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Kansas Train Rides and Excursion Trains

As an agricultural state, Kansas was once home to many of the Midwest's fabled railroads like the Rock Island, Milwaukee Road, Burlington, and Katy. While the state is home to nearly a half-dozen museums that do a fine job telling the history of its railroads, Kansas train rides are few and far between. Today, there are only three excursion trains to be found in the state the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Heart of the Heartlands, and the Midland Railway. None really offer top level service, as you might find on the Grand Canyon Railway or even the Strasburg Railroad. However, all feature trips that cover quite a distance and are definitely worth the price. If you would like to learn more about the state's railroad museums please click here.

When avid excursion train riders think of states with that offer incredible journeys by rail, Kansas would not make most lists. And to some extent this is true as mentioned before. However, the three tourist railroads to be found in the state do offer bucolic scenery through rolling hills and open farmland, and also host special events like "A Day Out With Thomas". Noteworthy of the three is the Abilene & Smoky Valley, which offers visitors the chance to see a historic, operating steam locomotive. If you are interested in catching one of the state's excursion trains be sure and do so sometime between the spring and fall as none operate year-round (although they do have holiday specials). For a little more about Kansas train rides please read on below.

Kansas Train Rides And Excursion Trains

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad

The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, based in Abilene, Kansas operates on former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (the Rock Island) as far east as Enterprise, about 13-miles. Trains are boarded from the restored Rock Island depot in Abilene and special events during the season include occasional dinner train runs. The railroad also operates restored 4-6-2 Pacific-type steam locomotive #3415 on a limited scheduled. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Heart of the Heartlands, Inc.

A rather odd name for a tourist railroad, Heart of the Heartlands, Inc. based in Scammon, Kansas is actually a railroad museum which has been given permission by shortline freight railroad South Kansas & Oklahoma to operate excursion trains. The organization offers both excursion train rides as well as motor car trips (rail speeders). For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Midland Railway

The Midland Railway, based in the eastern Kansas town of Baldwin City is a fairly popular tourist railroad which operates June through October. They have an impressive collection of equipment and operate a railroad that stretches about 20-miles at farthest reach south, to Ottawa. Special events during the year including hosting "A Day Out With Thomas" the tank engine. For more information about visiting the railroad please click here.

Please Click Here To Return To The Main Tourist Railroads Section

For more about the history of trains in Kansas please click here. Also, for more information about Kansas train rides you might want to consider the book Tourist Trains Guidebook, which is put together by the editors of Kalmbach Publishing's Trains magazine. The guide below is the latest, released in just April, 2011 that now includes more than 470 museums and tourist trains (it also lists all of Alabama's rail museums). In any event, if you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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