Join us for a relaxing train ride through the piney woods of East Texas or one of our many exclusive events throughout the season!
This excursion takes passengers on a journey through the impressive Piney Woods and 135 years of history. Unplug for a tradition that merges comfort and adventure for the whole family. You will enjoy The Piney Woods Express Diesel trips are powered by restored FP9 passenger units, TSR 125 or TSR 126. These remarkably restored engines aren’t just for show! General Motors built 481 of the FP9 and FP7 locomotives to haul passengers during the “Golden Age” of streamliners. From the moment one steps aboard a vintage 1920’s car, the excitement of being on the rails is exhilarating. Relaxed seating, thoughtful décor and friendly, responsive attendants add to the ambiance of the scenic journey afforded by travelers a century ago. This four-hour round-trip train excursion departs from the historic Palestine Rail Depot in Palestine, TX and travels to our Rusk Rail Depot where guests will deboard the train for an approximate 1 hour and 15-minute layover at the historic Rusk Rail Depot. During the layover, guests will be able to have lunch, explore the grounds or take in some history visiting the interior of the depot as well as our gift shop. We have multiple seating and pricing options for this excursion. Most cars are climate-controlled, have restrooms, and access to our concession car stocked with snacks and kid-friendly and adult beverages. All seats have views along the Piney Woods route, and narration and music highlight the trip. Six different accommodations are offered on the Piney Woods Express Excursion: Private Caboose, Presidential 1511, Presidential 42, Dome, First Class, and Open-Air Coach. We also offer an ADA compliant Coach Car.
The Piney Woods Express Steam excursion is one of our most popular excursions. This excursion will be powered by No. 30, a 1917 Baldwin Locomotive Works. No. 30 began her career on the Tremont & Gulf Railway, a Louisiana short line railroad. During TP&WD days, No. 30 was known as No. 400. In the late 70’s, when Texas Parks & Wildlife Department took over the operation of Texas State Railroad, new account numbers were assigned to locomotives operating on the line. The opportunity to ride behind the magnificent locomotives of yesteryear and get up close and personal with these giants is truly an amazing experience! It is always a fun time and a great opportunity to bring the kids out for an educational adventure. This excursion takes passengers on a journey through the impressive Piney Woods and 135 years of history. From the moment one steps aboard a vintage 1920s car, the excitement of being on the rails is exhilarating. Relaxed seating, thoughtful décor and friendly, responsive attendants add to the ambiance of the scenic journey afforded by travelers a century ago. This four-hour round-trip train excursion departs from the historic Palestine Rail Depot in Palestine, TX, and travels to our Rusk Rail Depot, where guests will deboard the train for an approximate 1 hour and 15-minute layover at the historic Rusk Rail Depot. During the layover, guests will be able to have lunch, explore the grounds or take in some history visiting the interior of the depot as well as our gift shop. We have multiple seating and pricing options for this excursion. Most cars are climate-controlled, have restrooms and access to our concession car stocked with snacks and a variety of beverages to include adult beverages. All seats have views along the Piney Woods route, with narration and music to highlight the trip. An ADA-compliant Coach Car is also available on this excursion.
Passengers aboard Texas State Railroad’s DOGWOOD LUNCH TRAIN will savor the flavor, and the sights, of East Texas on this 4-hour round-trip journey. Expand all of your senses with a delicious meal and a front row seat to the Dogwood Days springtime show. The luminous white dogwoods and pink redbud blooms will light up the East Texas woods as the radiant blossoms and Piney Woods scenery pass by your window. We will offer 5 different seating classes on this excursion. Guests in each class on the Dogwood Lunch Train will be served complimentary appetizers onboard with some classes also receiving a complimentary champagne / cider toast upon departure. A variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Lunch will be served on the grounds of our Rusk TX Rail Depot and is included in the price of your ticket. Our annual Dogwood Lunch Train has been a tradition for many and a very popular excursion. This is NOT a steam event.
Join us for our Easter Lunch Train where you will enjoy a 4-hour round-trip journey through the Piney Woods of East Texas. We will depart from our Palestine, TX Rail Depot and traverse the tracks through the Piney Woods over to our Rusk, TX Rail Depot. We will deboard the train at the Rusk Rail Depot and have a savory Easter lunch on the beautifully decorated grounds. We will offer 5 different seating classes on this excursion. Guests in each class on the Easter Lunch Train will be served complimentary appetizers onboard, with some classes also receiving a complimentary champagne/cider toast upon departure. A variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Lunch will be served on the grounds of our Rusk TX Rail Depot and is included in the price of your ticket. This is NOT a steam event.
Texas State Railroad proudly presents “A Prom Night through the Decades” excursion train. Did you get to go to your High School Prom? Well, if not, or even if you did, we are giving you a chance to relive that special night with a twist! Our adventure begins at the PALESTINE, TX rail depot, on April 27, 2024, where we will promptly board the train at 5pm. We will traverse the tracks to our Rusk, TX Rail Depot whilst enjoying freshly made appetizers and a complimentary champagne / cider toast. We will disembark at our Rusk Depot and enjoy a DJ playing a variety of music from the last 8 decades. We will have a dance floor so you can dance the night away with your sweetheart, group of friends or even by yourself all in a beautiful setting by the lake. We encourage you to dress in your best! Come in modern attire or even better yet, dress in the style of the decade you went to your prom. We will be selecting a Prince and Princess from each coach and as the night carries on we will crown the Prom King and Queen of “A Prom Night through the Decades” first ever excursion train. Included in the rates for this event are champagne or cider toast, freshly prepared appetizers, dinner and dessert with iced tea or water. Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase on the train and at the depot. This is an adult-only ROUND-TRIP event. Several pricing and seating options are available. ADA-compliant coaches are available but must be booked through our reservations desk.
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Because of special, incidental or consequential situations that may be out of our control, Texas State Railroad reserves the right to adjust our operation between the date of your booking and the day of departure. These changes could include (but not be limited to): locomotive power for the day, passenger car assignments, layover and/or meal time during the four-hour ride and departure and/or arrival times. Thanking you in advance for your consideration.
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