Railway Spots Around the World

Hesperia, California, USA

The busiest mountain railroad crossing in the United States, where BNSF's triple-track Cajon Subdivision and Union Pacific's Palmdale Cutoff funnel roughly 90 trains per day through a dramatic desert canyon between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains.

Keene, California, USA

A 0.73-mile railroad spiral where trains cross over themselves gaining 77 feet in elevation — one of the most famous railfan destinations in the world.

Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

Morant's Curve sits at milepost 113 on the CPKC Laggan Subdivision, where the transcontinental mainline sweeps alongside the turquoise Bow River with the Canadian Rockies as a backdrop. Named after legendary CPR photographer Nicholas Morant (1910–1999), it is arguably the most photographed railfan location in North America.

Georgetown, Colorado, USA

A 3-ft narrow-gauge heritage railroad in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, where steam locomotives climb 640 ft over 4.5 miles of corkscrew track, crossing the 95-ft-high Devil's Gate High Bridge above Clear Creek.

Skagway, Alaska, USA

The White Pass & Yukon Route climbs 2,888 feet in 20 miles on 3-foot narrow-gauge track to the summit at Mile 20.4, crossing the 215-foot steel cantilever bridge over Dead Horse Gulch — one of the most dramatic heritage railway alignments in North America.

Williams, Arizona, USA

Williams Depot is the southern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway, a 64-mile heritage line running daily to the Grand Canyon South Rim since its revival in September 1989. The 1908 Mission Revival depot — a National Historic Landmark — is the departure point for vintage F40PH diesels and steam-powered excursions on the first Saturday of each month from March through October.

Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, USA

Three historic tunnels at the summit of the Alleghenies on Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh Line (MP 248), with 50+ daily trains. Tunnels Park overlooks the west portals from downtown Gallitzin at 2,167 feet elevation.

Portland, Oregon, USA

Portland Union Station, opened in 1896, is Oregon's oldest major passenger terminal. Its 150-foot Romanesque Revival clock tower with neon "Go By Train" signs is a Pacific Northwest icon. The station serves Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight, and Empire Builder routes alongside frequent Union Pacific and BNSF freight traffic.

North Platte, Nebraska, USA

The world's largest railroad classification yard — 2,850 acres, 315 miles of track, and an average of 139 Union Pacific trains per day. The Golden Spike Tower offers an 8-story-high panoramic view of the entire operation.

Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Set on a sandy peninsula at Mud Bay, Blackie Spit Park offers ground-level views of BNSF freight trains and Amtrak Cascades on the historic 1909 Great Northern sea-line route, with Mount Baker as backdrop.

New River, Tennessee, United States of America

The New River Bridge carries Norfolk Southern CNO&TP freight across a 1,622-foot cantilever truss standing 307 feet above the gorge — the tallest railroad bridge in Tennessee.

Hamlin Township, Pennsylvania, United States

Completed in 1882 as the world's tallest railroad bridge and engineered by Octave Chanute, Kinzua Viaduct was partially toppled by an F1 tornado in 2003. Its surviving four towers now form a 624-foot skywalk 300 feet above a Pennsylvania gorge.

Montréal, Québec, Canada

A double-track CPKC railway bridge crossing the St. Lawrence River at LaSalle, built in 1913 by the Dominion Bridge Company, carrying both freight trains and Exo Candiac commuter rail service.

Saint-Lambert, Québec, Canada

Historic 1859 railway bridge where CN freight, VIA Rail, and Exo commuter trains cross the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Saint-Lambert.

Vincennes, Indiana, USA

Two CSX lines — the Illinois and CE&D subdivisions — meet at the Vincennes Interlocking diamond crossing. Trains slow to 25 mph through downtown, giving railfans close-range views of coal drags, intermodals, and local freights.

Van Buren, Arkansas, USA

Van Buren's restored 1901 Frisco depot anchors a genuine two-railroad town: Union Pacific freight rolls through on its main line while the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad operates scenic excursion trains into the Boston Mountains, Wednesday through Sunday from March to November.

Northwood, Ohio, USA

Vickers (Toledo Junction) is a grade diamond crossing in Northwood, Ohio where Norfolk Southern's Chicago Line meets CSX's Toledo Terminal Subdivision. Located at NS milepost 285.4, this junction sees approximately 100 combined NS freight, CSX, and Amtrak movements daily, making it one of the busiest rail crossings in northwest Ohio.