This 4-hour Vintage Train Journey Through Virginia's Shenandoah Valley Is One of the Best Ways to See Fall Foliage
Changing maples and oaks make this train journey the perfect fall foliage excursion.
Fall in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley is second to none. The valley runs alongside the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park and has more than its fair share of deciduous trees, including oaks, birch, poplar, sumac, and maple. When the weather cools, leaf peepers make their way to the valley to watch as it is flooded with yellows, oranges, and reds.
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Shenandoah Valley’s Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are popular ways to see the fall colors, but they’ve got nothing on the vintage steam train that escorts travelers on a four-hour tour of Virginia’s peak fall foliage.
The legendary Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611, is a steam locomotive that’s deemed “the most powerful steam passenger locomotive ever built.” Riding on a steam train that was built in 1950 is exciting enough, but this fall the train will be transporting passengers through the Shenandoah Valley during its peak fall foliage season — early October through early November.
Christopher Pollock/Courtesy of Virginia Scenic Railway
The season’s roundtrip journeys aboard the 611, also known as the “Queen of Steam,” depart twice daily on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from Goshen, Virginia. The train then steams east, winding its way through the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, a 1.8 million acre expanse that’s home to over 40 species of trees, including colorful oaks, hickories, and maples.
From the dense, colorful forest, the 611 will chug past Augusta County’s idyllic working farms before reaching the historic city of Staunton, Virginia. In Staunton, the train will come to a short stop without disembarking before making the return trip back to Goshen.
The 611 locomotive pulls 11 passenger cars, which offer four classes of seating. The most basic option, Standard Coach, starts at $99 for a roundtrip ticket. There is also table seating, seats with additional legroom, and observation car seats at an additional cost. The highest-class option aboard the 611 allows travelers to book the special dome car, which has a view-enhancing glass ceiling. Rates for a dome area table are $249, roundtrip.
In addition, all travelers have access to the second level of the observation car, and there are concessions available for purchase. Those who book a higher-class fare are served a complimentary drink and snack during the journey.
The 611’s fall foliage trip kicks off on Friday, Oct. 6, and runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through Sunday, Nov. 5. There are two daily departure times, 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Reservations are available now at VirginiaScenicRailway.com.
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