Railroads are integral to the history of the Natural State, and not only the past but the present of the railway industry is still very much alive in Arkansas. To many locals, working for the railroad has become a family tradition. Enthusiasts can still get their fill of riding the rails in Arkansas whether on the AM or taking the family out to dinner at All Aboard!
10. All Aboard Restaurant and Grill
Get your burger or sandwich delivered to you on a toy train at this fun family restaurant located on Cantrell Road in Little Rock. All Aboard has trains going all around delivering a variety of dishes at this railroad-themed restaurant and even features a free train ride for kids!
9. River Rail Streetcar
Serving the city for over a decade now, the River Rail Streetcar is a heritage streetcar system operating in Little Rock and North Little Rock and runs for almost 4 miles. River Rail Streetcar is operated by the Central Arkansas Transit Authority and has stops at many downtown attractions including the Clinton Library and the historic River Market.
8. Funland Amusement Park Kid's Train
The train at Funland Amusement Park in North Little Rock has been a part of many local residents' childhoods and still runs seasonally when the park is open (from April to September).
7. Little Rock Zoo's Diamond Express
The Diamond Express kid's train at the Little Rock Zoo is a great attraction for young folks and their families. The train runs at the zoo daily (while weather permits) from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.
6. Dickey Stephens Park Kid's Train
The kids will enjoy a fun trackless train ride at Dickey Stephens Park when they're not out to catch a foul ball during an Arkansas Travelers game!
5. Union Pacific Jenks Shop
The Jenks Shop locomotive complex in North Little Rock employs more than 1,100 skilled and dedicated workers who perform heavy maintenance on a fleet of 7,000 locomotives that pull more than 2,000 trains each day throughout the western two-thirds of the United States for the Union Pacific Railroad.
4. Arkansas Railroad Museum
Located in Pine Bluff, the Arkansas Railroad Museum has one of the largest displays of historic railroad equipment in Arkansas, including a collection of historical passenger cars. The museum, operated by the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society and local volunteers, is considered to be an upper-level railroad preservation facility and is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 3 PM.
3. Eureka Springs and North Arkansas Railway
This tourist railway based in Eureka Springs offers excursion tours, a catered luncheon train and a catered dinner train - each lasting a little less than one hour, from April through October. The railway depot is a repository for dozens of items that railroad memorabilia fans will enjoy seeing.
2. Arkansas and Missouri Railroad: Fort Smith to Winslow Excursion
AM trains generally operate on Fridays and Saturdays from April to November. Additional trains operate Sundays between Springdale and Fort Smith in the summer. Special trains operate in the October through November fall foliage season and at other times of the year.
1. Arkansas and Missouri Railroad: Van Buren to Winslow Excursion
The Arkansas and Missouri Railroad, located in Springdale, is a short-line railroad. The A & M, as it is known, operates nearly 140 miles of line from Fort Smith to Monett, Missouri. The railroad interchanges freight cars with Kansas City Southern Railway at Fort Smith, with Union Pacific Railroad at Van Buren, and with BNSF Railway at Monett, MO. A branch line connects Bentonville with the main line at Rogers.
If you’re a railroad enthusiast, you absolutely have to check out these places! Arkansas is proud of its ties to the railway industry and locals, as well as people from across the nation, enjoy visiting the Natural State and riding in style.
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