Photo by Intelati, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Arkansas Missouri Railroad
4.4· 545 Google reviews
About Arkansas Missouri Railroad
Class III railroad operating freight + tourist excursion trains from Springdale, AR through the Boston Mountains to Van Buren on former St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) line; 134 miles of track. Excursion trains include Springdale-Van Buren round trip and seasonal dinner trains. EMD ALCO diesel power.
At a Glance
Verified daily- Type
- Heritage railroad & tourist attraction
- Location
- AR
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ 545 Google reviews
- Upcoming
- Sat, Jul 18
Upcoming Events
Plan Your Visit
- Parking
- Free lot
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance · accessible restroom · accessible parking
- Good For
- All ages
- Hours
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMTuesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMSaturday: ClosedSunday: Closed
Find the Depot
The Trains
The A&M long rostered an all-Alco/MLW diesel fleet — C-420s, T-6s, C-424s, M-420s, and single examples of the RS-32, HR-412, and RS-1 — until it began adding EMD SD70ACes in 2013, later picking up two SD70ACe-P4s in 2023. The excursion train is a rolling museum: coach No. 104 'Biloxi Blues,' a 1917 Pullman-built open-platform car from the Lackawanna's Hoboken suburban service that appeared in the Neil Simon film of the same name; Nos. 105 'Golden Age' and 106 'Mountain View,' 1927 Harlan & Hollingsworth coaches built for the New Jersey Central; parlor car No. 107 'Explorer,' rebuilt from a 1955–56 Pullman-Standard Long Island Rail Road coach; No. 108 'Silver Feather,' a 1948 Budd dome coach built for the Western Pacific's famous California Zephyr; and diner-lounge No. 109 'Spirit of Arkansas,' a 1950 Budd car that worked the Southern Pacific's Sunset Limited.
History
See full history
The Arkansas & Missouri is a working Class III short line whose route through the Boston Mountains was built between 1880 and 1882 by the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway — the Frisco. Successor Burlington Northern leased the line to the A&M in 1986, and the railroad completed its purchase of the property in early 2001. Headquartered in Springdale, the A&M operates 139.5 miles from Fort Smith, Arkansas to Monett, Missouri, interchanging with CPKC at Fort Smith, Union Pacific at Van Buren, and BNSF at Monett, and the line was substantially upgraded between 2002 and 2005 with continuous welded rail across the entire main line. Alongside seven-day-a-week freight service, the company runs seasonal passenger excursions between Springdale, Winslow, and Van Buren over a route featuring a tunnel and several major trestles, plus summer Sunday trains to Fort Smith, fall foliage specials, and a children's Holiday Express each December.
Around the Depot
Shiloh Museum of Ozark HistoryMuseum·★ 4.7 (241)5 min walkDirections →
Getting There & Staying Nearby
Optional trip extras from our travel partners.
Rent a Car
Most heritage railroads sit well off the interstate. Picking up a rental at the nearest airport is usually the easiest way in.
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Tours & Activities Nearby
Tours
Guided tours, day trips, and things to do around the area, bookable in advance through Viator.
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