Essex Steam Train & Riverboat

Valley Railroad Company has run the Essex Train & Riverboat since 1971, keeping vintage and diesel locomotives, passenger coaches, and the 1892 Essex Station in service. The 2.5-hour outing combines a narrated 12-mile rail trip through Deep River and Chester with a 75-minute cruise on the Becky Thatcher paddlewheel riverboat. Riders often single out the crew's friendliness and local knowledge, and first-class passengers mention the original swivel armchairs that rock gently with the motion—plus a bathroom with a pump flush. Opinions on the boat narration are mixed: one visitor found it silly, another called the river guide interesting and informative. A railroad-family visitor was especially charmed when a crew member invited them up to the engine for photos and stories, a gesture that felt genuinely personal.