Steam Whistle Music Music Tracks Ahead Brought to you by: Rancho de Tia Rosa, three unique Mexican restaurants serving culinary delights since 1990.

Music Hi, I'm Spencer Christian.

On this episode of Tracks Ahead, we'll head to Arkansas, home of Wal-Mart, Tyson Chicken, and a combination freight passenger railroad.

We'll meet a train collector whose displays only enhance his operating layouts.

We'll go to Kansas and ride behind a restored steam engine, and visit a piece of resurrected history in the rich mining country of Nevada.

Mention Arkansas, and you'll probably think of Wal-Mart.

But there is another attraction that plays an important part in the economy of the natural state.

And this one deals with both freight and passengers.

Annc: If you are ready to explore the scenic beauty of northwestern Arkansas, then hop aboard the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad.

Located in Springdale, just south of Bentville, this bridge line is known not just for it's tourist excursions, but for it's freight operations as well.

The railroad has been an integral part of the community for many years.

Doug: The impact on the City of Springdale is tremendous from the railroad.

Certainly the businesses, the world known businesses, Tyson, Georges, even to the north, Wal-Mart, the freight, the feed, because the poultry industry is huge here, ah, it's just a tremendous impact.

Without the railroad, I don't believe those businesses could be driving the way they have.

Nat Sound Annc: It's not just freight that brings in customers.

The railroad affects tourism in this part of the state.

Renee: This that brings in customers.

The railroad affects tourism in this part of the state.

Renee: This Arkansas Missouri Railroad is very important to the economy of northwest Arkansas.

It's one of the top attractions to this region of the state.

Our welcome center is just a few miles from this area and we see about 92,000 visitors come through the Van Buren Ft. Smith welcome center every year.

People love trains.

They've always had a passion for the railroad and the trains.

You'll have railroad buffs, you'll have grandparents that remember traveling by train years ago.

So it's a very important part of our history to remember how important the railroad system is from the past, and the present and the future.

Maryl: The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, through their excursion train generates in Van Buren, the city of Van Buren about 150 to 200 tourism related jobs, in an overall population of 20,000 people.

Annc: The passenger excursions are a community service to the area and provide an exciting way to see an extension of the Boston Mountains.

Brenda: The growth of the passenger train when I first started about ten years ago our ridership was about 8,000.

And over the last ten years we've increased ridership to about 23,000 last year.

The passenger run goes from Springdale to Van Buren, Van Buren to Winslow.

It's about 140 miles.

There a quarter mile tunnel, several high trestles and you get the history along the way.

Our ridership is a real diverse group.

When I first started it was primarily seniors, 65 and older, and over the last several years we've marketed at a new group.

We have a lot of children that ride, field trips during school.

Nat Sound Annc: Visitors will find special events along the rail line.

Whether it's the robbery shootout at Van Buren, Nat Sound Annc: Or a visit to the Trolley Museum.

Nat Sound Annc: The Arkansas & Missouri has something for everyone.

Brenda: We do a Love Train that goes through the mountains for all the couples.

We also participate in Bikes, Blues and Barbeque.

There's probably about 400,000 riders that come in on their motorcycles, and we do shuttle trains back and forth to the venues.

Annc: The A&M started life as a part of the old Frisco Railway system.

Time and mergers eventually folded the Frisco into the Burlington Northern Railroad.

Reilly: The Arkansas & Missouri is primarily a local freight carrier serving northwest Arkansas, the river valley and extreme southwest Missouri, Barry County, Missouri.

In addition to that, we provide an excursion passenger service primarily between Springdale, Van Buren and Ft. Smith but occasionally reaching up into Missouri as well.

The passenger operation is a way for us to provide a community service that's unique to the railroad and is something that adds to the tourist potential of the area, brings, gives people a reason to come to northwest Arkansas that might not otherwise.

We take a great deal of pride in running a safe operation on high quality infrastructure, and providing excellent service to our local customers.

Brent: We connect with the BNSF at Monett, Missouri, we connect with the UP, Union Pacific at Van Buren, and we connect with the Kansas City Southern at Ft. Smith.

Basically the commodities that we handle are corn, ah soybeans, feed processing.

We handle lumber, plastics, sand used in construction, scrap, steel and aluminum.

We handle approximately 26,000 carloads a year.

Basically the mainline track is all welded rail, continuous welded rail.

And we installed quite a bit over the last 6-8 years.

Annc: For railfans the A&M also boasts a distinctive form of motive power and some unique passenger cars.

Casey: We run a 100% Alco fleet.

Got more C420's than any other railroad in the country.

They're pretty simple to work on, I mean it's just basically a big diesel engine, actually easier to work on than today's vehicles.

The passenger cars, they were, the three of them were acquired by Tony Haneld 20 some odd years ago.

They are Pullmans, couple of them's been in some movies, Outlaw Jesse James with Randy Travis and Biloxi Blues, 104 was in on it, and the 107, I actually bought it off of eBay about 7 years ago.

Annc: The railroad takes pride in helping to educate people with Operation Lifesaver, an international program designed to teach railroad safety.

Bud: Good Morning ladies & gentlemen, boys and girls.

My name is Bud Pulley, I'm with Operation Lifesaver.

I'm a presenter, We go around educating people about railroad safety.

And that's the one thing we're doing this morning is on the education side of it, because we want people to aware of the danger of railroad crossings, not only there but around railroad tracks and cars that may be standing on the siding and things like that.

First of all, let's memorize a little phrase.

Say this with me.

Tracks are for trains and not for kids.

OK?

Come on say it with me.

Tracks are for Trains and not for kids.

Young Girl: Tracks are for trains and not for kids.

Annc: Volunteers help out on the excursion trains.

Brenda: Our volunteer base is primarily out of the Van Buren depot, and the do the short ride from Van Buren to Winslow which is about 3 hours.

David: The reason I volunteer on the A&M excursion train is to show our passengers the beautiful scenery they expect the see on the ride.

In terms of the history they expect to understand and appreciate on our train ride up the beautiful Boston Mountains.

Annc: And what does the future hold?

Reilly: Right now we see our future much as it's been for the past 23 years, to continue as an independently owned local railroad serving our key markets here.

Annc: Whether it's hauling freight, or catering to tourists, the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad is an important part of life in northwestern Arkansas.

Just remember their slogan: Brenda: The Best Rides on Us.

Nat sound As you can see, the Arkansas & Missouri staff takes a great deal of pride in their operation.

Now let's meet a past president of the National Train Collector's Association.

He believes not only in display, but in operating those items as well.

Annc: From the minute you arrive you know you're in the right place... and already, the show has begun.

Irene: Paul loves to share his hobby, and has for years.

A friend of mine who is a pre-school teacher asked one time if she could bring the kids in, and we said absolutely.

He will share it with anyone who wants to see it.

He loves it.

Annc: As Paul Wasserman shows the children how to run his trains, perhaps what he is really doing is reliving a childhood experience that he just feels the need to share.

Paul: My first train set was a Christmas gift from my grandmother.

It was given to me in 1948, and it was one of the most memorable Christmases I ever had.

Annc: Paul shares this with novices and experts alike.

He has been active in model railroading clubs for decades.

Irene: He was collecting when I met him, so this is definitely part of the package.

I knew he was a collector.

Paul: I was fortunate to serve as the National Train Collectors Association President in 2004.

Part of that celebration being the "Golden Anniversary" was the production of gold plated train items, and I am very fortunate to have the Union Pacific gold plated "Big Boy."

Annc: He's seen a lot of collections and layouts, so when the time came for him to build his own train room, he built a space that is the envy of many a train collector.

Paul: Well, I really enjoy the layout of the train room.

By that I mean it is an elevated view above the layout below, so that when one enters the room, you're looking down on the train display itself.

So it's an unusual perspective, and gives a rather dramatic impression of the train room.

I made the layout itself multi-leveled.

I have the trains running in continuous loops without any switches or other devices to cause a derailment.

So it is a very simple layout display that allows multiple trains, and multiple gauges to be run at the same time.

Annc: For many toy train collectors looks are everything.

Not for Paul.

Paul: I much prefer my trains to be all in original condition.

I feel that there's a history associated with these trains and if you strip them down and repaint them like new, something immeasurable is lost.

Now that's not to say that there aren't circumstances where trains are damaged to the point where they really should be restored, but I infinitely prefer for them to be in original condition.

I'm not one of those collectors who gets a nice train and puts it on a shelf, and then never tries to run it again.

I really enjoy tinkering with the trains.

Nothing gives me much more pleasure than to take an old dirty, dusty, creaky train - take it apart, oil it, and get it back into running condition.

Annc: With a collection this large, how does he decide what runs, and what doesn't?

Paul: That is completely a whim of the moment.

One thing that I did for some visitors once was to run nothing but blue trains.

Other times I may just enjoy running passenger trains, or freight trains.

Annc: With so many great things in his collection, you'd think that it would be hard for Paul to name a favorite... Paul: This is a Leland Detroit Mono-rail made in 1932.

It was billed as the "world's fastest electric train," and I have that operating on our layout, and it always draws rave reviews.

Annc: Now here are some things in Paul's collection that are very rare, and worth a close look.

Paul: Yes, I was extraordinarily fortunate to obtain, through complete dumb luck, the 1915 proto-type for a Lionel 703 Passenger set.

This is the first year of "O" gauge production by Lionel.

So the set represents the very first Lionel "O" gauge train.

I was able to identify that this was the proto-type by referencing the 1915 Lionel catalog that shows the very train that I have drawn by the artist in the 1915 catalog.

I am very proud of my collection of railroad calendars.

I have primarily Pennsylvania Rail Road calendars with a few New York Centrals thrown in.

The Pennsylvania Rail Road calendars represent a complete collection; that is that I have essentially a mint copy of each year that the calendars were offered.

Annc: Finally, like every great show, the Wasserman train collection has some surprises.

Paul: Part of the enjoyment of the layout is to have something different for people to see; perhaps something that they would not see in someone else's train room.

I decided years ago, that I would get one of the Lionel pylon airplanes operational on my layout, and I have succeeded in doing that.

The rarest part about the set up is not the plane or the pylon itself, but the airport mat that the plane rests on.

Annc: So that makes nine trains and one airplane that can all run at the same time.

Definitely makes for a four star performance!

Paul said that one of the most difficult items to deal with, are all the train boxes.

What does the discovery of gold in 1859, a seventeen-year-old boy in 1938, and a railroad in the 21st century have to do with one another?

In our final story, you'll find the answer.

But before we do, lets hop aboard the Abilene & Smoky Valley excursion train for a conducted ride on a heritage railway that runs through the rolling hills of Kansas.

Bob: Well, good afternoon.

Welcome aboard the Abilene and Smoky Valley Excursion Train.

We're going to begin our journey today by leaving the 1887 Rock Island Depot.

The Rock Island depot is a very important part of early Abilene and has been nominated to the national register of historic places.

Annc: So begins our excursion through the Smoky Hill valley that runs between Abilene and Enterprise, Kansas.

Our 10-½ mile train ride is made possible by the volunteers of the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Association.

Mary Jane: The Abilene and Smokey Valley Railroad was formed in 1993, dreams of Fred Schmidt and Joe Mimick.

After we were organized as a nonprofit organization, Union Pacific donated the rail to us from Abilene to Enterprise and that is where our excursion train operates on.

Bob: This very special train is running today because we are excursion train operates on.

Bob: This very special train is running today because we are using the 3415 steam engine.

Now this steam engine is a 1919 Santa Fe Baldwin.

The city of Abilene donated that to us and we started restoration work on that in 2004 and on November the 8, 2008, we rolled that thing out of the engine house, fired it up, and the very first time it took off down the track.

And of course to see that black smoke and to hear that whistle, everybody in Abilene came down to the south end of Abilene, wondering what was going on.

WHISTLE Bob: The steam engine runs on a mixture of diesel fuel and used oil.

Now we've been very fortunate in that we've had a lot of companies save their used oil for us and that's what we're mixing with the diesel fuel.

One of the things we like about the used fuel, used oil besides being cheap, is that it's responsible for making the black smoke that you see that comes out of the steam engine.

We will use about 500 gallons of fuel today so for the 3-day weekend that will be about 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel well mixed.

Annc: At the end of the line, we arrive at the depot in Enterprise.

Bob: Enterprise well mixed.

Annc: At the end of the line, we arrive at the depot in Enterprise.

Bob: Enterprise is a town of about 850 people .

It was settled in the 1850s by early English, Swedish, and German settlers.

Mary Jane: Once we get to Enterprise, we do a switch with the engine.

Run it around on a siding and hook it on to the caboose to bring it back to Abilene.

Annc: Before we head back, Bob tells us about the coaches we are riding in today.

Bob: This day coach was built in 1903 by the Katy Company for the Katy Railroad.

From 1903 to 1930 it was used as a day coach.

Then in 1930 the Katy company decided to convert this car to living quarters for a work train.

And so that's when they added the kitchen on in 1930 and the kitchen has a big, black coal and wood burning stove that was donated by the United States Army.

It also has an icebox and that way they could keep food and prepare food for the work crew.

It took 2,500 hours to restore this car and as you can see, they did a pretty good job.

Annc: It's evident that the hard work of all the volunteers has indeed paid off.

Mary Jane: We have children who bring their parents to ride a train because they love trains.

We have 80 and 90 year olds who have never ridden a train before, so it's an exciting experience for them.

Annc: And it has been quite an exciting experience for everyone on board today, thanks to Mary Jane, Bill and all the volunteer workers of the Abilene and Smokey Valley Railroad.

Music Music Annc: In 1938, a lone steam locomotive made its last excursion over the Virginia and Truckee railroad line.

One of the passengers on board was Robert Gray, a seventeen-year old boy from California.

Today, Robert is traveling on that same track line that was abandoned over 70 years ago.

To learn how he came to be here, we have to travel back to 1859 with the discovery in the Nevada desert of high-grade ore containing gold and silver.

Tom: The miners would bring the ore out in burlap bags and these bags were put on oxen teams that were taken down to the Geiger Grade to what's now called Reno.

Annc: The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was born out of a need for a more economical way of getting the ore out and supplies in.

Built as a standard gauge railroad, it ran between Virginia City and Carson City, Nevada, a distance of about 21.5 miles.

In 1872 an extension was built north from Carson City to Reno to connect with the transcontinental railroad, the Central Pacific.

For the next 25 years the Virginia and Truckee ran strong.

Tom: After World War I, the highways were built through the valleys so transportation of goods and people and the ore was much more economical and more efficient at the time and the railrlrlrhad pretty much served its purpose.

The mines had run out of their high- grade ore.

There was 4 major mining booms up here and by that time most of the ore had played out.

In 1938, a rail fan group wanted to photograph one of the last runs on the Virginia & Truckee up from Carson City to Virginia City.

My dad happened to be on that.

He was a 17-year-old boy at the time and he was with all the rail fans.

Annc: Two years after Robert Gray took in that last train ride, all the rails along the Virginia City-Carson City line were torn up.

That's where the story could have ended.

But Robert Gray never forgot the Virginia and Truckee.

Tom: my father he had a passion for this.

In the 60s a group of 3 or 4 of them were trying to recreate this railroad because it had such a fabulous story in history.

And so in 1976 he ran his first train just in time for the nation's bicentennial, on July 2nd .

We've been running steam engines up here since 1976.

We're running the number 29 that's a 1916 Baldwin 2-8-0 consolidation.

It has about a thousand horsepower.

We've been operating that for about 35 years now.

Today we're operating the number 18 locomotive.

It's from the McCloud Railroad.

It's a 2 8 2 Baldwin Locomotive, built in 1914 I believe.

We've invested in some new passenger cars.

They're 19the century vintage when you look at them architecturally, mechanically they have double class brakes.

They're from the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad build about 1914, 1916.

They hold about 72 people and they're appropriate for this recreated railroad.

You know when we first recreated this railroad in the early 70s, most people had a family member that worked for the railroad and in the 50s and 60s railroads were still a very common way of transportation, but now in this new millennium, most people haven't ridden a railroad.

Maybe a subway in the city but not a railroad, so as people ride, they experience the rails, they learn the safety about railroads.

Stop, look, and listen.

Any time you drive a car across a highway, stop, look and listen, and any time you walk across a train track, stop, look, and listen.

So we're able to by people riding our trains they can experience some of those lessons.

Almost 2 million people have ridden our railroad.

One thing we do is preserve the Nevada story.

This is part of the American West and it's a very, very important part of the American West story, so everybody that rides the train gets to actually feel and experience - this is the deepest mine in the world in the 1870s.

The first telephone was used here.

We also get to describe what life was like back then.

We take everything for granted now and the average life span was in the 30s.

If you take a walk in one of the cemeteries up here, it's a marvel to see the hardships that the young people went through when they came to the west here and were trying their luck.

Annc: It's evident that Robert's passion for the railroad has passed on to his son.

Together, Robert and Tom have built a legacy that will be enjoyed for many generations to come.

"The Virginia & Truckee Lives" was the rallying cry for all preservationists.

Visitors will see that their cry was not in vain.

Well, that's it for this episode.

Be sure to join us next time for more, Tracks Ahead.

Tracks Ahead Brought to you by Rancho de Tia Rosa,three unique Mexican restaurants serving culinary delights since 1990.

Walthers, manufacturer and supplier of model railroading products; serving the hobby since 1932.

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