Based in a 1905 depot in downtown Branson, the Branson Scenic Railway (bransontrain.com) operates vintage rail cars and locomotives to Batesville, Arkansas, and Carthage, Missouri. Trains travel on a working commercial railroad line and depart from Branson. Excursions traveling north visit Galena, Missouri and the James River Valley, while southbound trips pass the Barren Fork Trestle. Passengers pass through tunnels and over trestles and see abandoned the communities of Gretna, Melva and Ruth along the route. Unassigned seating allows passengers to freely admire panoramic views throughout the train.
The St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railway (slimrr.com) operates scenic train excursions through the countryside of southeast Missouri. The railway's name traces its routes to an iron ore-transporting railroad operating between Iron Mountain and St. Louis in the mid-19th century. While the track no longer supports freight train traffic, scenic trains operate from Jackson and make a 20-minute journey to Gordonville. Excursions are also available featuring a mock robbery performed actors on the train as passengers are called on to solve a murder mystery.
The Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad Company (beltonrailroad.org) is a short-line passenger railroad departing from Belton, Missouri. The railroad also operates a museum with vintage trains and offers 45-minute scenic excursions on a five-mile route that traces its routes to 1884. Limited tickets are also available for travelers who want to learn how the train is operated by riding with the engineer in the 1950s-era diesel locomotive. Passengers travel in rail cars from the 1920s and can visit an open-air excursion car or the caboose during their trip.
Amtrak (amtrak.com) operates daily trains on the state-supported Missouri River Runner route between St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. The route between the state's largest cities was once used by Missouri Pacific Railroad passenger trains in the early 20th century. A one-way journey along the Missouri River, which runs in parallel to much of the route, lasts approximately five hours and 40 minutes. A National Park Service Jefferson guide from the National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis also travels along the route to educate passengers about the history of the region.
