Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad

Well, it IS Boone, so I wasn’t expecting a lot. Boone is neat, but it’s also small-​town Iowa, so I wasn’t sure how awesome a railroad (with museum) could be in the middle of rural Iowa. I get to stay that I’m surprised. While it wasn’t the most luxurious of experiences, the Boone Scenice Valley Railroad has quite a bit of character to it — and can really provide an affordable afternoon experience for children especially.
First off, you can sometimes find a Groupon to get a special deal during the summer and winter months. Check that out if you’re thinking about going.
Second off, most of the train experiences come with a free visit to the railroad museum. The museum itself isn’t the most amazing thing ever, but it’s a nice way to round out your trip. It’s a large-​sized room with a lot of older train memorialbilia in it. It also has a couple things children will really love like a little toy train they can play with. For adults, you can probably expect to spend less than a half-​hour to explore the entire museum. It’s not large or comprehensive, but it does give a quick look into how trains used to be, and that’s a neat thing to compare to your train-​riding experience.
The train riding itself is neat. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I went out on a basic standard class excursion. It takes about an hour and a half. They board a bit early, so be there a bit early if you want to get a certain spot. The train cars are NOT climate controlled. During the summer, I imagine this works out well since the cars aren’t insulated and the windows open, so you can let the breeze in. In the chillier months like the end of the October, those things all work against you, and we spent most of the journey cuddled up together trying to stay warm. It’s not the company’s fault, but just be aware that you should dress warmly.
For a basic excursion, you’ll travel out, stop, and then turn around, so you’ll go to the same area twice. It’s a nice, basic introduction to trains, and honestly, it’s impressive how different the world looks. They’ve really chosen a great, scenic area with rolling hills, gorgeous forests, neat farmland, and a couple rural cities. There’s one spot, in the middle, where it’s entirely a man-​made bridge over a giant valley, so you’re something like 1,000 feet above the ground without being able to see the tracks. Those with fear of heights are going to be a bit freaked out on that one. (But it looks awesome.)
When it comes to seating, expect to sit similarly to how you sit on a school bus. The seats are just two-​person seats with that minimal-​type padding. However, in a neat twist, the backs of the seats actually «move». So you can sit facing the front of the car or the back of the car — which makes it easy to seat a four-​person group since you can all four look at each other (great for watching over kids).
I was surprised by how slow the train goes. Don’t expect to be zooming along or anything. If you tend to get motion sickness, I would doubt that it’s even a worry on this train.
I didn’t use the restrooms on the train, but the train station restrooms are a bit on the old side. They’re not outhouse-​dirty or anything, but they don’t seem nearly as modern as most restrooms. I’d recommend using the bathroom in the back of the museum for the most pleasant bathroom experience.
Probably wouldn’t redo the basic excursion itself, but it was definitely fun and worth the money. I might consider coming back for some of the other train tours.

No heat or air. We went Oct 31. BBBRRR. Bring a blanket!!! Bathroom was kinda scary – lock broken & no paper towels or hand soap/​sanitizer. They do serve alcohol so that made the screaming babies and kids bearable. (Busch lite and angry orchard apple ale cans) but was something different on a fall afternoon!
Also if you want to hear the commutation then sit by the guy w the microphone otherwise you won’t be able to understand a word he says

This was my first train ride and I rode coach, it was a very good experience, except for the older gentlemen doing the announcing was unintelligible over the intercom system. The scenes were beautiful, although the ride could end after the second bridge and you would not lose much. The museum was very informative and we’ll put together.

We rode the picnic train last Sunday, and found the ride to be pleasant. The train starts at a depot in Boone, and then is about a 2 hour ride. You get to see some excellent wild life, and nice views of nature in general. Being born and raised in Chicago, I don’t have that same feeling of novelty that some have of riding trains. (I have rode commuter and subway trains my whole life) Young kids and elderly folks seem to be the most excited about this attraction. A little on the pricey side for $ 30 a ticket, but a pleasant way to kill a couple hours.

I am pretty stingy with my stars typically. Certainly when it comes to dining establishments. Perhaps that’s because I have been blessed with the opportunity to eat in some of the best restaurants in the world that the bar is raised so high.
Well this is my first dinner train so I’m throwing a full 5 stars at it. Not because it’s anywhere close to the best meal I’ve had. It wasn’t. But it was pretty good. Shrimp cocktails and Caesar salads to start. You can bring your own wine for a $ 5 corkage fee. Choices were prime rib (mediocre), pork loin, lasagna, salmon or chicken Marsala. Cheesecake for dessert.
At $ 60 per person the value didn’t come from the meal rather from the whole experience. Service was great. The scenery, admittedly some was the disheveled houses of small town Iowa. Also the quaint Americana side of Iowa towns.
But overall beautiful. We passed a mossy swamp, lakes a river with a very large Eagle preening itself. And a couple of very scenic bridges.
Great for kids or just a unique getaway. I highly recommend.

one of the best scenic railroads around. beautiful… really friendly people… take your camera for photo shots… you’ll love it.

The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad proves that a train doesn’t really have to go anywhere in particular to be a great ride. Great volunteers. Fun stories. Lots of fresh air.
The standard coach accommodation is what I would recommend. You’ll have access to the restroom and the snack bar, something you wouldn’t have with the unique caboose ticket. Windows that you can close or open make air conditioning less important than you might think. The open air view seats are well, open air, and not recommended. The seats in coach change direction, so you’ll always be looking forward. Your guide will request that everyone switch sides at the mid point of the ride, a nice way to ensure that everyone gets to appreciate all the views. Also reduces worry about picking the right seat.
Check out their website for special seasonal events. Also picnics, desserts, dinners. All have their appeal, although the pricing is used to discourage children at some events and encourage them at others. My most recent visit was just the standard summer ride and it was amazing fun for the four and five year old in our party. They also loved the museum, admission for which is included with your train ticket.
And why not consider breakfast/​lunch at the Whistle Stop Café nearby before boarding the train.

Did a Saturday 4pm tour in mid-​October. Running late, so the coal-​powered steam train was already ready to leave and most seats were taken. Allow yourself time to find parking and good seats on the train. If you are in a group, you can modify your seats so they face each other. The ticket process was quick (we used a Groupon and made reservations).
There are some great scenic views on the ride– the Bass Point Creek High Bridge is gorgeous and a bit scary, and some of the stretch along the river and a second river bridge are very nice. We saw a bald eagle flying near one. The leaves were gorgeous for the time of year. Attractive YMCA camp, nice cabin, great river views (although in full summer foliage probably not as visible.) Yes– some corn, some not so great homes, an industrial zone, but not much.
At the end of the trip, the locomotive detaches and moves to the other end to pull you back. You can flip your seat over at this time, and you can get good photos of the locomotive as it drives by. Try to swap sides of the train with someone so you can see stuff on the other side instead of basically the same thing.
The cars are old and show their age, but they were clean enough and even the basic seats are comfortable. Did not try the concessions or other amenities, including the museum.
A couple knocks. Much of the ride is in a ditch or gully that only allows views of the sides of the gully. The fumes from the engine can be annoying, especially when in the gully areas. Most of the ride is pretty slow– nice for a longer ride, but not as much sensation. The men’s room in the station only has a couple urinals and a single stall– awkward when a train arrives full of people who need to use it. Gift shop is sadly underwhelming.
Probably my main disappointment was the narrator. Had a chance to meet him, and his voice was not clear– and made worse by a combination of mediocre speakers and overall noise level in the train. I think a printed booklet would be a better choice– or at least should be an option. I am sure we missed a lot of interesting sights or information.
Bottom line– good value (with a Groupon or similar) and an enjoyable but not great time if you are in the area or fond of trains.

I took the dinner train but have to say I wasn’t impressed. The food was already sitting on the table when we got on the train. The salad and shrimp at least. Not very appetizing to have people eat something that is sitting out and waitresses talking over the top of your food. Yuck!
Also although the two waitresses where really friendly, they had white scruffy shirts on and one of them had a big food stain on her shirt from the get go. There where also several flies buzzing around our table that we had to swat away constantly while we tried to eat. We paid $ 10.00 extra to bring a bottle of wine on board and thought it would be chilled for us, but it was simply opened and placed on the table! So what was the $ 10.00 corking fee for? We could have opened it ourselves.
The passengers that where on the train with us were soooo loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves trying to have a conversation. Apparently it was some kind of family reunion. Obviously you can’t control how loud fellow passengers are but large parties need a carriage of their own if they want to be so obnoxious. Sorry but I can’t say I would recommend this to anyone else, too bad because it could be so much better than the standard it is at. We had a couple with us visiting from England that were there to celebrate their 41wedding anniversary and it was a disappointment.

Small town living at its best. This is not high tech, but very informative. If you love trains, or just love something different, take a ride on the BVSR.

Very pleasant experience assuming you don’t depend on Google maps. It is really worth riding in the fall when the leaves turn. We took the excursion with but plan to go backsaw a couple for the dinner train.
It was a bit pricey but the kids really liked the view from the high bridge. We road in the air conditioned car on the way out but moved to the open windowed car on the way back since the weather was so nice.

For the price, this was disappointing. We did the «Basic Excursion Train Ride» and bought «Open-​Air «Valley View tickets which means that we rode on a car with no roof and no walls. For two adults and two kids, this cost $ 72, yikes! It included admission into the attached Museum.
The museum is okay. It’s small and has some interesting memorabilia and history, but many little things are just sitting in displays with no information at all.
The gift shop is underwhelming — has more ridiculously overpriced Thomas the Trains stuff than Iowa or Boone Railroad stuff…
The train ride is nice — it’s «scenic» in that you see some dumpy Boone houses, a lotta fields and trees, a YMCA camp, and you go over and next to a river. The train itself is clean and fairly nice. It was super noisy where we were, so I wasn’t able to hear much of what the narrator was saying over the speakers during the ride.
There is a concessions car that my dad bought my boys an ice cream sandwich and a pop — he said the prices were pretty reasonable too. That was a good surprise.
The ride is pleasant — kinda reminded me of a Hayride, going slowly and having the wind in your face. But $ 72 for two hours pleasant? Me thinks not.

We took the Santa Express train ride and it was a very unique and fun experience. Its geared more towards kids but definitely a fun thing to do for adults as well. Tickets for the Santa Express train ride were sold out for the 3pm and 5pm trains so we booked the 1pm train ride which ended up being sold out as well. Purchase your tickets early!!!
Its open seating so you can pick anywhere you’d like to sit. The website says the train is not climate controlled, but the trains were heated and warm. We brought extra blankets to make sure we wouldnt freeze but it was not necessary! We were very comfortable. Many of the children and adults on the train ride were wearing their fleece pajamas!!!
During the middle of the train ride, the train stopped shortly after crossing the bridge and the staff served us hot chocolate and sugar cookies. Both were delicious! They also gave out a program of the train ride which were filled with puzzles and the lyrics to the songs we sang the rest of the train ride back to the train station. I had an awesome time!

The Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad (BSVY) was started in 1983 by a group of volunteers primarily to preserve a scenic section of the former Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railroad (FDDMS). The Chicago & North Western (CNW) purchased the entire FDDMS in 1968. This stretch of track through the Des Moines River valley includes the beautiful High Bridge. The entire line runs approximately twelve miles from Boone through the small town of Fraser, and ends at the site of the former town of Wolf.
The railroad now owns numerous locomotives and dozens of cars. In the late 1980s it gained notoriety — acquiring one of the last new 2−8−2 Mikado steam locomotives built in China. This locomotive has had maintenance problems, but it is still operating. In 2002 the BSVY acquired and restored an EMD FP9, originally a VIA Rail Canada passenger locomotive. Painted in Chicago and North Western Railway inspired colors, she powers the BSVR dinner train.
The railroad also runs a short trolley ride, other special theme trains, and has even begun to do light freight switching at Boone industries in recent years. Its station is located just one block from the Union Pacific Railroad mainline. Their big public event is Pufferbilly Days™ in September.
The view of the High Line is indeed Scenic. At the same time, I was little frightened due to the open train windows and an over inquisitive son. It’s a great excursion and is hidden treasure that is worth effort to find your way over here.

Another hidden treasure… as part of a weekend adventure from Omaha, we rode the rails at the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Ultimately I’d be willing to wager that kids get a much bigger kick out of the ride than adults, but still I had a great time. It really lives up to it’s name as far as the ‘Scenic Valley’ portion too, at the Bass Point Creek High Bridge, but I was slightly disappointed that was the best view and over so quickly.
We rode the 1920’s Excursion Train, which unfortunately had to swap out the steam locomotive for coal and the trip had to be shortened due to flooding on the tracks. At an average speed of 5 – 6 mph, the ride didn’t quite have the gusto I was imagining (with the chugga, chugga, choo-​choo you always see in movies or on tv), but it was definitely fun and something I’d like to try again when the tracks aren’t covered with water. At the stopping point (the ride is straight out and back, not a loop), they have everyone switch sides and the seats flip over, so you get a different view, which was cool also.