NEW HAVEN TRAIN FIELD GUIDE
Hands on the Throttle: Driving a 1,500‑HP Freight Between New Haven and Gethsemane
Operate a 1,500‑horsepower locomotive and learn real freight‑rail skills on a six‑mile round trip run organized by the Kentucky Railway Museum.
Hands on the Throttle: Driving a 1,500‑HP Freight Between New Haven and Gethsemane.
The Great Freight Experience puts you up close with a full‑size freight locomotive: you’ll climb into the cab, work on the ground side, learn hand signals, throw switches and run air tests as you move freight cars and a caboose along the roughly six‑mile run from the Kentucky Railway Museum yard to Gethsemane and back.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
A 1,500‑horsepower locomotive under your control
Participants get up close with a 1,500‑horsepower locomotive and operate it as part of the Great Freight Experience, feeling the scale and power of a working freight engine.
Hands‑on railcraft: signals, switches and air tests
The program includes practical instruction: learning hand signals, throwing switches and performing air tests while working both on the ground and in the cab.
A short but complete freight run to Gethsemane
You’ll operate one or more freight cars and a caboose on the route from the KRM train yard to Gethsemane, Kentucky and back, with switching at Gethsemane so the engine leads the return trip.
What the day feels like
What it feels like to run a short freight
The experience alternates between classroom‑style instruction and on‑the‑job railwork: you’ll perform ground duties and take the cab to operate a working freight consist, learn and practice hand signals and air tests, then move the train the approximately six miles from the museum yard to Gethsemane and back.
THE MACHINE
A 1,500‑horsepower locomotive under your control
Participants get up close with a 1,500‑horsepower locomotive and operate it as part of the Great Freight Experience, feeling the scale and power of a working freight engine.
THE SKILLS
Hands‑on railcraft: signals, switches and air tests
The program includes practical instruction: learning hand signals, throwing switches and performing air tests while working both on the ground and in the cab.
THE ROUTE
A short but complete freight run to Gethsemane
You’ll operate one or more freight cars and a caboose on the route from the KRM train yard to Gethsemane, Kentucky and back, with switching at Gethsemane so the engine leads the return trip.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this experience suits and what to consider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The program departs from the Kentucky Railway Museum (KRM) train yard and runs from the museum to Gethsemane, Kentucky and back, for a total distance of approximately six miles.
Participants will work on the ground and in the cab, operate a freight train consisting of one or more freight cars and a caboose, learn hand signals, throw switches and perform air tests.
The experience is run by the Kentucky Railway Museum.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
What locomotive power will I operate?
You will operate a 1,500‑horsepower locomotive during the Great Freight Experience.
How far does the trip go?
The total distance covered is approximately six miles: a run from the KRM train yard to Gethsemane, Kentucky and back.
What hands‑on tasks are included?
You will learn hand signals, throw switches, perform air tests and operate a freight train with one or more freight cars and a caboose.
Where does the experience start and end?
The program departs from and returns to the Kentucky Railway Museum train yard in New Haven.
Is there switching during the trip?
Yes—at Gethsemane switching takes place so the engine is positioned on the front end of the train for the return to New Haven.
Who operates the Great Freight Experience?
The experience is operated by the Kentucky Railway Museum.