All Aboard: John and Susan Bush volunteer at Iron Mountain Railway

John and Susan Bush are Texans at heart, but for the past five years, they’ve called Southeast Missouri home. After retirement, they made the choice to move from Fort Worth, Texas, to be closer to their adult children and grandchildren. And though it took a bit of convincing to get John out of Texas, they’re having fun in this new stage of life.

Between family dinners on Monday nights, sports games for the grandchildren and hanging out with their church community, the Bushes aren’t slowing down or playing it safe. In fact, on their latest adventure, as volunteers at the Iron Mountain Railway in Jackson, they’ve been getting out of their comfort zone and trying something new.

It all started with a sign for root beer floats.

On a Wednesday night, during the summer of 2021, John and Susan met friends from church at the food trucks outside of the Iron Mountain Depot. John saw the sign, and having a hankering for a float, moved the group inside, where they met Elane Moonier from the train, the volunteer coordinator for the depot. When she asked if anyone wanted to be a train robber, every member of the group pointed at John.

“I always have wanted to be a train robber,” John recalls saying. He grew up going to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, and enjoyed watching the street robbery gangs throughout the park. “As a child of the ‘60s, I grew up watching Wyatt Earp, Matt Dillon, Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger. All the shows opened up with a gun fight.”

John Bush, a volunteer actor in the Iron Mountain Railway's Jesse James Gang, pretends to shoot a gun, while his wife, a depot volunteer, looks on. The couple moved to Southeast Missouri from Texas five years ago and has been enjoying being active in their new community since.Photo by Megan Casasola

John Bush, a volunteer actor in the Iron Mountain Railway's Jesse James Gang, pretends to shoot a gun, while his wife, a depot volunteer, looks on. The couple moved to Southeast Missouri from Texas five years ago and has been enjoying being active in their new community since.Photo by Megan Casasola

The following Saturday, he went out on the train to observe the show and says he quickly declared, “I’m in!” From that point on, John became a member of the Iron Mountain Railway’s Jesse James Gang, and Susan began volunteering at the depot, making sandwiches or sweets and selling tickets for a variety of railway adventures.

“I love meeting and talking with people,” Susan says. “They come from everywhere, and we’ve been amazed by the number of charter buses that bring in groups from all over the country and around the world.”

Over the past year, the Bushes have been surprised to find out many local residents have not been on the Iron Mountain Railway and are unaware that it moves and operates on a regular basis. But thanks to the 44 volunteers, of which Susan and John are proud to be a part, it helps the economy of Jackson and attracts a following from around the world. It’s a traveling history museum that is fun for all ages.

The themed trains run almost every Saturday between April and December, providing plenty of opportunities for volunteers to stay busy and engaged, both on the trains and behind the scenes. The Santa Express trains are already sold out for 2023, but there are also trains for Easter, Halloween, Father’s Day, Veterans Day, and more.

John and Susan Bush peek out of a train car at Iron Mountain Railway in Jackson. The couple enjoys volunteering with the organization.Photo by Megan Casasola

John and Susan Bush peek out of a train car at Iron Mountain Railway in Jackson. The couple enjoys volunteering with the organization.Photo by Megan Casasola

Though Susan continues to volunteer at the depot, she has discovered a love for the murder mystery and dinner train. Dressing in costume as a gypsy or the sister of a fashion designer allows her to express herself and showcase different parts of her personality. John is happy to play any role, but especially loves to interact with the younger passengers, often passing out blanks from the James Gang Robbery. Both Susan and John love the ad libbing that takes place between the volunteers and watching the passengers get into the scripts, as well.

“We thought we would do a lot of traveling and take a few big trips when we retired,” Susan says. “But we are having so much enjoyment right here in our community that we haven’t missed it.”

In fact, they’ve only been back to Texas twice: once for a wedding and once for a funeral. It seems that through their work at the Iron Mountain Railway, John has figured out how to bring a little bit of Texas with him to the Midwest.