We rode the Pumpkin Express this weekend at Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. The train ride is about 45 minutes each way with a stop at an area set up with pumpkins. During the ride you cross the 156-foot tall Bass Point Creek High Bridge, which is the highest single-track interurban railroad bridge in the United States.
One thing to be aware of before going is that the pumpkins are very heavy, so unless your kid is older, you will be carrying two heavy pumpkins up and down the steep train steps and then wedging them into the cramped area on the floor in between the seats. We saw several parents cursing the heavy pumpkins, especially during the walk from the train to the parking lot as we slowly moved with the crowd.
If you read the FAQs, they recommend arriving an hour early but we found 30 minutes to be sufficient for the 10:00 am train. There was still plenty of parking spaces and a short line at the ticket window (you purchase online but then get your tickets with seat assignments in person).
Admission to the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum is included with tickets and it's definitely worth checking out the museum. My kids were only interested in the train table but my husband and I found the exhibits to be quite interesting.
