Continuing the pre-conference day of activities of the Heritage Rail Alliance conference, which we attended in our capacities as members of the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, we arrived at the Branson Scenic Railway. Tickets were distributed as we alighted from the bus then everyone waited at the station and our group was the last group to be called to board.
Branson Scenic Railway HistoryThe comfort of the vintage passenger cars is quite a contrast to the harsh realities the railroad pioneers found when they undertook bringing rail service to the Ozarks. Laying the tracks for the White River Railway was possibly the most difficult construction task ever undertaken in the Ozarks. It meant creating hundreds of miles of level surface where there were only rugged hills and valleys. It meant stretching tall trestles across valleys and blasting long, damp tunnels through mountains of solid rock. The project required thousands more workers and millions more dollars than railroad construction in a more accommodating terrain. But its difficulty is surpassed by the accomplishment and the opportunities the railroad provided the struggling Ozarks pioneers.
The railway was built in two sections: a northward line beginning at Batesville, Arkansas, and the other going south from Carthage, Missouri. Construction began in January 1902, and the final spike was driven on December 29, 1905, which joined the northern and southern sections. The 239 miles of track cost more than $12 million-about six times normal rail construction costs. According to the White River Railway, an intricately detailed book by Walter M. Adams, in October 1901, laborers were paid $1.25 to $1.50 per day, and men with teams were paid $2.50 to $3.00 per day. This helps to put the total cost of the railway in perspective for that time in history.
The town of Branson is a product of the railroad. Adams writes, "It started out, as did most Ozark towns, as a country store owned by one Rueben S. Branson who was granted a post office in 1882 while on Bull Creek, north or in this case down river from the present location. In 1883 Branson moved to the confluence of Roark Creek and the White River. Here speculators established a small town called "Lucia" and on May 2, 1901, the post office was renamed Lucia". With the arrival of the railroad, rival land speculators got busy and bought up land to the west and north of Lucia. This was the Branson Town Corporation with Charles R. Fulbright as president. Fulbright also held the title as "immigration agent" for the Iron Mountain Railroad. The official plat of Lucia was filed on October 2, 1903 while that of Branson was filed October 26, 1903. When it became obvious that the railroad would run only through the Branson Town Company's plat the land owners of Lucia sold their interests to the town company. Both "towns" maintained their own newspapers for a time, the Lucia "Locomotive: and the Branson "Echo". On June 11, 1904, the post office was renamed "Branson: and the adjoining communities were finally incorporated as Branson April 1, 1912."
The construction of the White River Railway in the early 1900s made the area accessible for tourists and is largely responsible for the development of Branson and the Ozarks as a tourism destination. Before the area's economy was based on tourism, the railroad served a traditional industrial purpose, which continues to this day.
The railroad is known as the White River Route. The route crosses the White River in Branson, now Lake Taneycomo, and then runs along side of it after taking a fifty-mile "short cut" over the Ozark Mountains. This was part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad between Kansas City, Missouri, and Little Rock, Arkansas. It became a part of the Union Pacific after the UP bought the MOPAC. The Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad now operates the line. In 1993, the Branson Scenic Railway was formed, and through a lease arrangement with the MNA, runs excursions through this historic route March through December.
Our VisitBranson Scenic Railway F9A 98, ex. Maryland Area Rail Commuter 83, nee Baltimore and Ohio 369, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951, was on the north end of the train with a consist of BSRX 8336 "Westport", BSRX 9540 "Silver Island" (former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy), BSRX 9320 dome-observation "Silver Terrace" (former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy built by Budd in 1952), Branson Scenic Railway dining car 8521 "Silver Belle" (ex Southern Railway 3306, built by Budd in 1949, parlour car "Casimar Pulaski" (former Pennsylvania Railroad), SRX 8503 dining car "Silver Chief" (former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy), PPCX 800603 60-seat coach "Silver Eagle" (former Texas and Pacific built by Budd in 1949), PPCX 800287 dome-lounge-coach "Silver Garden" (former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy built by Budd in 1952) a baggage-dormitory car power car and BSRX GP30M 99 (former Chesapeake and Ohio built by Electro-Motive Division in 1962).
The trainset at Branson. Before we could leave, a Union Pacific train came through on its way north.
Branson Scenic Railway F9A 98. We took our seats in "Silver Garden", with Elizabeth going upstairs and I stayed in the front of the dome on the lower level.
Union Pacific DPU 6285 bring up the rear.
We first crossed White River.
Views of White River from the train.
Paralleling the river on a beautiful autumn day.
We ran by Milepost 444.
Crossing the White River.
The lower level of the dome car. I went upstairs for the forward view.
Curving to the right.
Foward views from the dome car.
Curving to the left.
The journey to Crest Tunnel.
Entering Crest Tunnel, a 3,485 foot bore completed in 1903.
Inside Crest Tunnel.
Exiting the tunnel.
We travelled through this rock cut.
The train entering Cricket Tunnel, a 2,746 foot bore completed in 1904.
Inside Cricket Tunnel.
Exiting the tunnel.
This was our turnaround point, after which we started the return journey to Branson.
Crossing the White River on the way back.
Lake Taneycomo.
Returning to the switch that leads into the station. We met Cate Kratville-Wrinn and chatted with her a few minutes before walking to the Farmhouse Restaurant for an early dinner.
On our way back to the station, we stopped for Branson Scenic Railway dome-observation 9320 "Silver Terrace", nee Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 365 "Silver Terrace", built by Budd Company in 1952, which ran on the Kansas City Zephyr.
Branson Scenic Railway 60 seat coach "Silver Eagle", nee Texas and Pacific 461, built by Budd in 1949.
St. Louis-San Francisco caboose 1156, nee St. Louis-San Francisco 156, built by the railroad in 1951.
Branson Scenic Railway F9PH 98, ex. Maryland Area Rail Commuter, exx. MARC 7183, exxx. Baltimore and Ohio 4566, nee Baltimore and Ohio 369, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951.
We had plenty of time and decided to explore Branson Landing.
Water display at Branson LandingBranson Landing features a scenic boardwalk along the 1.5-mile Taneycomo Lakefront. At the heart of the Landing is a vibrant town square terracing down to the $7.5 million spectacular water attraction that features the first-ever merging of water, fire, light and music. You will be amazed by the dazzling interplay of water Fountains shooting 120-foot geysers and fire cannons blasting, all choreographed to light and music.
The water and fire spectacle is a creation of internationally renowned Wet Design, the producers of world-class shows for Downtown Disney marketplace in Orlando, Universal City Walk in California and the Bellagio in Las Vegas. It opened in 2006.
My first views of this beautiful water display.
The second view.
The third and a sunny day view.
The fourth scene as we sat and enjoyed the music and spectacle.
The sun returned for the fifth section.
My sixth view of the fountain. The two of us returned to the bus and were taken back to the Holiday Inn in Springdale for the night.
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