Though there is value in seeking the best and promoting it in others, I tend to dislike "top ten" lists because they are so exclusionary and subjective. I find the specification of railway "sites" problematic, because there are so many ways of considering what kind of sites we are talking about. It is nice to see all of the interpretations presented here, and I am beginning to see some patterns emerging: museums, historic railways, restorations or re-creations, and historic places in mainline railroading. I considered these, and assumed that the tourist family would like to see something cool as well as go for a ride. I also assumed the interest was in all forms of passenger railways, within the USA. Regarding the historic places, well frankly, I don't think that "Sam and Sally Suburbia" care to spend much time at many of them, though I guess I could be mistaken.

With thanks to those who contributed previously, and admitting that I have not been to all of these places and therefore my judgment is itself questionable, I apologetically suggest these top 10 lists. They are listed with my guess at higher tourist appeal to the top.

Top 10 Railway Museums

Baltimore & Ohio
CSRM
Steamtown/Electric City
RRMPA
IRM
NMOT
Orange Empire
Seashore Trolley
Spencer Shops
North Freedom

Top 10 Historic Railways

Mt Washington Cog
White Pass
San Francisco Municipal
Nevada Northern
Fenelon Place Elevator (Funicular in Dubuque IA)
D&RGW (Cumbres Toltec + Silverton)
Cass
New Orleans Public Service
Sierra RR (Railtown 1897)
EBT

Top 10 Historic Restored/Recreated Railways

Milwaukee Road 265 Excursions
Strasburg
MTM Como-Harriet
Georgetown Loop
WW&F
Western Maryland Scenic
Dallas Streetcars
Roaring Camp
Huckleberry RR
Riverside and Great Northern
(OK, the R&GN is a 15" gauge line made in the 1950s-1970s, but like a miniature EBT it includes the entire erecting shops of a fine steam locomotive builder. So shoot me. I would like to include Stuhr, but they are not running trains yet).

Top 10 Historic Places in Railroading
Horseshoe Curve
Golden Spike
30th St Station
Grand Central Station
Royal Gorge
Eads Bridge in St. Louis
The CSS&SB RR
Northeast Corridor
Any or all of a number of stiff grade and long tunnel combinations
Clearing Yard in Chicago

Okay, so maybe I'm showing my prejudice here, but I think that Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland deserves a mention. Home to one of the most famous (and, IMO, beautiful) steam locomotives in the world, which is just one of TWO operable 4-8-4s, not to mention an under-restoration 4-6-2, an ALCo PA, and more. I also consider tool car "Yes Dear" to be a museum piece itself--it's a perfect example of the shop-on-the-road which has become a necessity in the days of post-steam-era steam operations. Then there's the facility itself--the roundhouse and turntable which are historic in their own right.

I might add that my response would have been the same even if I were not a (seasonal) volunteer there.

Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
webmaster@orhf.org

for Museums

1. Mid-Continent Railway Museum (North Freedom, WI)
2. Illinois Railroad Museum
3. Steamtown NHS

For a train ride:

The California Zephyr Between Denver and Emeryville (bay area) cant be beat. awesome scenery that gets you to thinking just how in the world they put a railroad down in some of those mountains.

lucas_p_johnson@yahoo.com

In Defense of Mr. Anderson, he mentioned both the New Orleans Streetcar lines, and the Mt. Washington Cog Railway.

Right here goes.

This is a tricky question. First off, if you go for multiple categories, then what categories do you pick?

I'll nominate a few categories and explain my nominations.

First, tourist lines. These are fun for the whole family, and not just the rail buffs. Second museums. Fun, and educational too. Third, transit lines. Fourth, historic sites. Fifth enineering landmarks.
Sixth, stations. Seventh, other facilities, (roundhouses, shops, etc.) And some places corss the lines, of course.

Mind you, I've no been to all these sites either, but here's a few of my favourites, and some I'd really like to see.

For touroist lines, I'll nominate, in no particulair order,
D&SNG C&TSRR EBT
WP&Y Ohio Central GCRY Strassbourg TVRM Others?
(Possibly the Royal Gorge route might qualify now.)

Museums:
MOT St. Louis IRM Chicago B&O Museum
Steamtown CRM Golden CSRM Sacramento
PSRRM Stras.
Others?

Transit Lines
San Francisco (Both BART and the Cable Cars)
(Also original car barn, and cable plant, which is open to visitros, or was when last I was there.)
New Orleans. Heck, they're building cars again.
Ft. Collins Colorado (Which is suposed to be great, but hasn't been mentioned yet.)

Historic Sites:
The Portage RY in Pennsylvania comes to mind.
The site where they opperate the John Bull replica.
Golden Spike, of course
Others?

Engineering Feats:
Moffat Tunnel Tehachipii Loop
What's the big stone viaduct on the B&O?
Eads Brdidge Donner Pass
Viaduct on the Georgetown Loop (even if it is rebuilt)
Lucin Cutoff Grand Central Terminal
Hudson Rvr. Tunnels (into Penn. Station)
Others?
The beauty of all of these guys is that you can still ride the rails at each and every one. (Though Lucin and Tehachipii might be freaight only.)

For other structures I'll invite the more knowledgeable to reply.

The best I've personaly seen are:

Durango Silverton
Cumbress and Toltec
MOT St. Louis
B&O RR Museum
Moffat Tunnel Route
San Francisco Cable Cars
Grand Central Tarminal
Tehachipii Loop
Gerogetown Loop
Donner Pass

Mind you, this last list leaves out a lot of great places I've not personally been.

Sincerely,
David Ackerman


david_ackerman@yahoo.com