There will be special free train rides on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 2. on the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad. The excursion railroad will offer free rides on a first-come, first-served basis to passengers who come to the Rock Island Depot at 200 SE 5th in Abilene between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. that day. Trains will be powered by the prize of the railroad’s fleet of engines, the century-old Santa Fe 3415 steam locomotive. A&SV President and General Manager Ross Boelling said next Tuesday’s free trips will be shorter than the railroad’s normal two-hour round-trip excursion between Abilene and Enterprise. Instead, next Tuesday’s short rides will run from the depot to a stopping point just beyond Jeep Road. The shorter rides will last approximately 20-30 minutes.
