Boone Dinner Train

Saturday Jim took me out for my birthday - a trip on Boone's Dinner Train! A little delayed because of his football officiating schedule, but it turned out to be a beautiful Fall day with all the trees starting to turn color, so it was just perfect!

We decided to do a little sight-seeing along the way. First we stopped to look at the old and NEW Kate Shelly Bridge. The brown trestle bridge was built over 109 years ago and needed to be replaced as trains could only go 25 mph as they crossed. It's 2550 feet long and rises 185 feet into the air! When it was built it was billed as the highest double track railroad bridge in the world.

This is the new bridge. Jim's crews were brought in to redo the last five of the piers done by another company. (should've called Longfellow first, huh?!) Isn't it something? It just opened a couple of weeks ago - now trains can run 70 mph and do so about one every 30 minutes. We got lucky to see a train cross the new bridge! (click to see video)

The bridge itself is really amazing to see, but the story behind her namesake, Kate Shelley, is what's really fascinating. The cliff notes version: 15 year old Kate Shelly lived with her mother and siblings near the train tracks in Moingona, Iowa, not far from this bridge. Her father had died years earlier in a railroad accident and one of her brothers had drown in the Des Moines river, and her Mother wasn't doing well. On July 6, 1881, it started to rain again, soaking the already saturated Iowa ground. The waterways were rising all around them and at 10 PM, Kate went out to release the hogs and cattle from the stable to allow them to find safety elsewhere. About 11 PM Kate and her Mother heard a train crash into swollen Honey Creek. Kate assumed the bridge had washed out and she grabbed a shirt, her hat, a lantern and went out into the storm to investigate. She found two men of the crew of four hanging onto trees. She told them she'd go get help, but also knew another train was due to cross that bridge at Midnight. She had to cross the Des Moines River railroad bridge to reach the Moingona Depot to stop that train.

The wind and rain blew out the flame in her lantern before she reached the bridge, so she began to walk across with only the lightning to illuminate her path. What made this trek even more treacherous, were the missing planks the railroad had removed to discourage people from walking on the bridge. A gust of wind nearly blew her off the rickety trestle and she decided she'd go the rest of the way on her hands and knees. As she did so, the spikes tore at her clothes and skin and splinters ate up her hands. A large tree that had been ripped from the bank of the river thrashed at the bridge and she thought sure the bridge wouldn't hold, but it eventually passed between two braces, soaking her with water. After what seemed like and eternity I'm sure, her hand felt the muddy bank. She rose and began running the quarter mile to the depot. Opening the door, someone inside shouted that she must be crazed and Kate fainted, falling to the floor. Thankfully, the depot clerk recognized her and called ahead to stop the Midnight express, saving 200 people. When she came to, Kate explained what had happened and then led them to the downed train, where they saved the two men. The third man's body washed up in a cornfield a few days later. The fourth was never found. Kate was hailed as a hero all over the world. You can read more of her life story here.

Here's the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad's train station. It's really a fun place to visit, with all kinds of train cars and engines to see.

All aboard! These bright yellow train cars came from San Franciso and Los Angeles . Two were dinning cars and one was a sleeping car.

Jim, being the big romantic, reserved a private car for our dinner!

Shrimp cocktail, rolls and salad awaited us when we boarded

While we awaited the main course, we roamed about the train. Here is one of the dining cars.

And then we went outside on the observation platform at the rear of the train to OOO and Ahhh at the passing fields and colorful trees. I videoed us going over the bridge. You'll get a kick out of listening to the group of gals on the platform with us. They were having a GREAT time!!

After a wonderful prime rib dinner, we settled in for turtle cheesecake for dessert and the relaxing trip back into Boone. The whole trip took two and a half hours, but the time just flew by. I wish it could've lasted longer. --Made you take a moment and think about how folks back in that time must've marveled at how fast a train could carry them from place to place. Such a slower paced time than what we have now.

What a fabulous birthday present! Thanks my Sweetie!!