Bob Cox and I drove across the Union Pacific and the BNSF tracks then saw a pair of crossbucks at an exempt crossing which we crossed and turned right. We stopped the car and photographed the equipment there.
Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad HistoryThe Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad was founded in 1993 as a heritage railway, dedicated to preserving the legacy of the railroad industry in Kansas by highlighting the inter-connectedness of railroads, the people, and the land in our state. An all-volunteer organization, the A&SV runs regular excursions, private charters, school field trip excursions and dinner trains between Abilene and the neighboring Dickinson County community of Enterprise. The railroad operates on track that was initially laid by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in 1886.
Passengers on the A&SV do more than just ride trains. Since we are a living history museum project, you can experience train operations firsthand by touring our engines, talk with crew members and observe them doing their jobs, and hear the stories of how the Rock Island and other railroads once provided dependable transportation service that was the lifeline of a burgeoning regional agribusiness economy. You will board the train at Abilene’s historic Rock Island Depot in Old Abilene Town and ride in antique passenger and freight cars, including a wooden coach that was manufactured for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad in 1902.
The Abilene and Smoky Valley is the only steam railroad in Kansas. We use Santa Fe 3415, a century-old Baldwin "Pacific" locomotive that our volunteer staff rebuilt after the engine sat in Abilene’s Eisenhower Park for 40 years. Santa Fe 3415 is our railroad’s superstar, attracting thousands of railfans to Abilene since the engine made its first run on our rails in 2009. The engine has been featured in railroad publications and TV programs, including the PBS "Tracks Ahead" series.
Abilene & Smoky Valley 40 foot box car 373, nee United States Army, number unknown, built in 1953.
Abilene and Smoky Valley 44 ton switcher 029, ex. Ideal Cement 029, exx. United States Air Force 7411, nee Arkansas Valley Interurban Railway 93, built by General Electric in 1940.
Milwaukee Road coach 656, nee Milwaukee Road 546, built by the railroad in 1948.
Abilene & Smoky Valley coach 3431 "Chicago", nee Chicago & North Western coach 3464, built by Pullman-Standard in 1947. The two of us drove down to the shop area.
A passenger car of unknown origin and number.
KSGID power car 100, details unknown.
Abilene and Smoky Valley 45 ton switcher 5, ex. North American Coal, exx. Powhatan Mining, exxx. Ideal Cement, nee Oak Ordnance 106, built by Whitcomb in 1943.
Next we drove back over by Buckeye Street for a few more pictures.
Abilene and Smoky Valley caboose 25466, nee Union Pacific 25466 built by the railway in 1959 and donated to Riley County Historical Museum in Manhattan in October 1989, then to Abilene and Smoky Valley upon its start in 1993.
A former New York Central box car, number unknown, which used to be an old station. We then drove into the parking lot.
The Historical Marker in front of the former Rock Island station which the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad uses.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Abilene station built in 1887, is a combination depot designed to accommodate both passengers and freight on this 45-mile spur stretching from Herington to Salina. It is associated with Abilene's second boom period after the cattle trade was forced out of town and the local economy shifted to agriculture. The depot features a standard plan with Victorian-era Stick style embellishments. The wood-frame building includes multi-textured wall surfaces created by varying patterns of wood siding and shingles, a low-pitched gable roof with wide overhanging eaves supported by brackets, and wood windows with stained glass transoms. It is located across the street from its original location and was moved there in 1959 to accommodate the development of the Eisenhower Presidential Museum and Library.
Our train for the trip to Enterprise.
The motive power this afternoon was Abilene & Smoky Valley S1 4, ex. Hutchison Northern 4, exx. Delray Connecting 69, nee South Omaha Terminal Railway 1, built by General Electric and American Locomotive Company in 1945.
Abilene & Smoky Valley open platform-dining car 2002 "Enterprise", ex. Missouri-Kansas-Texas maintenance-of-way dining car X2002, nee Missouri-Kansas-Texas coach built in the 1890's.
Abilene and Smoky Valley open air car 610851 built from a gondola.
Abilene and Smoky Valey open air car 611404 built from a gondola.
Abilene and Smoky Valley caboose 25466, nee Union Pacific 25466 built by the railway in 1959 and donated to Riley County Historical Museum in Manhattan in October 1989, then to Abilene and Smoky Valley upon its start in 1993.
The Silver Flyer Railbus is used the last weekend of the month for trips from Enterprise to Woodbine. This is because BNSF removed the crossing which cut the railroad in two. This way, the train takes you from Abilene to Enterprise, then the bus takes you from the other side of the crossing to Woodbine. As it was 102 degrees outside and humid, we decided to wait inside the station to buy our tickets and board the train. While we were inside, we toured the museum in the baggage room.
The stove inside the station. Back in the waiting room, we waited in the cool air and soon the train crew arrived, then at 2:00 PM, we all walked out to the train and boarded.
The interior of "Enterprise".
Interior of open air car 610851. Our tickets were punched and Bob and I were this afternoon's only passengers.
The train started to pull away from the station.
The Rock Island station as we began to pass the historical Old Abilene Town on the south side of the tracks.
The windmill was a part of every farm in Kansas.
The Pooler/Hickok cabin built in 1859 and moved here a century later.
German Reform Church of Turkey Creek built in 1859 and also moved here a century later.
Grove Hill Schoolhouse built in 1867 and moved here in 1959.
The blacksmith shop.
What appears to be a large stable.
A look back towards the station as we left the town behind.
Next we passed the Heritage Center as we made our way east.
A look back at the large grain elevators.
The train took us out into the farmlands east of Abilene.
A look through the caboose back down the tracks.
More views of the farmlands of Kansas.
A farm along our route.
Rock Island Milepost 196.
A pair of farms.
A farmer working his field.
Trees across the fields.
Three more views along our route to Enterprise.
The train crossed an unnamed creek.
We rounded the first curve since leaving Abilene as we had been running on straight track until now.
The train approached the bridge across the Smoky Hill River.
Crossing Smoky Hill River.
We traversed another trestle across the overflow of the Smoky Hill River with a footbridge down below.
The final curve into Enterprise.
