00:00For this video, I'm going to be visiting the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat Excursion
00:05located in Essex, Connecticut.
01:03Essex Steam Train
01:05So today I'm in beautiful Connecticut and I'm checking out the Essex Steam Train and
01:09Riverboat Attraction.
01:11This is a fun little place that is great for railroad enthusiasts.
01:15It first opened in 1971.
01:18There's just a lot of great history here in Essex.
01:20For example, the historic railroad depot dates back all the way to 1892 and they really did
01:28do a great job beautifully restoring it.
01:30They also have a lot of special events year-round.
01:35For example, they have the North Pole Express around Christmastime as well as they do the
01:41Tracks of Terror around Halloween so there's a lot of fun events that take place here.
01:47Another interesting aspect of this particular attraction is it's an official part of the
01:52Connecticut State Park system and they definitely have a lot of nice vintage railroad equipment here.
01:58I was especially happy to see the Porter locomotive.
02:02I really do feel like that particular company is underrepresented at most railroad museums,
02:08but they got a Porter like right out front.
02:11The main locomotive that does most of the steam excursions is engine number 40, which is an
02:17Alco steam locomotive.
02:19And what's neat about this particular attraction is they actually have these information sheets
02:24available as PDFs on their website and they go through all the details on all the different
02:30locomotives and you know engine number 40 they brag about how it's one of only less than 200 operating
02:37steam locomotives in the United States now.
02:39So steam locomotives have gotten pretty rare and it's great to always see them up close and personal.
02:45They also have locomotive number 97, which I believe was undergoing a restoration in the
02:51the shops at the back of the attraction.
02:53There was also a vintage diesel switcher that was being used to pull the dinner train.
03:00I'm not sure what model that was.
03:04I didn't get close enough to identify it.
03:06I think it's a Plymouth, but I could be mistaken if I'm incorrect.
03:11You know, please correct me in the comments below.
03:13This is a pretty typical tourist attraction.
03:16For example, they have restrooms on site and there's a gift shop in the back of the depot.
03:21As I mentioned earlier, they also have a dinner train in evenings and there is a combo ticket
03:28available so you can go on the steam train excursion as well as the riverboat, which the train
03:33will take you to.
03:33They even talk about having an ability to book the location for photo shoots, but it's expensive.
03:43It's $200 per hour, minimum two hours.
03:46I guess if you want to do like a family reunion, like in front of the steam train or railroad
03:53depot, like a model shoot, whatever you want to do.
03:56Like I said, it's $200 an hour, minimum two hours.
03:58So you're looking at $400 to set it up.
04:01There's also an on-site coffee shop that's in the red brick building.
04:06That's just to the right of the railroad tracks.
04:10Now keep in mind that coffee shop is open seasonally.
04:14And I guess I was in the off season because it was closed when I went to visit.
04:18Now let me talk about the one negative thing that I can really say about this particular
04:23attraction.
04:24It's the pricing.
04:25The prices do seem overpriced compared to similar attractions.
04:30You know, I had just visited the steam train excursions in Pennsylvania, like the same week.
04:38And this, this attraction in Connecticut was about twice as expensive as what I paid for
04:43similar attractions in Pennsylvania.
04:45And I realized we're in the Northeast, but you know, there are limits to this kind of stuff.
04:50If you're planning to ride the steam train and riverboat, it's 50 bucks for the coach seat.
04:55If you are going to go in first class seating, it's $65 for the combo ticket, you know, one
05:01adult for the steam train and riverboat $65 seems like a lot of money.
05:06Um, I don't, I don't, I don't think that that price is very, very compelling.
05:10Uh, if you're just doing the steam train alone and coach seating, it's still 30 bucks.
05:15And that's the ticket I ended up buying.
05:18Uh, I didn't need the riverboat.
05:19I just went on the steam train.
05:20I mean, yeah, I, I'm not a big fan of the pricing model here in Connecticut.
05:26Um, I just think there's charging way too much right now, especially in this economy.
05:31Uh, if you're a family of three, it's going to cost you like 150 bucks to do the, the riverboat
05:37and steam train.
05:37And that's about two, two and a half hours total, uh, for that kind of money, you can get
05:42into an amusement park all day.
05:43So I just, yeah, I think they're, the pricing is, is out of whack.
05:49So as a result, I'm going to give this, uh, traction a conditional recommendation.
05:54If you're okay with the cost of admission, then it would be a fun activity.
05:59But, um, I just think that's going to be a big holdup for most people.
06:03Well, that pretty much wraps up all my thoughts on this particular traction.
06:07Uh, for the rest of this video, I had shot some footage of, uh, the locomotives and the
06:12dinner train and all that other stuff being moved around the yard.
06:15So, uh, the rest of this video is, uh, just for the rail fans that follow this channel.
06:20So, uh, thanks again for watching.
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07:16There is a lot of people who are in the car, but it's a lot of people who have to
07:19be in the car.
07:19I don't know if you're in the car, but I don't know if you have to be in the car.
07:30I don't know if you're in the car.
08:01So, let's go.
08:31So, let's go.
09:01So, let's go.
09:31So, let's go.
09:41So, let's go.
09:44So, let's go.
09:55So, let's go.
