Along the Way

Southeast Missouri railroad connects past with present

Little kids love �em. Movies and books are filled with �em. History buffs can�t get enough of �em. There is something about trains that make us pause, reflect and wonder � and not just when stalled at a railroad crossing. Originally designed as a connection from point A to point B, in today�s world they do something even more important than that � they provide us with a strong connection to the past. Trains are powerful, purposeful and classic � and their roots are planted deep in Southeast Missouri.

A picture book rests near a window March 24, 2018, in Sikeston, Missouri.BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com

The railroad in Southeast Missouri was initially developed by a man named Louis Houck around 1881. Under a tight deadline, his crew completed the 15-mile track from Delta to Cape just in time for the arriving train. His workmanship was poor, and the operation was a little sketchy. But over time he paved the way for trains coming to and from the Cape Girardeau area on three separate lines, totaling over 500 miles of railroad in Southeast Missouri.

Even with the rough conditions on the tracks, the arrival of the railroad brought civilization and modernization to our part of the country, causing Cape Girardeau and the surrounding towns to flourish. Houck's railways were eventually taken over by the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and later merged with the Union Pacific. Of course by this point, automobiles had become the most common way for people to travel, leaving trains to do the heavy lifting of freight and cargo.

Connecting the Community

So what is it about trains and the railroad that produces a yearning for the past? And how does this feeling not only connect us to the past, but to each other?

It�s community. People coming together to do life with people. By preserving history and remembering the past, we are connecting to people we wouldn�t otherwise know. By maintaining the train depots, restoring the steam engines and repairing old cabooses, the history of the railroad is alive. And all because of the community members and volunteers who have showed up, stepped up and saved up to preserve culture around the railroad system and its local ties to Southeast Missouri.

�I got into trains because I loved restoring antiques and preserving history,� says one of Jackson�s Iron Mountain and Southern Railway�s train engineers, Danny Davis. �But it�s the people that I meet that keep me coming back.�

The people � like the young men he mentors on the operation of historical equipment, training them on steam engine and diesel mechanics, which prepare them for work on the railroad. The people � like the families that ride the Santa Express year after year and pop in to say hello throughout the spring, summer and fall months. The people � like the volunteers who return every week to help keep the railway a local attraction for the town of Jackson.

Elaine Moonier is one of those volunteers. She initially got involved at Iron Mountain and Southern Railway because her grandson loved trains. Together they spearheaded the $6,000 campaign to repaint the depot�s 1951 E8 diesel train engine and after that, never quit showing up.

�Eight years later, and he still loves them and has become a junior conductor on the train,� says Moonier.

Iron Mountain and Southern Railway is not the only depot with a thriving community. The Sikeston Depot has a museum dedicated to cultivating art and culture. Their beloved �red caboose� was completely rebuilt in 2014 after a family came forward with the idea of fundraising to repair the local landmark. Members of the community donated time and money to guide this project to completion.

In Poplar Bluff, the Mo-Ark Regional Railroad Museum includes over 146 years of train history and is home to a thirty foot model train, a Missouri Pacific caboose and a baggage car from Union Pacific. Poplar Bluff remains a stop on the passenger Amtrak line today.

While all three depots have their own focus, history and treasures, each of them could not stand without the support of the people who love them.

Traveling by Train

And some people really do love them. Just ask David Silverberg, long-term volunteer at Poplar Bluff�s museum and frequent traveler on AmTrak. In the last fifteen years, David and his wife have logged over 34,000 miles on the train, traveling to destinations across the country.

�It�s relaxing,� says Silverberg. �It�s nice to have someone do the driving for you. I don�t have to worry about getting there, so by the time we reach our destination, I am energized and ready to enjoy the trip.�

And isn�t that what life is about? Enjoying the trip. Remembering the past and those who paved the way for us, preparing for the future no matter what lies around the bend and ultimately living in the present. Loving people, building community and enjoying the ride.

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Want to participate in the railroad in Southeast Missouri? Check out our local depots� activities:

St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railway

252 E. Jackson Blvd.

Jackson, MO 63755

For family fun and entertainment, take a ride on a living history train through the Missouri countryside. Every experience is a new adventure � murder mystery, Jesse James, Santa express and the rest of your favorites are all back. Trains run on Saturdays, May 5th through December 22, 2018. To view the full schedule and make reservations, visit their website at www.slimrr.com, or call 573-243-1688.

The Sikeston Depot

116 West Malone Ave.

Sikeston, MO 63801

The Sikeston Depot�s museum is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and free to the public. The depot�s annual Cowboy Up! fundraiser is held in the beginning of August. The festival has evolved into an event for the whole family, offering free crafts and activities, live entertainment, festival food, vendors and rides for the kids. For more information or to volunteer at the museum, check out www.sikestondepotmuseum.com, or call the depot at 573-481-9967.

The Mo-Ark Regional Railroad Museum

303 Moran St.

Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

The Mo-Ark Regional Railroad Museum is open on Saturdays from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., and is free to the public. It is housed in the 1928 Frisco Depot, and dedicated to preserving the railroad history of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. If you have little train conductors in your life, watch their eyes light up as they explore the thirty-foot model train set. For more information, or to volunteer at the museum, call 573-785-4539.