Featuring North America’s Leading Travel Destinations

Great American Railroads 2014

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Our annual Great AmericanRailroads issue explores the loreand excitement of railroads in

North America.Each year we visit tourist railroads,

railroad museums, and railroad stationsthat have been transformed from anoth-

er era, to relive the golden days of the passenger train inAmerican history.

In this issue, we begin our journey in Branson, MO,with a visit to the Branson Scenic Railway. The OzarkZephyr recreates America’sromance with vintage passengertrain travel through the foothills ofthe Ozark Mountains in bothMissouri and Arkansas.

The Branson Scenic Railwayexplores territory inaccessible byautomobile and offers scenicviews that are unattainable by anyother means of transportation.

Next, we travel north to KansasCity, to visit one of the great rail-road stations in American history.With some 850,000 square feet, itwas the second largest station inthe U.S. Passenger traffic reachedrecord levels during World War II,but after the war with the emer-gence of the airline industry andthe automobile, the station saw aprecipitous drop in use. Multipleefforts to demolish the station were averted, and a majorredevelopment was completed in 1999. Today UnionStation is again a train station, serving as a railroad sta-tion, with six Amtrak trains per day, its basement housesa major post office, and a variety of family friendlyattractions have been developed.

Freight train traffic continues as a major force in trans-portation today, and nowhere is there a better place tounderstand its role than at the Golden Spike Tower inNorth Platte, Nebraska. Not only does the tower cele-brate the joining of the country by rail, the tower over-looks the Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, the largestclassification yard in the world. This is a must stop foranyone interested in the railroads, past, present or future.

While in North Platte, visit the Lincoln CountyHistorical Museum to learn about the North PlatteCanteen. This remarkable story about a group of local

citizens who wanted to honor their Nebraska NationalGuard unit, but by accident turned the Canteen into oneof the largest volunteer efforts of World War II -- servingmore than 6 million troops passing through North Platte!

Next stop is at one of the largest railroad museums inNorth America, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

Located in Strasburg in Lancaster County’s Amishfarm country, it houses one of the most significant col-lections of historic railroad artifacts in the world.

You can even step back in time -- and across the street-- to take a journey on the historic Strasburg Railroad

when visiting the museum.Next, we visit Louisiana’s

Outback, where we travel theCreole Nature Trail All-AmericanRoad in Southwest Louisiana/LakeCharles. DeQuincy is a communitystrengthened by the Kansas CitySouthern Railroad.

Located near Lake Charles, LA,between Houston and NewOrleans, DeQuincy has alwaysbeen a railroad town and railroad-ing continues to play a major rolein the town’s economy and civicstructure.

The DeQuincy RailroadMuseum chronicles the history ofthe railroad from construction, toand the importance of the KCSRailroad to the local economy.

In Northeast Oregon, we discov-er two excursion trains, operating

within 100 miles of each other. The Eagle Cap ExcursionTrain and the Sumpter Valley Railroad provide very dif-ferent but equally delightful rail experiences.

In What’s Happening, we visit one of the most unusu-al attractions anywhere. We came upon it on a visit toNorth Platte, and it’s located in nearby Alliance,Nebraska. It’s called Carhenge, and is modeled afterStonehenge in England. We’d like to try and describe itto you, but we better just let you look at the pictures tounderstand!

We hope you enjoy this issue of Byways, and look for-ward to more North American travels in our next issue.

PREVIEWBy Steve Kirchner, Editor & Publisher

The Golden Spike Tower

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CONTACT US TODAY! Build your itinerary at

VISITCOS.com/toursor call 800-888-4748 ext 129

EXPERIENCE

Plan to spend more than one day when creating your Colorado Springs itineraries. Include the vibrancy of Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, US Air Force Academy and US Olympic Training Center, and get ready to elevate your experience.

Tour in Colorado Springs for exceptional views and group-friendly experiences.

ELEVATE YOUR

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FeaturesGreat American Railroads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8The Branson Scenic Railroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Kansas City’s Union Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Golden Spike Tower & Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard Brings Visitors to North Platte . . . . . . . . . . . 18Remarkable Story of the North Platte Canteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26From Bayou, Rail to Car: Journey Through Louisiana’s Outback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Oregon’s Northeast Corner Offers Two Great Scenic Train Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

DepartmentsByways Instant Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Byways Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Advertisers Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Free Byways Subscription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

What’s HappeningNebraska’s Carhenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Coming in future issues of Byways…. . .Mountains and Valleys, Rivers and Lakes, OceanViews, Great American Roads, and much more!

At right: Mountains andValleys will be highlightedin the next issue ofByways.

Volume 31, Issue No. 1, 2014

On the cover. America’s romance with the vintage passengertrain lives on through excursions on the Branson Scenic Railwayaboard a collection of unique passenger cars that travel through thefoothills of the Ozark Mountains. To learn more about America’s rail-road history and heritage, turn to page 8.

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Great AmericanRailroads 2014

The view from the dome car on the Branson ScenicRailroad in Missouri. Photo by Steve Kirchner.

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The engineer prepares to leave the depot.Photo courtesy Branson Scenic Railway.

All aboard for an excursion on the Branson “OzarkZephyr” Scenic Railway. America’s romancewith the vintage passenger train lives on through

excursions on the Branson Scenic Railway aboard a col-lection of unique passenger cars that travel through thefoothills of the Ozark Mountains. This one hour 45minute trip takes passengers through tunnels, over tres-tles, and through the southwest Missouri or northwestArkansas wilderness that is still home to much wildlifeand to the ruins of long-ago communities now namedonly on railroad maps.

The historic 1905 depot in downtown Branson, justone block west of Lake Taneycomo (formerly the WhiteRiver), is the headquarters for the Branson ScenicRailway. The depot houses the administrative offices, thereservation and ticket office, and a gift shop that carriesmany train items.

Traveling on a working commercial railroad line, thetrain’s direction of travel (depending on freight trafficand/or track conditions) is determined by the Missouriand Northern Arkansas Railroad just prior to departure.At that time, the train will go either north or south.

Three to four times daily, depending on the season,Branson Scenic Railway explores territory inaccessibleby automobile and offers views that are unattainable byany other means of transportation. A lively narrationpoints out the landmarks such as Crest Tunnel, Cricket

Tunnel, Walnut Creek Trestle, Barren Fork Trestle, andTharp’s Grade; and the extinct communities of Gretna,Melva, and Ruth are described as they were in the early20th century. Also included in the narration is a descrip-tion of the wildlife and landscape and an outline of therailroad’s role in shaping the Ozarks. The routes takepassengers about 20 miles from Branson before revers-ing direction and returning on the same tracks.

Upon boarding the train, the first thought is to head forthe three dome cars with their panoramic views. Seatingis unassigned, and passengers are invited to tour theentire train. (Since boarding numbers are issued in theorder the reservation is made, it is suggested that reser-vations be made as early as possible.) The cars have beenrestored and refurbished to offer the same first-classexperience and ambiance to today’s passengers as tothose they carried fifty years ago. There is also a conces-sion area aboard the Silver Lake car that offers refresh-ments for purchase.

The comfort of the vintage passenger cars is quite acontrast to the harsh realities the railroad pioneers foundwhen they undertook bringing rail service to the Ozarks.Laying the tracks for the White River Railway was pos-sibly the most difficult construction task ever undertak-en in the Ozarks.

The railway was built in two sections: a northward linebeginning at Batesville, Arkansas, and the other goingsouth from Carthage, Missouri. Construction began inJanuary 1902, and the final spike was driven onDecember 29, 1905, which joined the northern andsouthern sections. The 239 miles of track cost more than

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$12 million—about six times normal rail constructioncosts.

The town of Branson is a product of the railroad. Theconstruction of the White River Railway in the early1900s made the area accessible fortourists and is largely responsible for thedevelopment of Branson and the Ozarksas a tourism destination. Before thearea’s economy was based on tourism,the railroad served a traditional industri-al purpose, which continues to this day.

The railroad is known as the WhiteRiver Route. The route crosses theWhite River in Branson, now LakeTaneycomo, and then runs along side ofit after taking a fifty-mile “short cut”over the Ozark Mountains. This was partof the Missouri Pacific Railroadbetween Kansas City, Missouri, andLittle Rock, Arkansas. It became a partof the Union Pacific after the UP boughtthe MOPAC. The Missouri and NorthernArkansas Railroad now operates theline.

In 1993, the Branson Scenic Railway

was formed, and through a lease arrangement with theMNA, runs excursions through this historic route Marchthrough December.

http://www.bransontrain.com

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White glove service in the dining car.

Panoramic view from thedome car on the Branson

Scenic Railway.

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Kansas City’s Union Station

The National World War I Museum and Liberty Memorial, located on a hilltop just north ofUnion Station, offers a commanding view of the majestic train station, with the backdrop of

Kansas City’s central business district.

Story and Photos By Dr. John A. Kirchner

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One of America’s great railway stations, KansasCity Union Station was opened in 1914, the cre-ation of architect Jarvis Hunt, a champion of the

“City Beautiful” movement. When the massive Beaux-Arts structure entered service, it was the second largeststation in the U.S., some 850,000 square feet.

Passenger traffic reached its peak during World War II,but by the 1960s, with the introduction of commercial jetaircraft, the station saw a precipitous drop in use.

The famed Fred Harvey chain ceased operating itsWestport Room restaurant in 1968. Despite being addedto the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, thedecline continued, and by the 1980s the station wasessentially moribund, as initial attempts to redevelop itfailed.

The station sat empty and unused, but avoided severalthreats of demolition, and in 1996 residents of the met-ropolitan Kansas City area, in both Missouri and Kansas,voted to support a 1/8th of a cent sales tax to redevelop

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The beautiful Grand Hall is 95-feet high, and the threechandeliers weigh 3,500 pounds each. Harvey’s opensetting restaurant is located to the left.

the venue. Work was completed in 1999, and the station,which is operated as a non-profit 501c3 organization, hassince become one of Kansas City’s prime tourist attrac-tions. It is today self-supporting.

In addition to again serving as a railroad station, withsix Amtrak trains per day, its basement houses a majorpost office, and a variety of family friendly attractionshave been developed.

These include ScienceCity, the H&R Block CityStage Theatre, the ReginerExtreme Screen, at five andone half stories tall, thelargest 3-D screen in theregion, the GottliebPlanetarium, and the IrishMuseum and CulturalCenter.

Several restaurants haveopened, including Harvey’sin the Grand Hall, andupscale Pierpoints, a steakand seafood bistro.

A visit to Kansas City isnot complete without expe-riencing the rebirth ofUnion Station.

http://www.visitkc.comByways • 17

Kansas City Southern’s Southern Belle passenger train at Union Station.The Kansas City-based KCS operates the train for business purposesand special events.

The massive North Waiting Room, which could handle 10,000passengers, is today called the Sprint Festival Plaza, and is

used for special events, including banquets and large weddings.Below, this mural depicts the various railroads that made

Kansas City one of the nation’s leading rail centers.

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Golden Spike Tower &Union Pacific’s BaileyYard Bring Visitors toNorth Platte

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The vast Union Pacific classification BaileyYard can be seen from the top of the GoldenSpike Tower Visitors Center in North Platte,

Nebraska. Photo courtesy Nebraska Tourism.

Why the Golden Spike Tower?  Why NorthPlatte, Nebraska? The answers are fairly sim-ple. This is where east meets west on Union

Pacific's rail line, just as east met west in PromontorySummit, Utah, when the Transcontinental Railroad was

built.  Both Union Pacific, building from Omaha,Nebraska and Central Pacific, building fromSacramento, California, met and drove the golden spiketo open up the west.

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The Golden Spike Tower & Visitor Center.Photo courtesy Nebraska Tourism.

Golden Spike TowerThe idea of the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center

was first conceived in the mid-1990s as Union Pacific'sviewing platform was falling into disrepair. Communityleaders thought it a good idea to erect a tower that wouldallow visitors to get a birds-eye view of Bailey Yard. TheGolden Spike Tower and Visitor Center opened on June26, 2008.

The Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center features acourtyard proudly flying the 23 flags representing eachstate Union Pacific Railroad serves. The Memorial BrickPavilion honors members of the community, employeesof Union Pacific and others with commemorative bricksembossed with the name of the person for which thebrick was purchased.

Nestled at the confluence of the North and South PlatteRivers, North Platte has always been a railroad town. Orshould we say: It was a railroad town before it was NorthPlatte.

Union Pacific's Grenville Dodge platted thearea in 1866, and by 1867 main line operationsbegan in what was at the time called, "Hell onWheels Town." He also began a repair facilityon the site where Bailey Yard is today.

It wasn't until 1874 that North Platte official-ly became a city. It was a rough and tumble com-munity with railroad workers and theirtag-a-longs populating the area.    North Plattewas also the ending point for the Texas cattledrives with cowboys herding longhorn cattle. Itwas said that there were so many longhorn cat-tle in North Platte that it was unsafe to cross thestreet.

Buffalo Bill CodyBuffalo Bill Cody was a mainstay in North Platte for

30 years with his Scout's Rest Ranch and Wild WestShows. A showman to be sure, Buffalo Bill was both ascout and buffalo hunter before becoming his era'sequivalent of a true show business star. His home andshow barn are still available for public tours. From 1883to 1886, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show toured the coun-try, and was hugely popular. The rail line was the key totransporting the show throughout the country.Union Pacific Bailey Yard

Union Pacific's Bailey Yard is the world's largest railyard with activity around the clock, every day of theyear. Union Pacific has made it possible for generationsof North Platte families to prosper, while the railroaditself hauls the cargo that touches each of our lives inevery way, every day.

The Golden Spike Tower overlooks the Union

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Top photo. The Engine Repair Facility at BaileyYard. Below, a Union Pacific coal train passesthrough Nebraska.

Pacific's Bailey Yard, named for former U.P. presidentEdd H. Bailey.   It's where east meets west on the UnionPacific line, and where 10,000 cars are handled each dayon 2,850 acres of land stretching out eight miles.

It is the world’s largest railroad classification yard,where locomotives and rail cars are serviced andrepaired and freight trains are assembled. An average of139 trains a day pass through every day.

More than 3,000 cars are sorted daily in the eastwardand westward yards. These yards are nicknamed "humpyards" because they utilize a mound (hump) ranging inheight from 20-34 feet.  An average of four cars perminute are sent gently down the humps where they'reunited with trains going to one of dozens of destinations.Repair Facilities

Locomotive repair is handled in North Platte at one ofUnion Pacific's largest repair shops. This shop encom-passes the same area as three football fields.    Frommajor engine repairs to the smoothing of wheels, theshop crew can handle 300 locomotives each day, pro-cessing more than 8,500 engines per month.

The "One Spot" car shop services 50 rail cars per dayand replaces 10,000 pairs of wheels annually. The shop

can repair up to 20 cars per hour, 24 hours a day.All told, 14 million gallons of fuel are pumped each

month at Bailey Yard to keep the trains moving.Command Center

All train movement throughout Bailey Yard is handledthrough the on-site command center with the latest com-puterized control systems.  The Bailey Yard commandcenter is tied to the Harriman Dispatching Center inOmaha, which controls hundreds of intercity trains dailythroughout the company's 23-state rail system.North Platte

Today North Platte is not only a bustling communitywith great historical significance, but also a communitywith an eye on the future. It is with this firm understand-ing of the hard work and mental fortitude of the past, thatthe future becomes even brighter. 

To learn more about the Golden Spike Tower, visithttp://www.goldenspiketower.com

To learn more about visiting North Platte, visit http://visitnorthplatte.com

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Buffalo Bill’s home and show barn areavailable for public tours in North Platte.

Photo by Steve Kirchner.

North Platte, Nebraska is a railroad town, home toUnion Pacific Railroad’s Bailey Yard, the largestclassification yard in the world.

But during World War II, North Platte became knownfor its Canteen in a remarkable story bringing togetherU.S. and Allied servicemen on troop trains and volun-teers determined to meet, greet and feed every soldierpassing through the city.

Ten days after Pearl Harbor, North Platte residentslearned that a troop train carrying Company D of theNebraska National Guard would be passing through on

their way from Camp Robinson, Arkansas tothe West Coast. Family members met thetrain with food and cigarettes, but were sur-prised and disappointed that the Company Don-board was from the Kansas NationalGuard. Everyone stood in disbelief, but final-ly, one person stepped forward and gave thepresents to the troops on-board. Soon, every-one followed.

Local store clerk Rea Wilson had an idea,and remembered that the North Platte RedCross had run a canteen during World War I,and suggested it could be done again. Littledid she realize that her efforts would result inone of the largest all-volunteer efforts ofWorld War II.

The North Platte Canteen met its first trooptrain on December 25, 1941. Baskets of good-ies were prepared, but when the train arrivedtroops had to remain on the train for security

reasons. So women handed the cookies, fruit, cigarettesand magazines up through the windows. Before longsecurity lessened, and troops were able to leave the trainand enter the station where they were served.

The North Platte Canteen was partly a function of thesteam locomotive. Before Union Pacific switched todiesels, North Platte was a servicing point for steamengines. A service stop generally took about 10 minutes.During this time, servicemen and servicewomen couldjump off the train and make a quick visit to the canteen.

As the demands of the war grew, so did the sacrifices

Remarkable Story of theNorth Platte Canteen

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of the American people. Rationing and price controls ofbasic items were instituted. Citizens were given rationbooks that included stamps that allowed one to buy lim-ited things like sugar, coffee, gasoline, tires and more.Even with these limitations, the North Platte Canteencontinued to grow.

Food regularly included sandwiches, fried chicken,hard boiled eggs, pickles, fresh fruit, cookies, doughnuts,pie, coffee, milk and iced tea. And birthday cakes, andThanksgiving turkey, Easter eggs, and May Day baskets.The canteen never closed one day during its existence. Itwas open every day, in all weather.

Soldiers run to theCanteen as theirtime off the trainswas short.

Every soldier disembarking the trains was served.Some days there were 24 trains a day.

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As the war became an all-out effort, troop trains beganto pour into North Platte. As many as 24 trains a daystopped in the city, giving thousands of troops a chanceto experience the canteen, requir-ing more and more volunteers.From 1941 until the end of the war,some 55,000 volunteers from 125Nebraska communities, some asfar as 200 miles away, gave bothfood and time to the volunteereffort.

At war’s end, the Canteenremained open to serve soldiersreturning home. With few trooptrains arriving, the Canteen closedon April 1, 1946.

During its existence, the Canteenserved 6 million servicemen, andnever missed a single train travel-ing through North Platte.

Today you can experience theNorth Platte Canteen at the LincolnCounty Historical Museum inNorth Platte. Through exhibits,photos and video, the Canteen isrecreated allowing you to gain anunderstanding and appreciation of

what these volunteers had accomplished in support of theWar effort.

http://www.lincolncountymuseum.org

The Canteen on display at the Lincoln CountyHistorical Museum in North Platte.

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The Railroad Museumof Pennsylvania

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The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania houses oneof the most significant collections of historic rail-road artifacts in the world. It is located in

Strasburg in Lancaster County's Amish farm country inSoutheastern Pennsylvania.

Visitors traveling east of Strasburg on Route 741 sud-denly encounter a wondrous array of locomotives hardby the road -- steam engines, diesels, even severalelectrics. One locomotive rests on a massive hundred-foot long turntable. A sign announces "Railroad Museumof Pennsylvania," beyond which a massive buildingstands as a memorial, a veritable shrine, to one of theCommonwealth's most significant industries and cul-tures -- railroading.

Strasburg has become a railroad mecca. The StrasburgRail Road, located across the road from the Museum, isa national focal point of steam equipment and rollingstock preservation, drawing thousands of visitors a yearto its 45 minute steam train rides up to Paradise and back.The Train Collectors Association operates its Toy TrainMuseum nearby, displaying model railroad layouts ofmany types. Other commercial railroad-oriented enter-prises have also located nearby.

The museum is devoted to preserving and interpretingthe broad impact of railroad development on society, theMuseum:

•Displays over 100 locomotives and cars from themid-19th and 20th centuries, including the pricelessPennsylvania Railroad Historical Collection.

•Restored many unique survivors to original appear-

ance, and pursues a major restoration program.•Conducts educational programs for all ages, provides

tours and holds special events, many in cooperation withoutside organizations.  The innovative Railway

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The musem is a popular stop for schoolgroups. Photo courtesy Craig Benner, Rail-road Museum of Pennsylvania.

The Tahoe, the museum’s oldest locomotive.

Education Center provides a focus forexciting learning.

•Houses extensive exhibits of railroadartifacts, plus priceless art work, books,photographs and corporate railroadmaterial.

•Recognizes that railroad history isalive and continues being made in thisnew millennium. The Museum uses newtechnologies to preserve and interpret theunfolding story.

The original core of the collection,since greatly expanded, is a fantasticassortment of vintage locomotives androlling stock that the PennsylvaniaRailroad assembled for the 1939-1940New York World's Fair. The "Pennsy"had been preparing for the fair for a num-ber of years by gathering together andrefurbishing historic equipment andrelics from the earlier decades of rail-roading.

After the fair ended, the PennsylvaniaRailroad continued to add to the collec-tion and stored it at an unused round-house in Northumberland, Pennsylvania.

In the early 1960s, the PennsylvaniaRailroad realized that decreasing rev-enue prevented the continuing preserva-tion efforts expended in maintaining the

collection,and begans e a r c h i n gfor a way tog u a r a n t e ethe perma-nency oftheir historiccollection.

The Commonwealth ofPennsylvania resolved in1963 to build a StateRailroad Museum and in1965 selected a site adjacentto the Strasburg Railroad(the oldest continuouslyoperated short-line railroadin the United States), andbroke ground for theMuseum facility in 1972.

Meanwhile, in 1968, thePennsylvania Railroad andthe New York Centralmerged to form the PennCentral Corporation in ajoint effort to stay in busi-

ness. The historic locomotives and rolling-stock from the

Penn Central were, at first, leased to the RailroadMuseum but the continuing financial struggles of thehuge railroad corporation prompted the Commonwealthto purchase the collection because of the uncertain futureof the locomotives and cars.

The original Museum exhibit hall's interior resembledan early train shed of circa 1860 and measured some 320by 150 feet. In June of 1995, as one of the event high-lights commemorating the 150th anniversary of thefounding of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the museumopened a new addition which doubled the length of theexhibit hall to 640 feet. The new award-winning additionis modeled after a glass-roofed train shed of the early20th century.

Outside, a number of additional locomotives andByways • 29

Historic steam engines. Photocourtesy Craig Benner, Railroad

Museum of Pennsylvania.

rolling stock occupy a five and a half acre yard, centeredaround an operational 1928 Reading Railroad turntable.

While the Museum is known as the Railroad Museumof Pennsylvania, it is not the Pennsylvania RailroadMuseum. It celebrates all railroads and railroad-relatedindustries that contributed to the history of the

Commonwealth. The collection has grown impressivelyand includes locomotives and rolling stock from at least18 different Pennsylvania railroads and 22 differentbuilders overall.

For more information, visit http://www.rrmuseumpa.org

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Engine 475 of the historic Strasburg Rail-road, which is located across the streetfrom the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.Photo courtesy Strasburg Railroad.

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In days past, you didn’t use a car to rush around thecity running errands. Cars were vehicles that tookyou out of ordinary day-to-day life and into the

extraordinary experience of exploration. Cruising downa long stretch of picturesque road was your destination.Your journey was your adventure. And it still is, on theCreole Nature Trail All-American Road in SouthwestLouisiana/Lake Charles.

The Creole Nature Trail is affectionately known asLouisiana’s Outback and winds through more than 180miles of bayous, Gulf beaches and back roads where youcan experience alligators, birds and wildlife in their nat-ural habitat. The Cajuns traversed this marshland andbayous using pirogues. While boats are often used, youcan still tour the Creole Nature Trail in the comfort ofyour car with the free Creole Nature Trail Smartphoneapp.

While in the area, you might want to see another his-toric form of travel in nearby DeQuincy, Louisiana, acommunity strengthened by the Kansas City SouthernRailroad.

DeQuincy is located near Lake Charles, LA, betweenHouston and New Orleans. It’s always been a railroadtown and railroading continues to play a major role in thetown’s economy and civic structure.

The DeQuincy Railroad Museum chronicles the histo-ry of the railroad from construction, to using the rail sys-32 • Byways

From Bayou, Rail to Car:Journey Through

Louisiana’s OutbackBy Megan Hartman

Alligator crossing signs along the Creole NatureTrail All-American Road in Southwest Louisiana.

tem as a form of travel and even being employed by KCSRailroad. It is situated at 400 Lake Charles Ave.,DeQuincy, in the 1923 Kansas City Southern Railroad

Depot in thedowntown historicdistrict. The depotis one of the mostoutstanding exam-ples of the MissionRevival style ofarchitecture in theSouth. Some of theartifacts on displayinclude a 1913steam locomotive,a passenger coach,and two vintagecabooses.  Also ondisplay are manymodel trains andan extensive col-lection of Gauge 1model steam anddiesel engines.

It is also the site of the Louisiana Railroad DaysFestival, which is held on the second weekend in Aprileach year and is a family friendly event.

Located near the museum is the new DeQuincy TownHall Museum.  Exhibits include industry memorabiliaand a Wall of Honor paying tribute to locals who haveserved in the U.S. military services.

For more information, call the DeQuincy RailroadMuseum at 337-786-2823 or visit

www.dequincyrailroadmuseum.comFor more information on the Creole Nature Trail, visit

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The DeQuincy RailroadMuseum in Louisiana.

Louisiana’s Outback.Photo courtesy Monsour'sPhotography, LakeCharles, LA.

During the heyday of the great western migrationalong the Oregon Trail, Oregon’s northeasterncorner was known for its tall mountains that pre-

sented one of the biggest obstacles to pioneers makingtheir way west to the famed Willamette Valley.

For many of today’s travelers, the region is noticed forits friendly communities that serve those passing throughon Interstate 84 and the wide vistas seen beyond theirwindshield. Those who take the time to explore the back-roads quickly encounter many hidden treasures worthseeking out.

People with a passion for trains and railroads aredelighted to discover two excursion trains, operatingwithin 100 miles of each other. The Eagle Cap ExcursionTrain and the Sumpter Valley Railroad provide very dif-ferent but equally delightful rail experiences. Putting thetwo together in one tour itinerary forms the basis for afun and exciting journey through a highly scenic andenchanting region of Oregon.

Departing from Elgin, 20 miles north of La Grande,the Eagle Cap Excursion Train is a 1940s vintage dieseltrain that operates beneath the peaks of the Wallowa andBlue Mountain ranges. The train follows the shores ofthe Grande Ronde and Wallowa Rivers, both known fortheir rugged beauty and quality rafting and fishing. Theroute of the railroad is through a roadless area, offering

34 • Byways

Oregon’s NortheastCorner Offers TwoGreat Scenic Train

Experiences

The Eagle Cap Excursion Train, a1940s vintage diesel train, travelsbeneath the peaks of the Wallowaand Blue Mountain ranges.

Take a trip back in time on the SumpterValley Railroad, Oregon’s only surviving

narrow gauge railroad.

views of a landscape that can’tbe seen from an automobile.High, timbered ridges towerabove while rugged basaltcliffs hug the track. The traincrosses the Rondowa Bridge,where the two rivers convergeand continue their journey tojoin the Snake, then ColumbiaRivers. Wildlife often seen bypassengers includes elk, muledeer, Bald Eagles, osprey andvarious waterfowl, with rarespotting of black bear ormoose. Train rides vary fromtwo to four hours, with manyincluding a meal and enter-tainment. The distance cov-ered ranges from 20 to 40miles, with round trip or one-way options.

The train runs on a sectionof the historic Joseph Branch,a century-old line that con-nects the remote and famouslybeautiful Wallowa Valley with La Grande, where sec-ondary highways connect with Interstate 84 and freighttrains on the Union Pacific Railroad pass en route to

Portland, Oregon. The Elgindepot has bus parking, a giftshop, displays and rest rooms.Go to www.eaglecaptrain-rides.com for the 2014 sched-ule and information andcontact Peggy Weishaar, groupsales contact, train@alegre-travel.com or 800-323-7330.

On the Sumpter ValleyRailroad, take a steam-pow-ered trip back in time onOregon’s only surviving nar-row gauge railroad. Located amere half-hour from BakerCity on the Elkhorn ScenicByway, it’s a fun andaffordable journey back tothe days of gold miningand the Wild West. Onweekends and major holi-days, Memorial Day week-end through the lastweekend of September,excursion trains run fromMcEwen to the historicgold mining town ofSumpter where you canexplore the famous Gold

Dredge, get a bite to eat, and do a bit of shopping. Formore information on the Sumpter Valley Railroad, itsspecial events and the 2014 season, please visit themonline at www.sumptervalleyrailroad.org, or call 541-894-2268.

As area travel experts, we can help you plan a tour itin-erary or a vacation around a ride on these two railroads,incorporating the many nearby sights and attractions thatare woven together along the Hells Canyon ScenicByway, such as the Wallowa Lake Tramway, the JosephArt Walk, the National Historic Oregon Trail InterpretiveCenter near Baker City and a jet boat trip on the SnakeRiver, deep into the heart of Hells Canyon. Get a taste ofwhat is available at www.hellscanyonbyway.com, thencontact us for more information and a sample itinerary.

http://www.eaglecaptrainrides.comhttp://www.sumptervalleyrailroad.org

Byways • 35

The Eagle Cap follows the shores of theGrande Ronde and Wallowa Rivers.

Winter excursion on theSumpter Valley Railroad.

What’s HappeningWhat’s Happening

36 • Byways

Nebraska’s Carhenge!

Byways • 37

Rising like monoliths from ancient times on thewestern edge of the Sandhills of Nebraska standsa formation of vehicles from days gone by.

Carhenge, which replicates Stonehenge in England,consists of the circle of cars, 3 standing within the circle,and includes a “Car Art Preserve” with sculptures madefrom cars and parts of cars. Located just north ofAlliance, Nebraska, Carhenge is formed from vintageAmerican automobiles, painted gray to replicateStonehenge.

The artist of this unique car sculpture, Jim Reinders,experimented with unusual and interesting artistic cre-ations throughout his life. While living in England, hehad the opportunity to study the design and purpose ofStonehenge. His desire to copy Stonehenge in physicalsize and placement came to fruition in the summer of1987 with the help of many family members.

Thirty-eight automobiles were placed to assume thesame proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measur-ing approximately 96 feet in diameter. Some autos areheld upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down,38 • Byways

while  other carsare placed toform the archesand welded inplace. All arecovered withgray spray paint.The honor ofdepicting theheel stone goesto a 1962 Caddy.

Carhenge wasbuilt as a memo-rial to Reinders’father who oncelived on the farmwhere Carhengenow stands.While relativeswere gathered following thedeath of Reinders’ father in1982, the discussion turned to amemorial and the idea of aStonehenge replica was devel-oped.

There is no charge to visit, andthere is a gift shop at the site.

See more at:http://carhenge.com

Byways • 39

40 • Byways

Byways is published bi-monthly by Byways, Inc. and distributed electronically throughout North America.Byways is emailed to more than 4000 tour operators plus selected travel agencies through the internet. Subscriptionsare complimentary. An iPad & iPhone version is available for consumers in iTunes and Newsstand in the App Store.

Byways’ distribution includes motorcoach companies, tour operators, and selected travel agents, bank travel man-agers, school band and athletic planners, and meeting planners. For advertising rates, editorial deadlines, or to placeadvertising insertions, contact: Byways Magazine, 42 Cabin Hill Lane, Mount Jackson, VA 22842. Telephone 540-477-3202. Fax 540-477-3858. Toll-free 800-469-0062.

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