Steam locomotives seem to possess a soul of their own and to their operators often feel more like living creatures than machines. Early engines were given nicknames such as coffee-pot or peanut-roaster and their drivers were known as hog-jockeys, grunts or eagle-eyes. For many people, to be an engineer on the railroad was a far higher ambition than becoming US President.

More than 180,000 steam locomotives were built in the USA, culminating in the massive Union Pacific "Big Boys" of the 1940s, weighing in at 600 tons and producing 7,000 horsepower. The Norfolk & Western closed the last major steam-powered line in 1960 but the magic lives on, thanks mainly to the enthusiasm of 40,000 dedicated volunteers. "Steam chasers" continue to delight in the pungent smell of coal smoke, an echoing whistle and the clickety clack of the rails, while the authentic hiss of steam can still be heard at many places throughout the land.

Boone & Scenic Valley

A 15-mile round-trip from Boone, Iowa, over the Dodge, Des Moines & Southern route, crossing the Des Moines River. This railway uses a modern steam locomotive made in China to take you across the world's largest and highest double-track rail bridge. Steam trains run on weekends from May to October, diesels on weekdays. Contact Box 603, Boone, IA 50036 (Tel 515 432 4249).

California Western

Day and half-day trips among California's redwoods, going from Fort Bragg on the coast to Willits on Highway 101. Contact PO Box 907, Fort Bragg, CA 95437 (Tel 707 964 6371).

Cass

A splendid switchback route among the mountains of West Virginia over what was once a logging railroad. Trains travel either 8 miles from Cass to Whittaker or 22 miles on a round-trip to the summit of Bald Knob. Contact PO Box 107, Cass, WV 24927 (Tel 304 456 4300).

Conway

Trains operate from an imposing 1874 station in North Conway, New Hampshire. Some of the 41 railroad cars and locomotives are used to take passengers into the White Mountains, crossing two spectacular trestles and many streams, bluffs and ravines along the way. Contact PO Box 1947, North Conway, NH 03860 (Tel 603 356 5251 or 1 800 232 5251).

Cumbres & Toltec

The longest and highest narrow gauge steam railway in America, crossing the continental divide at Cumbres Pass then snaking through the Toltec Gorge of the Los Pinos River before making a precipitous descent towards Chama, New Mexico. The Colorado Limited travels from Antonito to Osier, Colorado, through Toltec Gorge. The New Mexico Express leaves Chama, New Mexico, for Osier via Cumbres Pass. You can make through trips either way between Chama and Antonito, returning by road. Contact PO Box 668, Antonito, CO 81120 and PO Box 789, Chama, NM 87520.   Tel Colorado Limited 719 376 5483 or New Mexico Express 505 756 2151.

Durango & Silverton

The Durango to Silverton line was built in 1882 to transport gold and silver from mines in the San Juan Mountains. Coal-fired locomotives now take authentic 1880s coaches on a trip through wonderful Rocky Mountain scenery, following the Animas River into the remote wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. Contact 479 Main Ave, Durango, Colorado 81301 (Tel 970 247 2733).

Grand Canyon

From the Williams depot in Arizona, trains travel through forest and desert to a station at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Restored 1920s coaches and engines operate most days, with western entertainment and interpretive guides. Contact 123 North San Francisco, Suite 210, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (Tel 800 843 8724).

Knox & Kane

A journey from Marienville, Pennsylvania, along a former Baltimore & Ohio line for a round-trip to Kane. You cross the splendid Kinzua Creek Valley Bridge, which is on the register of Historic Places and is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Over 2,000ft long and 300ft high, the bridge was the world's tallest when completed in 1882. Contact PO Box 422, Marienville, PA 16239 (Tel 814 927 6621).

St Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern

The route goes from Jackson, Missouri, along a Missouri Pacific branch line and journeys last one and a half hours (to Gordonville), two hours (Dutchtown) or five hours (Delta). "The most daring train robbery on record" took place here in 1874 when Jesse James and his gang held up the Little Rock Express. Contact PO Box 244, Jackson, MO 63755 (Tel 314 243 1688).

Texas State Railroad

Operates between Rusk and Palestine over part of the 1896 Texas State Railroad originally built and run by inmates from the East Texas State Penitentiary to transport iron ore to the prison's furnaces in Rusk. Two of the railroad's four historic engines simultaneously depart from depots on each end of the shortline, giving passengers a rare chance to see steam locos switch and pass at the midpoint. You board at the historically accurate stations in either Rusk or Palestine for a four hour, 50-mile round trip among rolling hardwood creek bottoms and flowering dogwood trees. Workshop and locomotive tours.

Trains run from Thur-Sun in June and July; weekends from March to May and August to October; first three Saturdays in November. Information: 800 442 8951 (in Texas only) or 903 683 2561. Contact PO Box 39, Rusk, TX 75785. Amtrak's nearest stop is Longview.

Wilmington & Western Railroad

Climb aboard Delaware's oldest steam tourist railroad for exciting adventures through the historic Red Clay Valley. In continuous operation for more than 120 years, the Wilmington & Western provides family entertainment, romantic evenings, holiday celebrations and a living history of railroading. The railroad was first chartered in 1867 as a means of moving goods between the mills on the Red Clay Creek and the Port of Wilmington. It opened for freight and passenger service in 1872, much of the track running through the Red Clay Valley, bustling in the 19th century with farms, small villages and water-powered mills. 

Three passenger trains and a mixed freight train now operate each work day on nearly 20 miles of track stretching from downtown Wilmington, Delaware to Landenberg, Pennsylvania. For information contact The Wilmington & Western Railroad, PO Box 5787, Wilmington, DE 19808-0787 (Tel 302 998-1930). Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains stop in Wilmington.