Jim F.
Yelp
Looking for something new to do on Labor Day weekend (also our Anniversary weekend), my wife ran across the Bluegrass Railroad Museum. We've always loved doing things that are train-related, so this was an easy decision.
Riding the train? Even better, as I've always loved train travel. They have the coach, first class, and the new open-air cars. Those looked awesome, but since it was our anniversary weekend we were looking for a bit more. "A bit more" meant we got to rid in The Cab with the engineers! It was a totally awesome experience, sitting, literally, at the front of the train with the guys making the thing go.
As I recall the engineers were Robert and Steve, and were really nice guys. They were funny and informative, and it was cool to see the "behind the scenes" while the train was in motion. The Cab wasn't as big as I expected it to be and the controls weren't really high-tech, then again this was a pretty vintage engine. It was fun as we heard them calling out commands and statuses to each other and with the conductor at the rear of the train.
The scenery along the way is beautiful. Horse farms and rolling fields make for post-card ready photographs, and the limestone cuts along the way make you realize just how much work went into getting the track built back during the civil war. We were also told that, while the railroad ties are replaced very 25 years, the iron rails are still the original rails that were laid back then.
Once we got to the end of the track we ended up at the Kentucky River, which was seriously cool. While it's no longer viable for river crossings it's still an awesome thing to see. We stopped there for about 15 minutes to take pictures and to take in the scenery.
Back on board the train and now the Engine is pushing the train from the rear and the engineers and conductor continued their calls, making sure things were moving safely.
Once back at the station it was time to disembark and visit the museum and gift shop, which doubles as the ticket booth. They have a nice array of souvenirs to chose from for anyone at any age. The museum is a bit on the small side compared to others we've been to, but at the same time it's perfectly sized for their operation. There is also a model train exhibit in one of the stationary rail cars, and a few other cars to check out on the grounds.
We really enjoyed our visit and train ride - especially riding in The Cab - and we'll be back again. Looking at other reviews it makes absolutely no sense why someone would give this a 1-star rating because it was, in every sense, and absolutely awesome experience.