
The Frisco Silver Dollar Line is a 2-foot narrow gauge heritage railroad and steam train attraction located at the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson, MO. The railroad first opened on May 27, 1962, making it the oldest operating attraction at SDC. In 2022, the railroad celebrated its 60th anniversary at the park. As of today, the line consists of a total of seven steam locomotives (four of which are currently operational) and two sets of four passenger cars (one old-style set and one new-style set).
Locomotive Roster[]
Current Locomotives[]
Image | Number | Builder | Build Date | Motive Power | Wheel Arrangement | Railroad | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 (Previously 82) | Orenstein & Koppel | 1934 | Steam | 0-4-0T | Peter Buescher & Sohn | Stored Out of Service | |
9 (Previously 76) | Davenport Locomotive Works | 1922 | Steam | 4-4-2 | Wayne Co. Board of Roads Commission | Display | |
13 | Orenstein & Koppel | 1938 | Steam | 0-4-0T (Previously 2-4-0T) | Kies und Schotterwerke Nordmark | Stored Out of Service | |
14 | Orenstein & Koppel | 1938 | Steam | 0-4-0T | Herman Sivers AG
Northfield & Cannon Valley |
Operational | |
43 | Orenstein & Koppel | 1934 | Steam | 0-4-0T (Previously 2-4-0T) | Peter Buescher & Sohn | Operational | |
76 | Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk | 1940 | Steam | 0-4-0T (Previously 2-4-0T) | Hans Vatter AG | Undergoing Running Gear Overhaul | |
504 | Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk | 1941 | Steam | 0-4-0 (Originally 0-4-0T) | Hans Vatter AG
Northfield & Cannon Valley |
Operational | |
Frameless | 2825 | Plymouth Locomotive Works | 1960-1970 | Diesel | (B) | Northfield & Cannon Valley | Operational |
Incidents[]
- On October 26, 2022, at around 6:00 pm, three cars of the new-style consist led by engine 504 jumped off the track and landed on their right side. There were approximately 160 guests onboard at the time of the derailment. Seven people, six guests and one crew member, were injured and transported to a nearby hospital, but no serious injuries or deaths were reported. The first three cars and 504's tender derailed while the locomotive and the last car remained on the track. Following the horrific incident, the ride was closed and the cause of the derailment was investigated by both Silver Dollar City and Missouri State investigators. Unfortunately, the railroad was unable to reopen for Silver Dollar City's 2022 Old Time Christmas season and later reopened for Silver Dollar City's 2023 season on March 24, 2023.
- On May 25, 2023, a second derailment occurred behind the Fireman's Landing area of the park, this time involving the old-style consist and engine 14. The sudden jolt in the tracks from the derailment caused the rear two cars to detach from the rest of the train. The ride was immediately closed after the sudden incident and later reopened on May 28, 2023 after a quick investigation.
Trivia[]
- Engine 7, nicknamed Old Engine 82, was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Berlin, Germany in 1934. It was acquired by Silver Dollar City and is placed on display in the woods as Old Engine 82. The fictional story goes as follows; Engineer Ichabod Q. Peabody as he took this engine with a speed limit of 2.3 MPH at the raging, blazing speed of 11.7 MPH. The train jumped the tracks and crashed in the trees, but nobody was hurt in the accident. They sobered up Ichabod and got him running the train again.
- Engine 9, nicknamed the Davenport, was originally built by the Davenport Locomotive Works of Davenport, IA in 1922 as an 0-4-0ST type. It was later converted into a 4-4-2 type by its previous owner, Henry Ford. It was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 1961 and operated on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line from the railroad's opening in 1962 until the 1980s. It was originally numbered 76 when it was in operation, but has since been renumbered to 9.
- Engines 13 and 14 were built by Orenstein & Koppel of Berlin, Germany in 1938. 13 was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 1967 and 14 was acquired by SDC in 2016. 13 operated as a 2-4-0T type, but will be converted back into an 0-4-0T type during its upcoming overhaul.
- Engine 43 was built by Orenstein & Koppel of Berlin, Germany in 1934. It was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 1965 and operated as a 2-4-0T type until early 2019 when it was converted back into an 0-4-0T type.
- Engine 76 was built by Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk of Czechoslovakia in 1940. It was acquired by Silver Dollar City in the 1980s where it replaced Davenport engine 9 (originally numbered as 76) in service on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line. It operated as a 2-4-0T type until early 2019 when it was converted back into an 0-4-0T type.
- Engine 504 was originally built by Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk of Czechoslovakia in 1941 as an 0-4-0T type. In the 1970s, it was acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, MN for his own private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad where he converted it from an 0-4-0T type tank engine to an 0-4-0 type tender engine. After Jim Machacek passed away in 2012, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016 where it still operates as a tender engine on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line today.
- Engine 2825 was built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works of Plymouth, OH between 1960 and 1970 and is a little diesel switcher. In the 1970s, it was acquired by James "Jim" Machacek of Northfield, MN for his own private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad. It was used on the N&CV until the railroad's permanent closure in 2007 when a newly-acquired caboose crushed a railroad volunteer to death. After Jim Machacek passed away in 2012, it was acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016 along with 504 and 14 and is used primarily as the Frisco Silver Dollar Line roundhouse diesel switcher.
- 14 and 504 were originally owned by Jim Machacek of Northfield, NM for his private railroad called the Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad. 504 operated on the N&CV until the railroad's permanent closure in 2007 when a newly-acquired caboose crushed a railroad volunteer to death. Both engines would later be acquired by Silver Dollar City in 2016 after Jim Machacek's passing in 2012.
- In early 2014, 76 was taken out of service temporarily for a major overhaul and a replacement of the boiler. It later returned to service on November 7, 2015 for Silver Dollar City's 2015 Old Time Christmas season.
- Originally, 504 was to be renumbered to 77 to work on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line. However, an agreement was made with the now-defunct Northfield & Cannon Valley Railroad to keep its original number.
- In 2017, Davenport 9 was placed on display near the Frisco Silver Dollar Line train depot.
- In early 2018, 13 was taken out of service indefinitely and is currently being used temporarily as a spare parts source for its sister engine, 14, but it will eventually undergo a major overhaul to be put back into service again.
- 43 and 76 temporarily operated as 2-4-0T types, but were both later converted back into 0-4-0T types in early 2019. 13 will also be converted back into an 0-4-0T type when it eventually undergoes its upcoming major overhaul.
- In early 2020, 504 was taken out of service temporarily for installation of a new drawbar and other major improvements. It later returned to service on March 17, 2021 for Silver Dollar City's opening day for the 2021 season.
- In 2021, 2825 was repainted from a black paint scheme to a red paint scheme.
- In August 2021, 76 was taken out of service again temporarily for a running gear overhaul, as well as some repairs to the frame. It will eventually be prt back into service again when the running gear overhaul and repairs to the frame is complete.
- In 2022, the Frisco Silver Dollar Line celebrated its 60th anniversary at Silver Dollar City.
- In March 2022, Davenport 9 was fitted with a new pilot, a bell, and a Chinese 5-chime whistle.
- The Frisco Silver Dollar Line has a collection of whistles that they use to switch around their operable engines, including an AT&SF 6-chime, a D&RGW 5-chime, a CMO 3-chime, and several others. In 2022, the Frisco Silver Dollar Line would start loaning whistles from a private collector to be used at the park for the season, including a Longbell Hancock 3-chime, a Frisco 6-chime, an SP 6-chime, a CN 3-chime, and several others.
- All four operable steam engines on the Frisco Silver Dollar Line fire on No. 2 fuel oil.
- During the Old Time Christmas season at the park, the train is decked-out in Christmas lights and becomes the "Frisco Sing-Along Steam Train". During this time, the traditional train robbery show is replaced by grandpa telling the reason of the Christmas season.