All aboard! St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway volunteers keep tourist train rolling for 30 years

It was Friday, April 18, 1986. The St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway steam-operated tourist train chugged away from Jackson on its inaugural run to Gordonville. Dignitaries and special guests were aboard two 1920s-era coach cars that had been used as commuter cars in Chicago.

Guest fireman and engineer U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson shoveled ceremonial scoops of coal into the firebox of Engine No. 5, a 2-4-2 Columbia locomotive built by H.K. Porter in 1946. It had been a switch engine at the Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad in Marion, Illinois. The 1910-model coal tender carried five tons of coal and 7,000 gallons of water.

On its first trip, the train ran out of steam because the fireman was unable to shovel enough coal into the fire. However, passengers enjoyed the unscheduled stop along the route.

"There's not a problem if you run out of steam," fireman Oliver Groseclose said. "You just have to shovel more coal." He added that old No. 5 burned between five and six tons of coal on that trip.

The steam locomotive was taken out of service in 1997, but it has not been forgotten. Ongoing work to restore the engine, the Shelby Brown, will require significant investment. It will need to be brought into compliance with stricter rules regarding steam locomotives that were set forth by the Federal Railroad Administration in 2000.

Dawn Greathouse brings materials for entertainment on the pirate-themed train excursion Saturday, Oct. 22, in Jackson.Fred Lynch

Today, the train is pulled by the Pennsylvania Diesel No. 5898 E8 locomotive built in 1950 for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

The St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway is run by the Friends of Steam Railroading, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit volunteer operation.

Harriet Drusch has been a train volunteer since its beginning in Jackson.

"Shelby Brown was telling a few of us at a Jackson Chamber of Commerce barbecue that he had found a steam engine and two coaches for sale at Marion, Illinois," Drusch said. "We got a few people together, and with $70,000 they went and bought it. It took a couple of days to get it over here. All sorts of volunteers came in from different communities, spending days here to get it running. It took about a year."

The group had projects to help cover the expenses of running the train and keeping the track maintained. They realized, however, they would need more than ticket sales and personal funds to keep the train running. So they decided to change to a not-for-profit operation.

Junior conductor Aspen Welker talks with volunteer Elane Moonier before leaving for Gordonville aboard the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway train Saturday, Oct. 22, in Jackson.Fred Lynch

"We have to have revenue to operate," Drusch said. "Fuel and insurance are very expensive. So is track maintenance. For the big projects, we hire people in because we don't have the equipment.

"We run the highrailer over the track before each run. We check it real close if we've had a downpour or flooding. With high wind or a storm there could be trees down on the track."

The train can accommodate up to 150 people on board in the three coaches. For the dinner train, the number is reduced to about 80 so everyone has a table.

Ridership is better than ever because the Iron Mountain train pops up on internet searches, Drusch said.

"We are pretty unique. There's nothing like us around here," he said. "Word-of-mouth has been good for us, too. We get a lot of repeat visitors. We are sold out through the end of this year."

Passengers on the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway train get out to see an old western town Saturday, Oct. 22, on the return to Jackson.Fred Lynch

Elane Moonier is the volunteer coordinator. It's been six years since her then 5-year-old grandson went to look at the train with her two or three times a week.

They didn't ride the train. Her grandson was insistent on getting the diesel locomotive painted, which required raising $6,000. They sold baked goods and other items on Saturdays at the train depot for about six months. It took about two years for enough money to be raised for the paint job. After that effort, Moonier became a volunteer. Today, her grandson, Aspen Welker, also volunteers as the junior conductor.

"Anybody can be a volunteer," Moonier said. "You have to love people and love trains. We want to make the train ride an adventure, something that gives you good memories. We have different theme trains every week that appeal to families and children, like the pirates, the dinosaur train or the Chocolate Express.

"We have been doing murder-mystery dinner trains that are always sold out. We write our own. In the summer we do a 'Hee Haw' show at the western village because it's too hot to eat on the train."

The heritage railroad traces its roots back to 1851, when it was created by a special act of the Missouri Legislature. The line was initially established to transport iron ore from Iron Mountain, Missouri, north to St. Louis. The line ran from St. Louis to Pilot Knob, then later south into Bollinger County and connecting at Allenville. The Iron Mountain Railway was merged with the Missouri Pacific line in 1917. The Delta-to-Jackson branch was abandoned in 1984.

Passengers stretch their legs at Iron Mountain Junction Saturday, Oct. 22, on the return to Jackson.Fred Lynch

The Jackson Industrial Development Corp. purchased the 17 miles of track and right of way from Delta to Jackson and operated the Jackson and Southern Railroad Co. A group of 15 investors organized to establish a steam-powered tourist train led by president John Lorberg, vice president John Lichtenegger and secretary-treasurer Walter Drusch.

flynch@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3643