Two weeks ago my wife told me she had plans for us to take a trip but wouldn’t tell me where we were going. For the last year or so, I’ve thought several times about heading out to East Texas to ride the steam train owned by the Texas State Railroad that goes from Rusk to Palestine and back. I made the trip once about 20 years ago, but didn’t remember much about it. But this time, I had my trusty camera.

It’s not exactly an exhilarating ride, actually its quite the opposite. The trip starts in Rusk and arrives in Palestine about an hour and half later. The train coasts along at 20MPH so you have time to catch the scenery. We had the windows raised in our car which provided a perfect breeze in the warm sun. I imagine it would be rather hot during July and August, but I believe there is air conditioning available.

During the trip we briefly stopped in a small town and were boarded by “bank robbers” in full costume. They were very interactive and talkative. The money they “stole” goes to a local charity, so bring a few extra bucks to drop in the bag. Plus, you don’t want to be shot or kidnapped. Once you arrive in Palestine you have about an hour and a half to eat lunch. Here’s a tip for the ladies: BEFORE you do anything else, visit the restroom! Before the train started boarding for the return trip, the line to the women’s restroom was about 3.7 miles long.

Lunch was pretty good, sandwiches of various sorts you can choose from when booking the trip, were provided by a local bakery. There was a gift store if you’re so inclined, but with half a train worth of people in a room about the size of shed, I didn’t want to grease up and squeeze through. After lunch, we headed back and more than a couple of people dozed off with the gentle rocking of the train and the cool breeze.

While its certainly not cheap, its a fun trip, especially if you take a couple of kids along. And if you do, take some pennies as well. In Palestine, they disconnect the engine. Then they back it down a curved track and come forward down another curved track. This is how they turn the engine around to head back to Rusk. Just imagine pulling a big three-point turn to go back where you came from. As the engine was heading back toward the other end of the train, there is a perfect opportunity (and plenty of time) to go up and place a penny on the track to have it flattened by the train. With an entire troop of Boy Scouts present, this was quite the activity.