Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad
Photo Courtesy of A&SV
A major rebuild of the Abilene and Smoky Valley’s main line track between Abilene and Enterprise, Kansas, is expected to begin next week according to railroad officials. The project, the first major upgrade on the former Rock Island and MKT line in nearly 60 years, is expected to be completed by the end of June and is expected to greatly improve the passenger experience and the overall safety of A&SV trains.
R&S Track Maintenance of Columbus, Nebraska, will start immediately once materials and machines are delivered to Abilene.
According to A&SV President and General Manager Ross Boelling, the project “will touch all our track between Enterprise and Abilene,” as the work progresses on long needed tasks that are vital to the railroad’s infrastructure. Boelling said R&S crews will focus on replacing switches in Abilene and Enterprise, replacing badly worn wooden ties, tightening trail joints, adding over 2,000 tons of granite rock ballast and tamping and leveling the roadbed foundation along the 5.5 miles of track connecting the two cities.
The price tag for these improvements is $588,395, made possible when the Kansas Department of Transportation included the Abilene and Smoky Valley in its Rail Safety Improvement Grant program in December. Boelling said three railroad maintenance companies submitted competitive bids for the work. A pre-bid meeting was held with interested companies in mid-April and proposals were submitted by May 1. The A&SV Board of Directors reviewed the bids, selected the winner, and shared the results with KDOT’s Freight and Rail Division, which authorized construction to begin effective on May 13.
“The scope of these improvements is beyond our financial means and the skill levels of our aging volunteer staff,” Boelling said. “We can handle most routine maintenance ourselves, but this project represents a major rebuild of our infrastructure, which is why KDOT’s support is so important to the future of our railroad.”
This project represents the A&SV’s third major investment in upgrading its main line track since 2022, when the railroad spent $380,000 to replace 3,500 badly worn ties. In 2023, the A&SV spent $60,000 to rebuild a small portion of the main line track and sidings at the Abilene and Enterprise terminals.
Boelling stressed that the A&SV will not cease operations during the rebuild. R&S Crews will work Monday through Thursday each week, and the A&SV will operate their scheduled trains on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the month of June.
There is one important financial caveat to the rebuilding project. The KDOT grant is a 70/30 match, which means that the A&SV will need to self-fund 30 percent (about $180,000) of the work. The railroad has procured a construction loan to cover the entire cost of the project and will be reimbursed by KDOT for up to 70 percent of the cost, or $411,876 as expenses accrue, leaving the A&SV to cover the balance.
Boelling said the railroad is currently working on grants and accepting donations to cover its share of construction costs. “It’s a catch 22,” he said. “We don’t want to take on additional debt, but we need to take advantage of KDOT’s 70 percent funding. We’re hopeful that we can end the project with only a small remaining loan balance.”
Donations or contributions can be mailed to the A&SV, PO Box 744, Abilene KS 67410 or made directly via their website at ASVRR.ORG. Boelling stressed that the A&SV is a 501(C) 3 non-profit association, meaning that any donations are tax deductible.
In 2024, the Kansas Legislature designated the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad as the official Kansas Heritage Railroad and their iconic 1919 Baldwin Pacific steam locomotive ATTSF 3415 as Kansas’ official Steam Locomotive. A&SV has operated between Abilene and Enterprise since 1993. Last year, 21,383 passengers from 58 percent of Kansas towns and cities, 45 states and at least 10 foreign countries traveled on A&SV excursion, dinner, and charter trains.
