Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad

Friendly & Informative. Smokey Valley Railroad Abilene , Kansas.They talked about the PAST when and where the Railroad got started . Their organization is working hard to restore the Steam Engine and other cars for the public to Enjoy.

The Abilene and Snoky Valley Railroad is a tourist attraction in Abilene, Kansas. It is located next door to the Eisenhower homestead, library and museum.The train runs on tracks built in 1886 by the Rock Island Railroad. The railroad runs a variety of tours and helps show how the railroads helped Kansas to grow and expand.The steam engine is a piece of living history.

My husband and I booked this for our anniversary. Overall it was a disappointment. First the dinner... we did the bbq night. Honestly I have bought better frozen bbq from Sam's Club. The pulled chicken was flavorless. The pulled pork and brisket were a little better but equally unremarkable, and we were offered no bbq sauce, which would have helped the taste. And the baked beans tasted like they came from a can. I don't eat coleslaw but my husband was unimpressed. The corn bread tasted more like cake, which is probably good because they served bread pudding, which I don't care for. As for the ride... it was ok... but all they did was take us through farm fields to Enterprise, which had little to offer. Most rides like this would at least offer some tourist information on the area over an intercom but we got none of that. The trip was overpriced and unremarkable. I would not recommend it.

So if you love history that isn't talked about in school very much, this is a great opportunity to learn and see some things that will leave lasting impressions. It's a really neat way to tell about of America's history that kids will find interesting as well. The all volunteer staff are very friendly and rather knowledgeable about the parts and stories they oversee. The train ride is a must! It's were you get all the cool stories and can enjoy a very unique ride that you can't find anywhere else! The small reenactment town is pretty neat too and the actors are fun to interact with.

Despite the fact that I was the only passenger for the 10:00 am trip, I enjoyed my ride thoroughly. It was decided that the passenger rolling stock would not be pulled along for the trip so my seat was next to the engineer in the cab of the ALCO S-1. This was my first experience riding in the cab of an engine and I will never forget the sensation. What FUN!! The journey crosses fields and a rail bridge to the BNSF line. Oh, the folks/docents are all volunteers and they were all great to converse with. These folks also have an operating steam engine but unfortunately, that would run next week.

Oy. Cautionary dinner event. So i booked this Italian dinner train event for a wedding anniversary. The experience of being on a classic dinner car and steam engine was fantastic. The cost for this "dinner" is NOT justified. The chicken Alfredo noodles were cold mushy and sauce was congealed, as if prepared a week ago. The chicken on it was dry. The breadsticks were inedible and basically reheated, stale bread. The bean salad was cold and saturated in basic Italian dressing. Even the lettuce salad had a strange ranch/thousand island dressing. When the woman at another table next to us complained about the Alfredo being as above, the staff placed the entire plate-pasta, breadstick and cold bean salad-into the microwave (i could see her). When asked about alcohol, none was available. The apple pie was canned filling with some brown sugar/oatmeal on top. Where did my $50 upcharge go?? This dinner is not for someone looking for a gourmet experience. Don't go for the food.

I have ridden a large number of tourist railroads so decided my wife and I should celebrate our anniversary on the A&SV. We took the dinner train. It doesn't go far. It doesn't go fast. However the whole experience was wonderful. The chicken dinner was well prepared and was delicious including the strawberry short cake. The staff and crew are the friendlies you could ask for. I was even invited into the cab of the locomotive at the stop in Enterprise. Just a little gem of a train ride through the farm fields of Kansas.

went there 10/26/24 rode for 35 minutes one way at 10 mile an hour while the great pumpkin was playing over the speaker ,,rode to a field with pallets of pumpkins ,,, got off train picked out our free pumpkins got back on the train and rode back total time 2 hour kids could hardly of see out of flatcar,,, said train was a not for profit charity ... Myself i give it a 3 out of 5 stars neither good or bad,, BUT young kids 4 to 6 years seemed to like it after ride food truck was $8 to $10 a person to feed,,,,,,,,,,,,,,3 stars

So what I liked - Good Customer Service. Comfortable Ride. Steam Engine is pretty awesome!So what I didn't - the Bathrooms where dirty, the meal was picnic food (4 oz dry BBQ chicken, pork n' beans & potato salad for $50.00. The Dinner Car Appearance: It was painted an aweful mint green. I felt like I was in a hospital ward. The Train Car Appearance: It didnt look well cared for. The Train Ride: I can see the same things driving in the car, corn & soynean fields.I wanted to like this place. However, I wouldn't go again or tell my friends to go either. Please save your money & go somewhere else. Or go & get your picture taken by the steamer. It's free to walk up to the steam engine and then take your picture. I do treasure that one picture.