Campgrounds and Trains

[BR60103]

I'm interested in campgrounds that have some sort of railroad interest. Please post.

I'll start with Port Huron KOA. I-69 West of Port Huron at Wadhams.
This used to have a railroad along one side and a pair of cabooses that were slowly disintegrating. The cabooses have disappeared and the railroad is now a bike trail.
However, they do have a 15" gauge park train that runs around on weekends. (4-2-4, gas engine).

[BR60103]

I've not stayed here yet, but we are planning to do so.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.waleswest.com/">http://www.waleswest.com/</a><!-- m -->
Wales West Campground, Fairhope Alabama, outside Mobile.

[conrailmike]

I'm interested in campgrounds that have some sort of railroad interest. Please post.

I'll start with Port Huron KOA. I-69 West of Port Huron at Wadhams.
This used to have a railroad along one side and a pair of cabooses that were slowly disintegrating. The cabooses have disappeared and the railroad is now a bike trail.
However, they do have a 15" gauge park train that runs around on weekends. (4-2-4, gas engine).

You're only 10-15 minutes from the CN mainline in Port Huron, you can sit at the Amtrak station and watch the action.



The KOA Campground in Springfield, MO is right next to the BNSF mainline coming out of downtown springfield.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=37.198988~-93.401567&style=h&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=18722126&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1">http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1</a><!-- m -->

We stayed there once, like to go back again...

[RailCop]

Several years ago my wife and I visited Frankenmuth, MI, and camped at the Frankenmuth Campgrounds (imagine that!). Anyway, a short distance away, in Bridgeport, MI, I found the Junction Vally Railroad. This was the darndest thing...a 1/4 size railroad completely homemade from scratch. The guy built several engines, all powered by 4 or 6 cylinder car engines.

Here's a link to the site: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.jvrailroad.com/">http://www.jvrailroad.com/</a><!-- m -->

You have just got to see this thing. They have a dispatcher working to direct train movement. All engines and cabooses communicate via radio. There are bridges, tunnels, a yard, passenger station, freight and passengers cars, even a turntable and enginehouse! And there's a snack bar too. Check it out.

[conrailmike]

Several years ago my wife and I visited Frankenmuth, MI, and camped at the Frankenmuth Campgrounds (imagine that!). Anyway, a short distance away, in Bridgeport, MI, I found the Junction Vally Railroad. This was the darndest thing...a 1/4 size railroad completely homemade from scratch. The guy built several engines, all powered by 4 or 6 cylinder car engines.

Here's a link to the site: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.jvrailroad.com/">http://www.jvrailroad.com/</a><!-- m -->

You have just got to see this thing. They have a dispatcher working to direct train movement. All engines and cabooses communicate via radio. There are bridges, tunnels, a yard, passenger station, freight and passengers cars, even a turntable and enginehouse! And there's a snack bar too. Check it out.

Railcop,

If you ever go back, you're only about 45 minutes from Durand Union Station. You can watch the operations (not what they used to be) of CN (ex-GTW) and Huron and Eastern (ex-Central Michigan). The Michigan Railroad Museum is also housed in the station. If you go in May, you just might catch a group of us out there from Railroadfan.com

[Charlie B]

There is a campground just Northeast of Toronto in Bowmanville. You have to cross the CN main to get to it. It is right on Lake Ontario.
I spent many hours trackside there in 1987 with video tape. When it was too dark to watch trains the view along the lake back to the city was wonderful.
I can't say what has happened there in the last 21 years but I would bet it is still a great site.
Charlie

[BR60103]

We stayed at Miami Everglades campground last year (south west of Miami).
One side of the campground is defined by the Railroad tracks. We saw a couple of trains in 2 weeks (probably more; could be our timing)
   

[sgtcarl1]

There is a campground near Durango, Colo as you head out of town. It is right on the Narrow guage from Durango to Silverton. I camped there for a few days quite a while back. I pitched my tent just as close to the tracks as I could. I watched the train go up to Silverton, and I watched it come back.

[Jim From MT]

There is a state park on the outskirts of Whitefish,MT that is just below the BNSF hi line route. Sounds like the train is coming through your tent (don't ask how I know). You can also visit the old, restored depot in Whitefish which houses a museum and is still an active AMTRAK stop.

[TrainNut]

There is a campground near Durango, Colo as you head out of town. It is right on the Narrow guage from Durango to Silverton. I camped there for a few days quite a while back. I pitched my tent just as close to the tracks as I could. I watched the train go up to Silverton, and I watched it come back.

Hey, we did the same thing sort of but at a campground further up the valley. By the time the train passed us (we were down on the river), it was way up the side of the cliff. They were running three trains a day that summer so if we stayed in camp all day long, we saw 6 trains (3 up and 3 back).
I also used to like Kaibab lake campground near Williams, AZ. The campground was about a mile away from the tracks but when the steamers left in the morning, the whistle would echo up through the pine trees. Now, they have discontinued steam service to the canyon and you no longer hear the whistle.
We went to a tractor show near Oceanside, CA one year and stayed in a campground just in from the beach. The coaster line ran in between the campground and the beach. We were pretty close to it.

[Jesso]

Here in Utah there is an amusement park called Lagoon. They have a campground to the South of the park that we stay at when we go there. It is very well shaded and it is fun to camp at. To the west of the campground is the double-lined Union Pacific Mainline between Ogden and Salt Lake where you will see a train every few minutes and every once in a while see a Utah Railway Train. Now there is also a dual line for Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner. So there are trains to watch almost all the time. And in the park, they have a 24" Guage Live Steam Railroad, so trains all around!

Google Map of the Park and the campground: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&ge...9&t=h&z=16

A You-Tube Video I found of the Lagoon Train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZlEWJXlNFY

[iis612]

I'm interested in campgrounds that have some sort of railroad interest. Please post.

I'll start with Port Huron KOA. I-69 West of Port Huron at Wadhams.
This used to have a railroad along one side and a pair of cabooses that were slowly disintegrating. The cabooses have disappeared and the railroad is now a bike trail.
However, they do have a 15" gauge park train that runs around on weekends. (4-2-4, gas engine).

I stayed there several times when I was a kid. I have some great memories of that place. I had a ball there. My Mom would not let me near the cabooses though.