The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society

01/31/2026

Get ready for our season opening of our Railroad Museum, our set date to open will be April 2, 2026.

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01/31/2026

Our Friend, Murphy, made this for us.

01/19/2026

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12/15/2025

Here is the same letter but it had been edited and rewriting....

From the Desk of "The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society"
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Hello, My name is Brian Waller, Founder and President of The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society. I would like to bring your attention to the following notice.

For more than 20 years, since the passing of the original owner Robert (Bob) Dortch, Jr. II in November 2002, The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railroad (Railway) has suffered from ongoing disrepair and lack of maintenance. This includes, but is not limited to, the track structure, rights-of-way, railroad yard and wye areas, depot, and related facilities. We understand that Mary Jane Dortch, Bob Dortch’s wife, passed away in July 2023. The railroad continues to operate under the control of David Dortch and his brother Robert Dortch, Jr. III.

The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society has been working to save the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway since August 2006, when we learned that the railroad had been listed for sale as early as October 1999. From 1999 to the present (2025), more than 25 years have passed. We remain committed to saving this historic railroad. Our goal is to purchase the property and restore it to its former glory. The original asking price in 1999 was $1,750,000, and the most recently listed price was $1,700,000. The price is now negotiable.

Our restoration plans include returning the Depot to its original condition as constructed in 1912–1913. We plan to rehabilitate the tracks and rights-of-way from the Depot to the wye, including all railroad bridges, with new rail, ties, and related infrastructure. The Railroad Yard Area will also be restored, including all sidings, the turntable, and the water tower. In addition, we plan to rehabilitate the public restroom building and construct a new snack shop and gift shop.

All locomotives and rolling stock—including engines, passenger coaches, boxcars, flatcars, tank cars, and lunch/dinner train cars—will be restored. A new kitchen building will be constructed to serve as a Commissary Kitchen for the lunch and dinner trains. These efforts will allow for the restoration of the Power Plant/Ice House building, located approximately 500 feet south of the Depot, for use as a museum. Another future museum will be established in the former Eureka Springs Railroad Freight Depot, located approximately 500 feet north of the Depot. Both buildings are part of our long-term plans.

Additional future plans include the construction of a four-stall brick roundhouse with an attached machine shop, a two-stall car maintenance shop located across the main line from the Freight Depot Museum, and the return of steam locomotives to operate excursion trains. Planned track extensions include eastward expansion from the wye toward the historic railroad tunnel and beyond, as well as westward expansion toward Beaver, Arkansas, and ultimately Seligman, Missouri, west-northwest of the wye.

The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society also intends to operate the railroad as an educational resource, teaching the public about railroad operations, safety, and history.

We are currently seeking investors, backers, and supporters who wish to help save and restore the Historic Eureka Springs Railroad.

Once a purchase agreement is negotiated with the Dortch family, the Society will become the new owner. Initial staffing plans include approximately 20 positions, including a Railroad Manager, Railroad Supervisor, ticket agents, snack and gift shop staff, train crews (engineers, conductors, and brakemen), lunch/dinner train service staff, cooks, and yard and maintenance personnel. Additional staff will be hired as operations expand.

If you are interested in helping The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society save this historic railroad, please contact us at 1‑417‑207‑9377.

Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,
The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society

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12/15/2025

Here the letter from The Desk of The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society....

From The Desk of "The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society"

Hello, My name is Brian Waller, I am Founder/President of The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society. I want to direct your attention to this letter/notice bellow.

We at The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society want to direct your attention to The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railroad (Railway), For over 20 years or so since the original owner Robert (Bob) Dortch, Jr., the 2nd, pass away in November 2002. The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway had been fallen into disrepairs and upkeeps, for example: the tracks, right-of-ways, railroad yard area and the wye area, the railroad depot, Etc... As of now we have heard that Mary Jane Dortch, Bob wife, pass away in July 2023. The Railroad is still operating under control of David and his brother, Robert Dortch, Jr., the 3rd.

We at The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society had been working on trying to Save The Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway since August 2006, when we found out The Railroad was for sale, since October 1999. Since 1999 to now, (2025), it have been a little over 25 years. We will continue to work on trying to Save The Historic Eureka Springs Railroad, Our plans is to purchase The Railroad and restore it back to it back to it former glory. The Asking Price in 1999 was $1,750,000.00, the last price listed was $1,700.000.00, the price is negotiable now.

The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society plans are to restore the Depot back to it original condition, as it was built in 1912-1913. They also plans to reworks the tracks and right-of-ways from the Depot to the wye, all railroad bridges will be included, with all new tracks and ties, etc..., next they will reworks the Railroad Yard Area, which will include all sidings, turntable, and water tower, this will also include reworking the public restrooms building and building a new snacks shop and a new giftshop buildings. They will start reworking all Engine's and Passenger Coaches, Boxcars, Flatcars, Tankers, Etc... this will include the Lunch/Dinner Train cars, there will be a new kitchen building built to house the "Commissary Kitchen" for the Lunch/Dinner Train. Doing this will make ways to rebuilding and restoring The Power Plant/Ice House building for use as a Museum, this building is located just about 500 feet South of The Railroad Depot. Another building the will be rebuilt and use as a museum which will be the old Eureka Springs Railroad Fright Depot, which is about 500 feet or so just North of the Depot. Both The Power Plant/Ice House and The Railroad Fright Depot will be in the future plans.

Others Plans The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society have for The Historic Eureka Springs Railroad will be, of course future plans, is to have a 4 stalls brick round house with machine shop, behind roundhouse, a two stalls car maintenance shop, across main line from The Railroad Fright Depot Museum. Steam Locomotives will returned back to The Historic Eureka Springs Railroad to pull the Excursion trains only. Other Future Plans are to extension from the wye eastward toward old Railroad Tunnel and beyond and westward to Beaver, Arkansas and beyond to Seligman, Missouri, West-Northwest of the wye.

We, The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society, will also be setting the railroad up as a education purposes to teach everyone about railroad operation and safety, etc...

We at The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society are looking for Investors, Backers, and anyone who would like to help see this Railroad save and restore. As we mention earlier the purchasing price is negotiable. After we, The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical \& Preservation Society, and The Dortch's negotiate on a price, The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society will become the new owner, along with hiring 20 peoples to fill each positions require, Railroad Manager, Railroad Supervisor, 2 Tickets Agents, 4 Snack and Gift Shop Agents, 3 Train Crews (Engineer, Brakemen, Conductor), 2 wait staffs for Lunch/Dinner Trains, 2 cooks, and 5 extra for yard/train maintenance crews, this is for now, in the future more help will be hire.

If you interested in helping The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society in Saving The Historic Eureka Springs Railroad, Please contact us at 1-417-207-9377.

Thank You for reading this, if you have any other questions, please contact The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society.

Thanks,
The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society

12/13/2025

Hello, we would like to hear from our followers and see if they were able to open and view our letter from desk??

Please view last post.....

12/11/2025

Hello to all new and old followers,

We posted yesterday that we have a letter from our desk of The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society. This Letter from our Desk mainly focus on our plans to Save and Restore The Historic Eureka Springs Railroad, which is located at 299 North Main Street, Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Not all of our plans are listed in our letter, but it will give you some idea on what we have plans for the railroad.

To open you will need "Notepad" on your computer. if you can't open it, please let us know.

Thanks,
The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society

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12/10/2025

A Letter from the Desk of The Eureka Springs Railroad Historical & Preservation Society coming soon... Stay tuned for more information.

11/29/2025

Here are some pictures of our work did, "Waller Flats" and "Pilot Junction" is all taken up and old ties had been removed, roadbed still in place, that is our next step.

07/22/2025

They took flight so future generations could reach new heights.