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The Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad is a heritage railway located in Abilene, Kansas. It is a non-profit organization that offers public excursion train rides May through October. The depot is located in the Historic 1887 Rock Island Depot, Old Abilene Town, south of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum. A 1919 steam locomotive has been under restoration since 2005. It was first steamed up and moved under power in the fall of 2008. Starting May 23 2009 the ex-Santa Fe 3415 will be the only operational steam locomotive in the state of Kansas. Current plans are for the locomotive to pull the excursion train about once a month. When the steam engine isn't running the regular tourist train is pulled by an Alco S-1 locomotive that used to work for the Hutchinson Northern Railroad (HNRR). The locomotive, #4, was donated to the A&SVRR by the HNRR when it was retired. The locomotive is a type normally used for switching and has 660 horsepower. Dinner trains are operated once a month. The trip travels along an old Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad line that used to run from Herington, KS to Salina, KS. Currently the train operates on approximately 5.5 miles of trackage between Abilene, KS and Enterprise, KS. At Enterprise passengers are allowed to explore the caboose and locomotive. Seating in the diner or in open sided gondola cars is available. Once a month an all day excursion starting at Abilene to Woodbine, KS is operated. At Enterprise passengers are transferred to a hyrail bus. This bus travels on both road and rail. After a short tour of Enterprise the bus is place on a second section of trackage that extends east out of Enterprise, travels through Pearl, KS and ends in Woodbine, KS. The trip is narrated. At Woodbine lunch is provided as part of the ticket price. After lunch the bus will travel back to Enterprise with stops to showcase some of the older stone work buildings still located in the area. Upon arrival in Enterprise you board the afternoon train to return to Abilene. Caboose and locomotive cab rides are available at extra charge. See also External links
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