![]() The main problem was that the scenery wasn't that interesting and the narration didn't improve things much. We did go in the first class car where you can get refreshments and that was pleasant. We did not take the option of doing the riverboat trip on top of the train trip here on the Essex. By contrast, I really loved everything about the Georgetown Loop Railroad in Colorado and found that railroad as interesting as I found this one boring. I think the fact that it was rainy the day we went did not help matters because that prevented people from getting out and getting good shots of the steam engine. ![]() ![]() I'm not sure what the problem was, but probably it was simply that the scenery one goes by just didn't seem that interesting. I am real train enthusiast, but I ended up being fairly bored by the experience. The Valley Railroad has several themed events throughout the year, and besides - how often will you get to say you took a ride on a real steam train? There aren't many left operating anymore, so I hope you get the chance to visit Essex and the Valley Railroad. The ride takes about 20-25 minutes, with about a 2.5 mile round trip. I was disappointed a little in that I have seen stand alone Thomas steam engines in operation at other railroads, so this was a little for show. Pure railroad purists like myself will find that the heavy lifting is actually being done via a 1920 steam locomotive (a 2-8-2 Mikado #40), which pulls the eight coaches & has a replica scale Thomas engine coupled at the rear. It was well organized and there are plenty of police on hand to direct traffic. As far as directional signage once you near Essex and the different ways that are provided for families to get to the actual railroad yard/train ride from an off site parking area (either courtesy shuttle bus or a short diesel train ride) was a definite plus. It is a perfectly sized attraction and I recommend it. The event featured several attractions that were included with the price of admission, including Midway rides, facepainters, temporary tattoos for kids, an exhibit from the Deep River Fire Department, along with a spacious gift shop that features all things Thomas & Friends related. My wife and I recently took out two year old son to the "Day Out With Thomas" event featuring Thomas The Train.
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