Sure, you can ride the train at the zoo or Grant’s Farm, but it’s a particularly unique experience to hop aboard a real steam-powered locomotive, complete with all the sights and sounds of this historical form of transportation. And St. Louisans easily can, after a short drive to the Wabash, Frisco & Pacific Railroad, located in Glencoe, Missouri, south of Manchester Road on Highway 109. “We’re a 12-inch gauge railroad, which means the locomotives are about 1/5 the size of what they normally are, but they’re real steam locomotives,” says Gregory Wapelhorst, a longtime railroad volunteer.
For just $4 (children 3 and younger ride free), visitors are treated to a 2-mile, 30-minute trip through the woods along the Meramec River. “The kids love it,” Wapelhorst says. “As the train approaches the station, it’s fun to watch their faces— some are amazed, some are scared. Many of them have never seen a steam engine before.”
This year, the railroad celebrates its 75th anniversary. It was founded in 1939, when a group of train enthusiasts bought a 12-inch gauge steam locomotive. Originally located at Brown and Natural Bridge roads, rising land values led to a move in 1961 to the railroad’s current location. Since then, the railroad association has laid more than a mile of track and built multiple buildings on-site, including a car barn in 1976 and a roundhouse in 1992.
From the start, the railroad has been run entirely by volunteers. “It’s all supported by ticket sales, memberships and a few donations,” Wapelhorst says. “Everyone who works there loves trains.” For many volunteers, that love runs deep—one of the railroad’s original founders, now 95 and a resident of Sacramento, recently spent time on the miniature locomotive when he was here for a visit.
Even though the train isn’t full-sized, it’s still run like a real steam railroad operation. “There’s basic rules we have to follow, and we have signals, dispatchers, and everything that a normal railroad would have,” Wapelhorst says. Volunteers perform various functions, including brakeman, engineer and conductor. Each role requires specific training, and those who rise to engineer must commit to working six days each season, Wapelhorst explains. Even younger train enthusiasts can try their hand at running the railroad: The minimum age for brakemen is 10, for conductors 18, and engineers must be 21.
Wapelhorst knows firsthand the appeal the Wabash, Frisco & Pacific can have for children. He first got involved with the railroad in 2003 after bringing his young grandson to visit. “We finally got him to leave after we rode three times,” he says. Wapelhorst then worked his way up to become a conductor, and his grandson often would join him. “He used to collect the tickets in his little overalls and striped hat,” he says. “He’s 16 now, and is qualified as a brakeman. He can’t wait to be an engineer.”
WHAT » ride a real steam-powered train along the Meramec River
WHERE » 101 Grand Ave. in Glencoe, Mo.
WHEN » Sundays, May through October
Photo courtesy of Wabash, Frisco & Pacific Railroad Association
