Most museum food is pretty lame. That said I almost want to go to Strasburg for the first time to try the Shady Maple because I saw it on Youtube.

Durango used to have Francisco's. Do you market with local restaurants? No one wants to go to Chili's or Olive Garden anymore, so where should I go when I visit you?

For anyone traveling to the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, NC-frograil.com introduced me to Richard's BBQ in nearby Salisbury. Richard's just closed (he's retiring), but Hendrix BBQ in Spencer is still popular. There is a hot dog restaurant (Roger's Dogs) across from the museum, but outdoor dining and cash only.

If you're chasing the 2102, The Tamaqua Station Restaurant http://tamaquastation.com/tamaquastationrestaurant.html

If your in Scranton , Carman's 2.0 https://www.radissonhotelsamericas.com/ ... -tour-menu

Corrected. That "2" key is sooo close to the "1" key and I have fat fingers ;)

I you're chasing 2101 I want in on your time machine!

On a recent visit to the Essex Steam Train in Connecticut I asked for a lunch recommendation and was directed to Olive Oyls sandwich shop in the town of Essex. It was excellent. Of course the railroad's own Essex Clipper Dinner Train is also excellent.

http://www.oliveoylscarryout.com/

Alan Maples

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I second Kelly's recommendation... and it's almost walking distance, adjacent to the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express.

Speckled Hen is my favorite when visiting Strasburg but I do agree Fireside Tavern is quite good as well. Those are the 2 winners for sure and they are both walking distance for me. I’ve walked to both!

The East Troy Electric Railroad has Lauber's Ice Cream Parlor across the tracks from the station. Good hand scooped ice cream and other treats in a 1890's drug store atmosphere.

https://www.jlaubers.com/

My recommendation if you visit Colorado is to eat where the railroaders in Denver have eaten for the last 50 years: The Original Chubby's Mexican Restaurant. https://theoriginalchubbysinc.com It's not near any tourist railroads or train museums, but it is pretty close to the Burlington diesel shop, on the northeast corner of 38th and Lipan. This isn't the anglicized version of Mexican food served at most Mexican restaurants. Be prepared for the real thing. And if you look on the computer or one of those fancy phones, you'll see a number of places around town calling themselves "Chubby's". COPYCATS. There's only one real Chubbys --- It has expanded in recent years, and the portions are a bit smaller, but the food is still the same.

If you're in Denver, another railroad employee's favorite is the Butcher Block https://www.butcherblockcafe.com It hasn't changed in at least 40 years, other then it's no longer open 24 hours. I recommend the Roundhouse Breakfast, but you might want to order the Half Roundhouse unless you're a glutton like me... It's just north of the UP yard office.

Lord, how I miss the Decoven diner in Cove (Duncannon) PA, right beside the PRR/PC/Conrail/NS main north of Harrisburg on Rt. 11-15. lots of traffic in a classic 50's diner that was so 'right out of the movies' it was used as a movie set, and later sold and relocated to two other sites, now still in Geneva, WI?. Sigh.

Just down the road is a Sheetz today, about 100' from the tracks, but it's not the same..

It's a bit off the track, but two more worthy of mention that are at least alive:

The Calabria Italian Restaurant in Nebraska City, NE is in the old Burlington depot, wonderful interior, and has a semi-clear view of the UP main line south of Omaha headed down the river.

The Village Restaurant bar and grille in Biltmore Village (Asheville NC) is in the Southern RR depot, trackside. No views from inside, and the train traffic has become rather sparse, but if you've gone to Biltmore anyway, this is the train place to eat for sure. The signal bridge outside is a great photo prop.

Once Mt Rainier Scenic finally gets rolling again (I've read next year for limited ops and full steam operations in a year or two after), there's a decent pizza place in a baggage car in Elbe. There's a restaurant immediately adjacent to the Elbe depot inside an old RR coach, but I've never eaten there.
I've been to the pizza place, though, and liked it.

What was I (not) thinking ?? When in Cheyenne, Wyoming there is a nice cafe in the UP depot. While this place is meant for visitors and isn't really what I'd consider a blue collar hangout, it is a great place if you like trains --- the outdoor dining experience takes place on the platform right next to the crew change point for through east/west traffic, with only a chain link fence to filter the ambience.

if you REALLY want a cool place to eat, my all time favorite is the bahnhof at Drei Annen Hohne on the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen http://www.rypn.org/articles/single.php ... 024112.txt. The menu is pretty limited, consisting mostly of beer and sausages, but German beer and sausages are all anybody could ever want. What's wonderful about dining on the platform in this place is that the HSB is now the world's busiest steam railroad, and steam powered trains converge here from three directions all day long. It's a water stop for all of them, and all manner of meets (often 3 way steam meets) happen all day long. Some trains originate there, some terminate there, some turn around there, some pass there. There is no chain link fence to filter the ambience. As long as you stay out of the way and don't get too sloshed to handle yourself, you have free access to the four run through depot tracks for photography. Most trains are pulled by very husky 2-10-2T types, but if you go on a holiday you might get lucky. The day I was there a mallet doubleheader stopped there in the morning, and the two engines split up and pulled shorter consists in the afternoon.

I yield the floor....