Slow Train Through the Ozarks

It is a soggy morning after last night's rain.  We have to thread our way between mud puddles to get out of the campground.  Some of the camp sights that border the little river that runs along one edge of the campground are beginning to flood.  Glad we are in the section that is at least twenty feet higher.

Today's adventure centers on a scenic railway ride followed by a late afternoon meal of all you can eat ribs at Famous Dave's BBQ.  I think we have only had BBQ three times since arriving at St. Simons Island 5 months ago, we are both overdue for some 'Que.

Our train will do an out-and-back, going south into Arkansas, reversing and returning on the same track.  Timing of the departure and return is coordinated to use the scenic section of rail so as not to hinder freight trains on this active line.  When it is all said and done, we'll cover 40 miles that include winding through wooded mountains, river crossings, tunnels and high trestles.

 

         

There is an engine on each end of the train, one built in 1951 and the other in 1962.  There are seven cars between the engines, a couple of which are much earlier vintage.  There are three domed cars, two coming from the Kansas City Zephyr (1952) and one from the Twin-City Zephyr (1947).  A dining car, actually what Amtrak called a Buffet Lounge (1951), a 48-seat diner from the Denver Zephyr (1956) and two coaches; one a 60-seat lounge from Texas Pacific Railroad (1949) and the other a 1939 Budd Lounge Observation from the Atlantic Coast Line "Champion" train.

The scenic train  had only been operating a few days on the day we got on.  It operates seasonally from March to December and they were still getting the moth balls cleaned out.  A crowd was gathering at the depot, tickets in hand, pushing forward to assure they were the first to get on board so they could snag one of the domed car seats. 

The Old Branson Scenic Railway Depot Sits Alongside the Gleaming New Conference Center and Hotel

Our strategy was different, we were going to avoid the clamor of the crowds and go to the Texas Pacific Railroad lounge car.  The seats would be large and comfortable and we would be able to switch from one side to the other, depending on where the best view was.

We started out with the TPR car to ourselves but were soon joined by the overflow that the domed cars could not take.

The train eased out of the station and it only took a couple of minutes before we were into the beautiful countryside.  The train continued its easy pace while our conductor narrated the geography, geology and history of what we were seeing slip past our windows.

If you are a train buff then trestles and tunnels are prized experiences when riding the rail.  We got to go over a couple of nice high trestles and one long, pitch dark, tight fit tunnel.  many times a scenic will stop and let the camera buffs get out and take a picture of the train on the trestle or coming out of a tunnel.  But this train was not one of those.  I don't think their schedule would allow for it.

We're back in town and it has been a good while since breakfast.  We're going to make a bee-line for Famous Dave's down on the Promenade and get into those ribs.

What kind of tourist destination would this be if it did not have an outlet mall?  Branson has one of course.  And Cyndee is not going to let that get past us so we head over to see their line up of stores.



With That New Grandbaby Waiting On Us Back in Georgia, Cyndee Hit the Jackpot with Finding the Oshkosh Store.

Dining and shopping done we make our way back to the camper to prepare for a departure first thing tomorrow.  After a check with the weather it looks like we'll be dodging storms again.