Railfan Motels

Legal Train Watching Locations

Rochelle Railroad Park - Junction of Union Pacific & BNSF - Railfan park web site: Rochelle Railroad Park

                             Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on the Rochelle Railroad Park.

Peck Park - Junction of the BNSF Mainlines (ATSF & BN) - Town park located at the crossing of the two lines.

Galesburg Railroad Museum (next to Amtrak station)  - Located on the former BN Mainline, good location for train watching.

                       Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on the these hot spots in Galesburg.

Folkston Funnel Railfan Park - Most CSX and all Amtrak trains to/from Florida come through here.

Crossroads Park - Known as Crossroads of the B&O.  This railfan park is set up on the southwest corner of the diamond. The double Track CSX Garrett Subdivision (former B&O mainline) handles all east-west traffic from both Baltimore and Boston.  It crosses the CSX Toledo Subdivision, another former B&O line.  

Manchester Train Watching Platform - Located One and a half hours south of Atlanta, about 30 trains a day pass through Manchester.

                                         Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on the Manchester Train Watching Platform.

Homewood Train Watching Platform - Built along the CN (IC) / Metra mainline, this is a busy location.  Observation deck built just for railfans!  Visit this web site for details: Homewood Railroad Park

National New York Central Railroad Museum - Museum is located along the busy NS Main (former Conrail Chicago Line), a train watching platform is also in the museum grounds. Visit the museums web site: National New York Central Railroad Museum

The Iron Triangle Railfan Park - This new park is the countries newest train-watching park.  Around 100 trains pass the park each day.  CSX operates the former Baltimore & Ohio mainline and the C&O line to Toledo.  Norfolk Southern operates the busy former Nickles Plate Road main past the park.  Visit this web site for info: Fostoria Iron Triangle

Golden Spike Tower - An observation tower built just for visitor to view Bailey Yard, the world's largest train yard.  Visit their web site: Golden Spike Tower

A live camera located on the top of the Golden Spike Tower can be viewed here.

Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on the Golden Spike Tower in North Platte.

Marion Union Station - Union Station has been restored and is now a museum.  Its located inside two-sets of double diamonds, railfans welcome!

Durand Union Station - Located on the former Grand Trunk & Western Mainline (now CN), a fine place to watch trains.  Station is a museum & Amtrak station.  It's located at a diamond.  Expect around 30 trains during a 24-hour period.

Although not an "official railfan park", the train station parking lot in Berea fills up fast with train watchers.  This is one of the busiest areas for passing freight trains in the country, with easily over 110 trains during a 24-hour period.  CSX / NS / WE / and overnight Amtrak's are the hosts.   You never know what will pass through here! 

                                                        Visit our RailfanLocations page for details for railfanning in Berea.

Fullerton Station - BNSF / Amtrak and Merto-Link keep the line busy.  This is the former Santa Fe Mainline; over 80 trains a day come through Fullerton.  It's a popular train watcher hangout in southern California.

Cresson Railroad Observation Platform - Located in downtown Cresson, across from the NS Helper Locomotive Service Facility.

 Horseshoe Curve - A Must See to not only rail buff, but all people!  This is the original railfan park.  An admission fee, and scheduled hours restrict the freedom as other railfan parks have, but this park has been turned into a first class tourist attraction complete with an incline plane designed to take you from the visitor's center to the train tracks.  Visit their web site for more info: Railroad City - Horseshoe Curve

RailWalk - Located behind the Station Medical Center & Altoona Railroad Memorial Museum.  This "railwalk" was built with the idea of train watching.  Park benches, lighting as well as some covered shelters connect overhead pedestrian bridges that span over the tracks.  This is a good area to photograph trains.

Cassandra Railroad Overlook - A park that has an old pedestrian bridge spanning across the NS Mainline, westward views of trains cutting through a deep cut, with views to the east looking over a sweeping curve.  A fine place to spend a day!

Tunnel Park - A train watching park built by the western portals of Gallitzin Tunnel.  From the park, you will look downward at the railroad.  A quiet bridge next to the park crosses the tracks and maybe accessed to capture different views of trains in/out of the tunnel.  Note: Some trains on the mainline maybe missed at this location, due to some trains are being routed through the "shorter" Portage Tunnel down the street. Expect 2/3rd's of rail traffic to pass this site.

Roanoke RailWalk - A walking path that parallels the NS Mainline between Hotel Roanoke and the Virginia Museum of Transportation.  Park Benches, lighting, and scattered overhead shelters are along the walkway.  An enclosed pedestrian bridge is near Hotel Roanoke.  The Virginia Museum of Transportation is another place to catch the action, although a chain link fence hampers photography.  The Martin Luther King pedestrian bridge is the best spot for photography.

Hamlet Union Station - Located at a diamond, and semi-busy junction on the CSX.

National Museum of Transportation - The museum boarders a Union Pacific / Amtrak line, the museum has a small deck for visitor to watch the passing trains.

Steaming Tender Restaurant Parking lot - This restaurant is located in the former train station.  It’s located at the diamond of the CSX (former Conrail Boston Line) and the New England Central RR.  The Mass Central may also be seen accessing the interchange tracks at Palmer.  NECR usually parks engines in Palmer.  The restaurant owner usually tolerates railfans as long as they don't park near the building (don't take parking spots from customers).  Be sure to have lunch or dinner at the Steaming Tender, it’s really good food!  Steaming Tender Restaurant web site is here.

Izaak Walton Inn - A pedestrian bridge behind the Izaak Walton Inn provides a good spot to watch trains.

 Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Essex, MT

North East station / Lake Shore Railway Museum - Located along the CSX Chicago Line (former Conrail-PC-New York Central), and Norfolk Southern.  This is a nice place to watch trains.  The railroad museum also has a good amount of locomotives & rolling stock on display to inspect in between trains. 

Cincinnati Union Terminal, TOWER A - The Cincinnati Railroad Club has restored and now maintains Tower A, which was the main control tower for Cincinnati Union Terminal. It is free and open to the public on Thursdays from 8 to 11 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Hours may be extended during holiday periods.  Both Norfolk Southern & CSX freight yards are located behind the station.  This is one of the best places to watch trains in the area as far as traffic.  Please note that the only access requires the use of stairs.  Latest club information is available at (513) 651-RAIL (7245) and http://www.cincinnatirrclub.org/.

Jesup Railfan Platform - Located adjacent to Jesup's Amtrak station.  Visit their web site:  http://www.waynetourism.com/

Walkway Over the Hudson - Opened October 2009, the Walkway over the Hudson is a former New Haven Railroad (later Penn Central) railroad bridge that suffered a fire in 1974, it was deemed unsafe for rail traffic, too expensive (and un-needed) to rebuild, and too large & expensive to scrap.  It sat as an eyesore for over 30 years, when the state kicked in money to turn it into a state park.  The rebuilt bridge is now the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.  Spanning 1.28 miles long and 212 feet high.  The views from the bridge are breathtaking.  The bridge crosses the Hudson River.  Along the west side of the river is CSX's River Line, the main freight route into Northern New Jersey.  The single track route hosts about 40 trains a day.  On the east side of the river is the busy Hudson Line of CSX, Amtrak and Metro-North.  This route, originally part of New York Central's mainline (Water Level Route), has a full schedule of passenger trains, with a handful of CSX freight.  Visit the parks web site:  Walkway.org

 Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Poughkeepsie, NY

Macungie Flower Park - Built by the town as a flower park on the site of the former train station.  This flower park is complete with a fountain, park benches and a large gazebo which is inspired by the shape of the former Reading Railroad Macungie train station.  The parking lot & gazebo is no stanger to railfan's.  What started out by the town to beautify the area by building this flower garden for residents, has turned into a popular train watching location with visitors from all over the country.  Fans often gather here to watch the usual-busy Norfolk Southern's Reading Line.  During a 24-hour period, NS operates around 35 train's a day over this line between Allentown, PA and Reading, PA.  Its the mainline used by a majority of NS train's traveling to / from the ports & yards of Northern New Jersey.  The website for Borough of Macungie can be accessed here.

Dalton Freight Depot - Located about an hour and a half north of Atlanta, and a half hour south of Chattanooga, TN, Hair Interlocking is where CSX crosses the Norfolk Southern main.  The City of Dalton has restored the old freight station located downtown and created an excellent train-watching location.  Dalton hosts around 50-55 freight trains a day.  A platform along the building has benches for resting between trains.  A radio scanner and ATCS video monitor helps you know when the next train will come through.  A webcam of located on the freight station can let you view passing trains anytime.  

 Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Dalton, GA

Long Bridge Park - Long Bridge Park opened to the public November 5, 2011. The park occupies the west side of CSX’s RF&P Sub at CFP110, at the signals (and former tower) known as RO. The park has substantial railroad history, not the least of which is its name, a reference to the railroad bridge over the Potomac that has connected Washington with Northern Virginia since the mid-19th century. The property was once called “South Washington,” a railroad location that included industries such as Solite. Just to the north is a 4-acre plot where the Twin Bridges Marriott (1957-1990) once stood (the Marriott company’s first hotel), which the county now also owns and will develop in a Phase II expansion of the park. The location marks the northern extreme of the RF&P, where the Rosslyn Branch of the PRR once turned west on a routing that passed the Pentagon and terminated in a small yard in Rosslyn.  Ten years ago, when the county began holding public meetings to get citizen input on the design of the park, Mike Schaller and this writer began attending and made a case for the county to accommodate the photographic interests of railfans, as RO was a choice spot, and we hoped the new park would not prevent railfans from track views with a chain link fence or other barrier. The result was a park designed with three athletic fields and “the esplanade,” a 15-foot high stone walkway next to the tracks that extends north and south about 300 yards. It’s fabulous for shooting trains in afternoon light, as well as watching wildlife in the nearby wetland (including eagles and ospreys), and planes landing and taking off from National Airport. But for the railfan, the big show is CSX freights, Amtrak, and VRE.  [Written by John Fuller, via Railpace Newsmagazine, via Long Bridge Park web site].

Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Arlington's Long Bridge Park

Irondale Viewing Platform - A covered, elevated platform located along the Norfolk Southern Railway. Amtrak's Crescent passes twice daily. Trains move slowly entering or departing the Norris Yard. Switching action is visible from the platform.  Several benches are provided for sitting. Access to the platform is from First Avenue North. Adequate free parking is available.

 Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Irondale, AL

Ringgold Train Watching Platform - This platform/pavilion was built in 2008. Its located across the tracks opposite the Ringgold Depot.  This new park has a paved parking lot with a paved walkway to the platform. This is along the north/south CSX W&A (Western & Atlantic) Subdivision. If you have a scanner radio the frequencies used are road channel 161.370; dispatcher is 161.520.  Ringgold is located about 15-miles north of the busier railfan location of Dalton, GA (also listed on this site). This link to Waymarking.com has additional information and pictures from the area.

 Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Ringgold, GA

Plant City Train Viewing Platform - Although this can't be considered busy "hot-spot" do to the small amount of daily trains; the diamond in downtown Plant City offers a great place to watch the trains.  CSX & Amtrak operate usually no more than 20 trains during a 24-hour period.  More pass during cover of darkness then in daylight.  The city built a great place to watch the action.  The train watching platform is covered to shade visitors from weather and includes a tower which has a second story to watch trains from an elevated vantage point.  A free parking area surrounds the platform and plenty of local shops are within walking distance.  One thing the site doesn't include is restroom facility.  Plant City is located near Tampa, FL.  It may be worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Selma Historic Union Station - Selma Union Station is a museum, Amtrak station, and a great place to spend some time and watch trains.  Located about 2-minutes from Interstate 95 Exit # 98, the train station sits in the north west corner of a diamond where the Norfolk Southern H-Line crosses the CSX north-south mainline.  Its a great stop for folks driving between the northeast and southeast.  30-40 trains pass Selma each day.  Afternoons are best lit for photographs.  Free parking.

Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Selma, NC

Tehachapi Depot - The famous railroad engineering marvel Tehachapi Loop is on the bucket list of many train buffs world wide.  For those that make the trip be sure to stop by the Historic Tehachapi Depot (and museum).  The depot is not only one of the best places in the area to watch trains, the depot property is now a city park and has been set up as a 24-hour train-watching park!  A deck around the depot complete with benches, picnic tables and a great view of the railroad.

You can visit their web site here:  http://www.TehachapiDepot.com

 Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Tehachapi, CA

Cleversburg Junction - A railfan viewing platform built and cared for by Southampton Township.  The site is on Airport Road.  Its located on the east side of the Norfolk Southern's Lurgan Branch near Shippensburg, PA.  A a single main & a long passing siding runs past the platform.  The viewing site consists of a paved parking lot, covered gazebo, picnic tables and BBQ, and lighting.  A radio scanner is also on site.  The viewing area is elevated, protected by a fence to keep visitors from trespassing onto railroad property.  Photography is restricted to "roster shots", video will work well from this site.  Best lighting for photography will be in the AM hours on sunny days, anytime on cloudy days.   Expect 15-20 trains during a 24-hour period.  This location will soon be listed on RailfanLocations.weebly.com

Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Shippenburg, PA

Kemper Rail Park - Managed by the nearby Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum, Kemper Rail Park is a platform built on the foundation of a former building that was located in along Monroe Street inside the wye of the Mad River Connection and just south of Mini Plant, you have excellent views of passing trains on the Toledo and Sandusky/Fostoria districts.  The park is new, officially opened November 2014, the site consists of a covered platform with some benches.  There are no bathrooms, electric, or picnic tables on site.  Parking area is very small, fits only a handful of cars.  Then again its very new and offers a great and legal place to watch trains.  I expect over time the new park will grow as this is sure to attract a lot of train-buffs to this busy railroad town. 

Gale Street Train-Watching Park - Local train buffs in the Westfield area took matters upon themselves to build a train-watching park.  Located on public land between the Norfolk Southern (Buffalo-Cleveland) former NKP main and the CSX / Amtrak former NYC Water Level Route (NJ/Boston-Cleveland/Chicago) mainline, visitors may see 60+ trains during a 24-hour period from this park.  While most action will be on the CSX line, NS contributes about 12 daily freights on their line.  Amtrak trains # 48 & # 49 (Lake Shore Limited) usually pass during darkness, however these trains can be late and can pass early daylight through Westfield.  The park consists of a grassy area the CSX and NS lines, picnic tables and BBQ's.  There is a gravel parking area.  There are not restrooms on site, a short drive into town is required for facilities.

                                                                Visit our RailfanLocations page for details on Westfield, NY.

Park Forest Railfan Park - Located south of Chicago (and Homewood, IL) at the junction of the two Canadian Nation lines, the former Illinois Central mainline and the former EJ&E Railroad.  CN built a "clover leaf" to connect the two lines.  The Park Forest, IL / Matterson, IL communities capitalized on the land next to the new clover leaf to build a train-watching park.  The park is an outcome of a huge capitol investment, located at the top of a 35-foot high man-made hill, a nicely laid out covered platform with benches and railroad radio scanner feed is located is the destination of a long and steep uphill walk to the top.  I love these railfan parks, but this one I had some unanswered questions and some negative thoughts about during my March 2014 visit.  First parking?  That was my unanswered question, I parked next to the park on an unfinished path that leads to the water tower.  I don't think that was the proper place to park, but at the same time there were no signs telling me not to park there.  There is a fenced in city lot for commuter parking across the street but that is an unmanned lift gate enter/exit, myself being an out-of -towner was not sure if to try to use it, or if its just for commuters.  There was no booth to pay a fee or person to ask how the lot works. Next; I don't consider myself to be in poor health, but I was out of breath when I reached the top of a long uphill path.  My visit in March didn't help since it was very windy and cold up there.  Finally; my 45-minute visit only awarded me with a set of north & south electric Metra trains on the IC line.  The IC line is too far from the viewing platform to really enjoy the trains on that line.  Same goes for the hard to see EJ&E mainline, you can't photograph those trains at all.  The platform is really built for trains using the connection, and that didn't happen during my quick visit.    After a longer visit, I'll write a complete review on RailfanLocations.weebly.com

In the meantime you can visit the official Park Forest web site here.  Their web site boasts 32-trains daily pass the train-viewing platform.  I've been told about 20-25 freight trains per day use the IC main, and a similar amount use the EJ&E line.  Its said only 30-35% of the traffic use the connecting track between the two lines.

Locust Grove Train Viewing Platform - Locust Grove, GA opened a nice train viewing platform in 2014.  The covered pavilion is located on the west side of a Norfolk Southern mainline between Atlanta and Macon, GA.  Locust Grove is about 40 minutes south of Atlanta's city center on I-75.  About 24+ trains a day pass through Locust Grove.  Best lighting for photography is during the afternoon.  Be aware, Saturday mornings between 9am-1pm there is a flee market set up at the pavilion.   

Mine Dock Park - [Will NOT be listed].  Despite what would be a great location for train-watching, scenic views, Bald Eagle sightings and the parade of river traffic, a July 2015 visit to the park was spoiled by the Highland Falls Police Department as an officer asked everyone in the park (just a few of us present) for ID's.  He then questioned those of us with cameras what we were going to take pictures of.  This officer has never heard of railfans, train-watchers or anyone other than terrorists interested in railroad photography.  He never heard of the hobby, and did not understand why we were there.  We were not trespassing or doing anything illegal.  We sat in beach chairs next to our automobile in the parks parking lot. The officer wrote down on a pad all of our personal information including telephone numbers. He also asked me for my work ID since I told him I work for the railroad. He didn't chase us away, and said we can stay to dusk (He made it clear the park closes at dusk), he then added we can come back anytime. This made for what would have been a pleasant day a very unnerving experience.  Why build a public park just to give visitors & vacationers a hard time.  I am not sure how often this happens at this park, but all my years train-watching from public parks and safe, legal places, I have never come across this situation. We felt violated and do not plan on returning to this park.