Scenic Train Rides of the Upper Midwest

Many Upper Midwest railway lines have been terminated, but the wail of the train whistle has not been totally lost. Some former railroad communities are taking advantage of their scenic surroundings, still existent railroad track, and restored locomotives and passenger cars to offer train rides to vacationing families. All aboard for a look at three scenic train rides of the Upper Midwest.

South Dakota's 1880 Train
While vacationing in the Black Hills area of the Upper Midwest, the entire family will enjoy a scenic train ride aboard the 1880 train. This train winds its way from Hill City just north of the Crazy Horse Memorial to Keystone, a city northeast of Mount Rushmore National Monument. Beautiful scenery along the way includes wildlife, meadows, old abandoned buildings, long-deserted mines, and, of course, the famous Black Hills. On the way, you will learn quite a bit about the area and the train itself through the train staff guide. The distance one way is twenty miles and takes one hour. After a fifteen minute layover, the train returns to Hill City via the same scenic route.

The Black Hills Central Railroad has run both diesel and steam powered locomotives with restored period passenger cars on this train track since 1957. Round trip rates for the 2008 tourist season were $21 for anyone 13 years old and above and $12 for children ages 3 to 12. One way tickets sold for $17 and $10. Special group rates are available.

Special event trains run on Mother's and Father's Day as well as the Fourth of July (the Fireworks Express). The Mother's Day, Fourth of July, and Wine Train rides include a shootout robbery reenactment to entertain you while you enjoy the scenic ride. In October, there is a Fright Train with spooky entertainment and costumes. A Holiday Express operates from the end of November to just before Christmas Day complete with a visit to Santa Claus. Web reservations may be made no less than 24 hours in advance of the planned scenic train ride of your choice. Tickets are not mailed out, so you must be sure to arrive 45 minutes early to check in and purchase tickets.

An interesting fact about the 1880 train is that the steam locomotive engine No. 7 built in 1919 and its tender were used in a Steven Spielberg mini-series titled "Into the West". The locomotive and tender were transported to New Mexico for filming and then back again. The Black Hills Central Railroad may be contacted via their postal address at PO Box 1880, Hill City, SD 57745-1880, their phone number at (605) 574-2222 or at 1880train.com. The depot is located at 222 Railroad Avenue in Hill City.

Minnesota's North Shore Scenic Railroad
A truly enjoyable addition to a family vacation on Minnesota's Lake Superior North Shore is a scenic train ride paralleling the lake shore. The North Shore Scenic Railroad offers a 57 mile round trip from Duluth to Two Harbors or a 13 mile round trip from the Duluth Union Depot to the Lester River. The Duluth to Two Harbors scenic train ride is a six hour trip which includes a two hour layover in Two Harbors. This excursion is available on Fridays and Saturdays from May 1^st to October 31^st. The shorter excursion lasts for one and a half hours and runs daily. Along the longer scenic train route you can expect to see gentle hills, the Duluth skyline, birch forests, and the ever-present, ever-changing Lake Superior. You will cross at least two scenic train trestles on the longer trip at the Sucker River and the Knife River. Both excursions are narrated by a tour guide/conductor.

Most of these scenic train rides are taken either with a diesel locomotive and restored passenger cars or a single diesel passenger unit known to locals as the Bud Car. In September and October on Friday and Saturday the NSSR operates the steam locomotive No. 2719 from Duluth to Two Harbors. Tickets for this steam-powered scenic ride are $37 for all ages. 2008 rates for the shorter scenic train ride to the Lester River were $12 for adults and $5.50 for children. The Duluth to Two Harbors train ride cost $22 for adults and $12 for children. All but the Lester River train ride require reservations.

Other special train excursions include a Murder Mystery Train ($80 all ages), Elegant Dinner Trains on Friday and Saturday evenings ($70 for all ages), and the Polar Express in December. Pizza trains depart from the Duluth Depot to Palmer's Siding, a two and a half hour 34 mile narrated round trip. Reservations are required and tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for children. In June, when runners and their families and friends descend upon the North Shore for Grandma's Marathon, the NSSR operates a special Pepsi Marathon train on the morning of the big event.

If you want to learn more about railroading in the North Shore area and the Upper Midwest, make sure to find out about combination tickets which enable you to visit the Lake Superior Railroad Museum as well as take the scenic train ride. The Museum, which began its operations in 1973, is especially interesting located as it is in the restored Duluth Depot building. Their indoor train cars and store front exhibits are well worth taking the time to visit. Interested visitors may contact the North Shore Scenic Railroad by calling 1-218-722-1273 or 1-800-423-1273 or go to the website at northshorescenicrailroad.org. Their address is 508 West Michigan Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802.

Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway
For an unforgettable glimpse at one of the National Scenic Riverways of the Upper Midwest, visit the city of Osceola, Wisconsin, and take one of the train rides offered by the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway. A ten mile round trip from Osceola to Dresser, Wisconsin, gives the visitor a 45 minute ride through scenic Wisconsin countryside. The longer twenty mile round trip from Osceola to Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, takes 90 minutes. The Marine on St. Croix train ride parallels the St. Croix River and takes the visitor through the scenic river valley. The St. Croix River forms a natural border between Wisconsin and Minnesota north of Prescott, Wisconsin. At one point the train crosses the river by way of the Cedar Bend Draw Bridge. This railroad crossing was built in 1887 as a steel truss with a swing span that would move to allow boat traffic through. The river is no longer used for navigational purposes, so the swing span section has been welded to maintain it in a closed position. The bridge is about 650 feet long and the track is owned by the Canadian National Railway. This crossing is one of the main scenic sights of the train ride.

These scenic train rides are powered mostly by three diesel locomotives, although once in a while steam locomotive No. 328 is used. Rolling stock in which passengers ride include a streamlined business car, a baggage car, three streamlined regular coaches, three commuter coaches, and a heavyweight triple combine Pullman coach. Scenic train rides can be taken from May to October on Saturdays and Sundays. Passengers can select either to ride coach or first class. The Osceola to Dresser round trip cost $5 to $25 in 2008 while the Osceola to Marine on St. Croix round trip cost $7 to $40.

Special train rides are available for extra money. These include the Mother's Day, Father's Day, and regular brunch trains for $39 to $49 and the dinner pizza trains which run twice a month. Box lunch train rides are also available twice a month for a lower price: $17 to $25. The person interested in nature can take one of three naturalist train rides to William O'Brien State Park on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River for $10 to $15. Fall color train rides are offered from the last weekend in September through October. The final special train rides of the season are the Pumpkin train rides to Dresser. Scenic train rides can be reserved for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, or school outings.

Videos of the Osceola roundhouse turntable being operated, the trip across the St. Croix River, and some of the scenic countryside can be seen on You Tube and on the mtmuseum.org website in the multimedia section. The Minnesota Transportation Museum, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, operates the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway as well as the Jackson Street Roundhouse museum in St. Paul, the Minnehaha Depot, and a fleet of vintage buses. For more information about the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway, call (715) 755-3570 or the Twin Cities Metro number (651) 228-0263. The Railway mailing address is Box 176, Osceola, WI 54020 and the depot is located at 114 Depot Road in Osceola. The ticket and schedule website is found at trainride.org.

A train ride is an excellent way in which to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the Upper Midwest. Buy your ticket, come aboard, and make a memory.