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Links - Tourism & Railfanning

Within an Easy Drive from Atlanta

Southeastern Railway Museum - The Southeastern Railway Museum (SRM) occupies a 34-acre site in Duluth, Georgia, in northeast suburban Atlanta. In operation since 1970, SRM features loads of rolling stock including historic Pullman cars and classic steam locomotives. Ride in restored cabooses behind steam or diesel locomotives, stand next to the massive driving wheels of the locomotive that once pulled passenger trains to Key West on the “railroad that went to sea,” tour the business car that helped bring the Olympics to Atlanta, pose on the platform of the private car once used by President Warren G. Harding, and see just how green Southern Railway green can be as you walk the length of the diesel-electric locomotive that ran the point on the last Crescent before AMTRAK assumed control of the famous train.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway - Nestled in Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway awaits you and your family. Known for friendly folks and old time atmosphere, it's definitely a place to visit. The 3 1/2 hour, 26 mile round trip winds along the beautiful Toccoa River in vintage climate controlled or open air railcars. The relaxing ride starts at the historic depot, built in 1905 in downtown Blue Ridge, then stops for a layover in the quaint sister towns of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN where visitors have an hour and a half, plenty of time to eat lunch, shop for unique crafts and antiques, snack on ice cream or explore.  

SAM Shortline Excursion Train - Hop aboard for an exciting tour through scenic countryside and historic towns. Stops include Cordele, Americus, Leslie and Plains, the famous town where President Jimmy Carter grew up, ran his campaigns and still lives today. Operated by volunteers and the Georgia State Parks. Check out the links on this site for other Southeast US rail trips.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad - The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is truly spectacular with 53 miles of track, two tunnels and 25 bridges. Guests will enjoy scenic train journeys across fertile valleys, through tunnels and across river gorges. There is also a great museum that is worth a visit.

North Alabama Railroad Museum - The North Alabama Railroad Museum, located in Chase, Alabama is just east of Hunstville. Visitors have a choice of a free self-guided tour or a special guided tour of the depot, museum grounds, facilities and historic display train.The museum has over 30 pieces of major rolling stock, including freight and passenger cars, and three historic locomotives. The centerpiece of the museum features the Chase Depot, the smallest union depot in the country since it served more than one railroad when in service. If you visit the museum on a day when the train is running, you can ride a vintage train over the museum's own Mercury & Chase Railroad.  The regular (long) excursion trip consists of a roundtrip of 10 miles, with some great scenery thrown in. The train travels over a section of the historic Huntsville Branch of the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. The train presently consists of a vintage diesel locomotive, a 60 seat air conditioned passenger coach, a baggage car that has been prepared to use as an observation car and our converted dining car.

South Carolina Railroad Museum - In Winnsboro, SC the Museum operates on 5 miles of the 11.5 mile line of the former Rockton and Rion Railroad. The eastern terminal of the line is at the junction with the Norfolk Southern Railroad at the Rockton Station. The line runs generally westward through the Rion community to Anderson Quarry, home of the world famous blue granite called the "silk of the trade." The equipment includes various types of freight and passenger cars as well as steam locomotive #44 which once belonged to the Hampton and Branchville Railroad. More equipment has been acquired including cabooses, freight cars, and diesel engines from CSX, Norfolk Southern, the Lancaster and Chester, and other railroads. The train ride is a 10 mile round trip on the Museum's railroad lasting about 1 hour.

Tennessee Valley Railroad - The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is proud to offer a wide variety of rides to suit your needs. For a quick trip, the Missionary Ridge Local takes only 55 minutes but packs all sorts of excitement from a ride through a Civil War era tunnel to a guided tour of our restoration shop. Try the Chickamauga Turn, a 5-1/2 hour roundtrip ride to historic Chickamauga, Ga. For the true rail enthusiasts wishing to experience what a day on the rails was like; they offer multiple Dixie Land Excursions throughout the year. The TVRM is the home for Thomas the Tank Engine visits in the Southeast.

Roundhouse Railroad Museum - The Roundhouse Railroad Museum is located in Savannah, Georgia. The complex began in the 1830s as the Central of Georgia Railway headquarters and repair shops. The buildings fell into disuse after the Central of Georgia was merged with Southern Railway in the mid-twentieth century, and the site was abandoned by the early 1960s. The site has been preserved and is now a National historic Landmark, a "Save America's Treasures" Site, and Georgia's State Railroad Museum. Walk through exhibits inside seven historic railroad structures and see the growing collection of locomotives and rolling stock. Interpretive displays include a large model train layout of Savannah as well as exhibits explaining steam engines and belt-driven machinery. They have also restored the massive operating turntable in the middle of the Roundhouse.

Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History - Take a trip back in time to the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia! With three impressive permanent collections and a membership in the prestigious Smithsonian Affiliations Program, the Museum offers a wide range of exhibits, including a glimpse into the daily lives of soldiers during the Civil War; a reproduction of a turn-of-the-century locomotive factory; and an exciting depiction of the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase.