JACKSON'S `LITTLE ENGINE' GETS BETTER EVERY YEAR; IRON MOUNTAIN RAILROAD ENJOYS SECOND YEAR OF PROVEN SUCCESS

JACKSON -- Like the well-known storybook, "Little Engine That Could," the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad is also proving it's a railroad that can do.

For the second consecutive year, the 6-year-old, steam-powered tourist railroad that operates over 18 miles of track between Jackson and Delta, has reported significant increases in revenues and passengers.

"Our 1991 season was very successful," said operations manager Mary Strong. "Our passenger count was up, our revenue count was up, and the number of tour buses was up."

Strong said the number of revenue passengers riding the train was up 13 percent from 1991. The total number of bus tours riding the stream train last year was 189, an increase of 55 from 1990. Each bus carries about 70 passengers, she said.

More importantly, bookings for this year's season are already running ahead of those at this time last year, Strong said. "As of Jan. 22, we have 48 bookings," she said. "That's the same number we had on March 6, 1991."

Two major capital improvements last year were acquisition of a diesel locomotive and installation of a heating system for the two passenger coaches. Strong said both will have a major impact on the railroad's future.

"For the first time we can now operate the railroad during the five winter months, November through March, after the close of the regular season," she said. "It will take one to two years for the full impact to be felt, but as the tour operators become aware that we can operate year-round, we expect to see our off-season winter bookings increase. That means more passengers and more revenue."

This year the railroad will offer Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day dinner train excursions, made possible by the diesel locomotive and heated coaches.

Strong said the locomotive and heating system were purchased by the Friends of Steam Railroading, a non-profit group dedicated to the preservation of steam railroading.

Strong cited two reasons for the continued increase in ridership last year: aggressive marketing of the tourist railroad, and the railroad's close working relationship with the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"They have really helped us a lot in getting the bus tour operators to make the steam railroad one of their stops," said Strong. "We've been doing a lot of promotion work with the bureau and own our own."

As an example, Strong was in St. Louis last weekend manning a booth at the Great American Train Show at Union Station. "I personally handed out over 1,000 brochures about the railroad and other attractions in the area to people attending the train show," she said. "They stopped by to ask questions about the railroad."

While at the train show, Strong said she booked two birthday parties for later this year on the steam train from people attending the show.

During the winter months, Strong is spending a lot of time on the road attending tour booking shows, train shows and model-train show events. Next month she'll attend one-day model-train shows in Dupo and Columbia, Ill. "We've seen a big increase in our ridership as a result of attending these shows," said Strong

The Iron Mountain Railroad also works closely with other local and regional tourist attractions, and promotes them as well as the railroad's own activities and special events. Strong said people who ride the stream train want to take in other attractions while they are here.

Strong said the $197,000 Missouri "Mo-Bucks" loan in 1989 to the railroad freed up money so the Iron Mountain could maintain a full-time staff during the winter months. "People and tour groups call during the winter months to make their bookings, reservations, and other arrangements for the coming season," said Strong. "It's important we have someone in the office to take the calls for booking and reservations or to give information about the railroad."

Strong said the Iron Mountain will repeat all of the special events that proved extremely popular with the passengers, including "Murder on the Iron Mountain" excursions.

"The murder mystery excursions were our most popular attraction on the railroad in 1991," said Strong. "They were always sold out, and we could have filled two more coaches if we'd had them."

The first sold-out "Murder on the Iron Mountain" mystery train pulled out of the Jackson depot in 1990. The next year four more "murder" excursions were scheduled. Each one sold out.

"This year we'll have eight mystery dinner trains, one each month during our regular April-October season and one on New Year's Eve," Strong said.

Other special events that attracted a large number of riders last year and are scheduled this year include: the Indian Heritage Weekend, the Fourth Annual Crafts Festival, the Bonnie and Clyde Weekend, the July 4 Allenville Picnic and Fireworks Special, the Mother's and Father's Day excursions, a fall foliage excursion, and the Civil War Reenactment Weekend.

New events this year include a Victorian Tea Party, an October "Good Ole Days Weekend," and a "Pumpkin Pickin' Special."

This year the notorious members of the Bob Levy Gang will use a team of mules and a buckboard to rob the train and its passengers on the way to Gordonville.

Strong said the special events and activities are in addition to the steam railroad's regular Saturday and Sunday operating schedule, and midweek tour and special charter groups that ride the train during the season.