New England Has Many Scenic And Dinner Train Rides To Enjoy

My wife and I enjoyed a breathtaking scenic train ride last fall through Trough Canyon in the mountains of West Virginia. What an amazing way to commune with Mother Nature. The fall colors were spectacular as we rolled riverside through an eagle sanctuary.

We vowed to take more scenic train rides here in New England once the warm weather returns. There are many scenic rail adventures in the New England region.

The Cape Cod Central Railroad has stations in Buzzards Bay and Hyannis, Massachusetts, and offers scenic and dining excursions and even a Jazz Sunday Brunch train.

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The Old Colony and Newport Railway in Newport, Rhode Island, says, "Sit back, relax, and enjoy the salt air breeze as you travel along the cozy west shore of Aquidneck Island (Newport) in an open platform coach built in 1904 or an 1884 parlor car."

The Valley Railroad Company operates the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat in the lower Connecticut River Valley in Essex, Connecticut. The company offers scenic and dinner rail excursions as well as riverboat cruises.

The Railroad Museum in Thomaston, Connecticut, offers rail exhibits and train rides aboard the historic Naugatuck Railroad.

Vermont's Green Mountain Railroad, dating back to 1843, lets you "Enjoy a dinner train through the Champlain Valley" on weekends from June to October.

The Downeast Scenic Railroad in Ellsworth, Maine, was named Best Day Trip in Down East Magazine readers' favorites.

Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland, Maine, takes riders on a tour of Casco Bay. The company also offers a train charter for private parties.

The North Conway, New Hampshire-based Conway Scenic Railroad offers scenic train rides through Mount Washington Valley and Crawford Notch.

New Hampshire's Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad in Meredith has a ticket booth on the historic boardwalk at Weirs Beach. The company offers one and two-hour train rides along the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee.

The Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, New Hampshire, offers an 80-minute ride along the Pemigewasset River in the White Mountain range.

Cafe Lafayette Dinner Train in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire offers a "unique dinner train experience" along the Pemi River Valley featuring a five-course dinner.

The Mount Washington Cog Railway is a three-hour train ride to the top of New Hampshire's Mount Washington. Be sure to book your return trip down the mountain before you begin your journey or you could find yourself in for a long walk.

The website Tours of Distinction has more on these scenic train rides.