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Boone, Iowa
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

Description and History

The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad operates steam-, diesel- and electric-powered excursions on tracks originally used by an electric interurban line, the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad. About one mile of track is electrified, and service is provided on weekends during the summer by restored car #50 of the Charles City Western Railway, another former Iowa interurban line.

The FDDM&S began as a steam railroad in the late 1890s, but was converted to electric operation in 1907. It was the longest electric interurban system in Iowa (147 miles), with a main line between its namesake cities, passing through Boone, and branches to Ames, Rockwell City, Lehigh and Webster City. Passenger service ended on the branches in the 1920s, but continued on the main line until 1955, when the railroad was dieselized. The FDDM&S continued as an independent freight carrier until it was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway in 1968. When the C&NW abandoned the line in 1983, a group in Boone bought about 12 miles of it in order to preserve it as a museum and tourist railroad.

Pictures

These pictures are from a brief visit in June 2005. Unfortunately, the weather was not very good.

[picture] At the B&SV depot.

[picture] Crossing Crawford Street eastbound as it rolls through the backyards of a residential neighborhood.

[picture] The conductor guards the crossing as #50 crosses Story Street westbound at the north edge of downtown Boone.

[picture] A passenger helps the conductor lower one of the trolley poles at the turnaround point. I had raised the other pole a few minutes earlier.

Other Sites

This page was last updated on 3 May 2006, and links checked on 23 January 2008.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Boone

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