Steam

United States · Scenic

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Coal-fired steam on three-foot track through the Animas gorge

3h 30m · Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: snowpeak · CC BY 2.0

United States · Scenic

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

64 miles of steam over Cumbres Pass and Toltec Gorge

7h 45m · Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Xboxtravis7992 · CC BY-SA 4.0

United States · Heritage

Mount Washington Cog Railway

The world's first mountain rack railway, opened 1869

3h · Mount Washington Cog Railway

• Heritage
• Steam
• Engineering

Photo: King of Hearts · CC BY-SA 4.0

Japan · Scenic

SL Banetsu Monogatari

Steam through forests and river country on the Banetsu West Line.

3h 33m · JR East

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Olegushka / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Japan · Heritage

SL Gunma

Historic steam day trips from Takasaki.

55m · JR East

• Heritage
• Steam
• Excursion

Photo: Nanashinodensyaku / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

India · Scenic

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The original Himalayan toy train through tea country.

7h 20m · Indian Railways

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Vikramjit Kakati · CC BY-SA 3.0

Argentina · Scenic

La Trochita

A century-old steam narrow-gauge train across the Patagonian steppe.

3h · La Trochita

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Gustavo Perretto / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

India · Scenic

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Steam and rack railway climbing into the Nilgiri Hills.

4h 50m · Indian Railways

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Stephan Niewolik / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

United Kingdom · Heritage

Bluebell Railway

Eleven miles of classic British heritage steam.

40m · Bluebell Railway

• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Peter Trimming from Croydon, England · CC BY 2.0

Switzerland · Scenic

Brienz Rothorn Railway

Steam from Lake Brienz to a 360-degree mountain panorama.

1h · Brienz Rothorn Bahn

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Hans-Peter Bärtschi · CC BY 4.0

Germany · Scenic

Brocken Railway

Steam to the top of the Harz on Germany’s most famous narrow-gauge mountain train.

50m · Harzer Schmalspurbahnen

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Andreas Tille / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

United Kingdom · Scenic

Dartmouth Steam Railway

Steam beside Tor Bay and the River Dart.

25m · Dartmouth Steam Railway

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0

Portugal · Scenic

Douro Historical Train

Historic carriages, Port wine and the Douro river; diesel-hauled in 2026.

3h · CP - Comboios de Portugal

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

AI-generated editorial illustration by Rail Atlas

United Kingdom · Scenic

Ffestiniog Railway

Historic narrow gauge climbing from sea level into slate country.

1h 15m · Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: SchmalspurDVZO · CC BY-SA 4.0

Switzerland · Scenic

Furka Steam Railway

Historic steam high above the Furka base tunnel.

2h 15m · Furka Mountain Steam Railway

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Marcin Wichary / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Romania · Scenic

Mocănița Vaser Valley Railway

Steam deep into a Romanian forest valley on a working forestry railway.

6h · CFF Vișeu de Sus

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Nicu Farcaș / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

United Kingdom · Scenic

North Norfolk Railway

Heritage trains between pine woods and the Norfolk coast.

25m · North Norfolk Railway

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: The Basingstoker · CC BY-SA 2.0

United Kingdom · Scenic

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Steam across the moors from market town to coast.

1h 50m · North Yorkshire Moors Railway

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Bill Henderson / Geograph via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

United Kingdom · Scenic

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

A miniature steam railway from the Cumbrian coast into the fells.

40m · Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Peter Trimming · CC BY-SA 2.0

Austria · Scenic

Schafberg Railway

A steep red cog railway straight to one of the Salzkammergut’s great viewpoints.

35m · Salzburg AG

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Dai Lygad · CC BY 2.0

Germany · Scenic

Selke Valley Railway

The quieter, more pastoral side of the Harz narrow-gauge network.

3h · Harzer Schmalspurbahnen

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: simon tunstall / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

United Kingdom · Scenic

The Jacobite

Steam over Glenfinnan to the fishing port of Mallaig.

2h 16m · West Coast Railways

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Daniel Kraft / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

France · Scenic

Train de l’Ardèche

Steam through the Doux gorges on one of France’s great heritage railways.

1h 45m · Train de l’Ardèche

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Peter Glyn / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

United Kingdom · Scenic

Welsh Highland Railway

Twenty-five miles of steam beneath Yr Wyddfa.

2h 10m · Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways

• Scenic
• Heritage
• Steam

Photo: Alan Wilson · CC BY-SA 2.0