak. This is about the 8th trip I have been on since I have moved to Florida and each trip gets better and better. Taking these trips aboard the train is one of the many reasons for me starting the blog and to share my experiences with the world not only on Amtrak, but other experiences as well. There are a lot of railroad fans out there and travelling by train is a great experience in my opinion, well as long as one comes prepared due to the length of time it can take to travel from one destination to another.

One of my first trips on Amtrak was the use of the AutoTrain when I moved to Florida oh so many years ago, which I plan to write as a post in the future as to my experience on the train. The one thing I can say about riding the rails to one’s destination can be a long one, but if one comes prepared the trip isn’t half bad. In this modern age of smart phones and local entertainment watching the scenery pass by, Amtrak does have wifi aboard the train, considering that the train itself is using a cellular connection and if you get into a very rural piece of country there could be temporarily be service interruptions. Before I make a trip on the train I hit up the grocery for some snacks to bring along and a few bottles of water just to make sure I have provisions. The train does offer a snack car that has things like chips, sodas, coffee, candy bars, and microwaveable stuff at a cost to the passenger. Some long distance trains have a full dining car (it’s always good to check Amtrak’s website on the particular train number just to be safe. If it is a commuter train (like in the North East Corridor, Washington, D.C. to Boston, MA is where this will be more commonplace) there is just a snack car, from my experience. Continue reading “Amtrak Train Trip – Train #98 – Silver Meteor – Orlando, FL to Fredricksburg, VA”

Posted on

Central Florida Railroad Modelers – Orlando, FL

Hello there WebTraveller!

Checking out the model railroad of the Central Florida Railroad Modelers

If you have stumbled acrossed this post then you might be a fan of trains and model railroads. Well I have been to a place that has been called as “Orlando’s best kept secret” when it comes to that. It certainly has lived up to it since it has existed a little shorter than the time I have lived near it!

The secret is that of the Central Florida Railroad Modelers Club.  Ever since I was a youngster and my dad had put together a train set in the basement, well it was always fun to go play with them. Trying not to run the engines to fast and flying around the corner and winding up on the floor. However as I got older and start reading some I was introduced to “Model Railroader Magazine” It was then I really had an appreciation for model trains and layouts, they looked so realistic! Continue reading “Central Florida Railroad Modelers – Orlando, FL”

Posted on

National Train Show – Orlando, FL – August 4-6, 2017

Hello there webtraveller!

Getting ready for a day of model trains at the Orange County Convention Center

Well this has truly been a fun weekend at the start of August of 2017. I have had the chance to check out the National Train Show here in Orlando, FL. The show was held at the Orange County Convention Center. A dear friend of mine had told me about the show and I just had to see it for myself. This was the first time I had ever attended one of these events and I just have to say that I was more than impressed with what I had experienced. If you are like me and being a train fan, the railroad memorabilia alone is enough to get you going. Continue reading “National Train Show – Orlando, FL – August 4-6, 2017”