RIDE SCHEDULE 2026
NOTICE: UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, ALL FIRST IOWA DIVISION RIDES REQUIRE NARCOA INSURANCE AND ALL NARCOA RULES WILL APPLY .
April 25, 2026 - Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad - Boone, IA
We are starting the 2026 ride season on the B&SVRR. Early set on Friday evening will be between 5 and 7pm with a possible night run about 7pm for those interested. We plan to have three trips during the day on Saturday and a night run following the return of the dinner train. Enjoy the 156' high bridge and the Des Moines River bridge by the Y-Camp. Round trip mileage is about 20 miles for each run. Saturday set on at the depot will start at 6:30am with an 8:45am departure following a safety meeting at 8:30am. We'll make one run in the morning and then drive out to the Pizza Ranch on south Story St. for our annual FID membership meeting. We hope to get in two additional runs in the afternoon following the meeting and before the dinner train pulls into the station to board passengers at 5pm. A night run will follow the return of the dinner train.
Preregistration is required. Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and payment to excursion coordinator Carl Schneider.
Preregistration cost of this excursion is $30 ( $40 day of ride or after April 12th ). Please make checks out to: First Iowa Division. Full refunds will be issued for cancellations up to the day of the excursion. Current membership in the Iowa Railroad Historical Society ($25) is a railroad requirement. Print off the IRHS membership form above if needed and include it with your payment. Please make out check for the IRHS to: Iowa Railroad Historical Society. Carl Schneider is the EC for this excursion with Asst. ECs Stu Remmers and Gary Pyle.
Motels in Boone are the Super 8 ( 515-432-8890 ), American Inn 2215 Story St. (515-432-4322). Baymont Inn (515-432-8168).
Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
For questions or further information contact Carl at (515) 494-4401 or by email (m[email protected]).
May 22 &23 2026 - Red River Valley & Western - Breckenridge, MN
First Iowa Division will host a 1-day excursion at Breckenridge, MN. Early set on will be available late Friday afternoon and early evening at the roundhouse track at Breckenridge. Saturday’s excursion will travel north and westerly to just east of Ransom Junction at Sheldon, ND via Wahpeton and Davenport Junctions with a stop both ways at Kindred. Lunch will be available to purchase at Sheldon. Please write down the number of meals you would like to reserve. Approximate round trip mileage for this excursion is 124 miles.
An excursion packet will be emailed out to those who preregister. Last minute attendees are welcomed but you will need to bring your own lunch. Call Excursion Coordinator Dave Voeltz at 605-280-5551 for details. Hyrails permitted at the front behind the escort. The event is sponsored by First Iowa Division. NARCOA insurance and rules apply. Mentoring IS NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS EXCURSION.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be prepared to maintain the pace set by the
railroad pilot, maintain a safe following distance while keeping the
car in front of you within easy visual distance, operate with diligence,
obey all instructions from the Pilot and the
EC, and meet all call times without exception. If you, or your motorcar
design, are consistently unable to keep up with the team, or are
unwilling to comply with instructions, you and your car will be set off
at the next accessible crossing with no refund.
Additional information: AmericInn Lodge & Suites Wahpeton, ND - (701) 642-8365; Baymont Inn and Suites Wahpeton, ND - (701) 642-5000; Rodeway Inn Wahpeton, ND - (701) 642-1115; Travelodge Wahpeton, ND – (701) 484-0378; Select Inn Hotel Breckenridge MN –(218)-643-9201;
Cost of this excursion is $70 ($80 day of ride or after May 9th). Please make checks out to: First Iowa Division. Full refunds minus a $10 cancellation fee will be issued for cancellations up to the day of the excursion. Price includes ride fee, host gratuity and other associated excursion expenses but does not include meals and motels.
Event Coordinator: Dave Voeltz; Asst. Coordinators: Carl Schneider, Stuart Remmers, Gary Pyle.
Contact:
Dave Voeltz
801 N. Harrison Ave.
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-2303
Phone: 605-280-5551
E-Mail: [email protected]
May 24/25, 2026 - Dakota Missouri River Valley & Western –Britton, SD
First Iowa Division will host a 2-day Excursion at Britton, SD. Sunday’s excursion will travel to Aberdeen Junction and back in the morning/early afternoon. There is also an evening excursion to Geneseo Jct and back with a meal stop at Rutland, ND. Monday’s excursion will travel back to Rutland and morning coffee at the Rutland Senior Center. We will then turn our cars and proceed to Amherst SD for a lunch at Todd’s Tavern. We will then turn our cars and proceed back to Britton and set off. Approximate round trip mileage for this excursion is 221 miles. An excursion packet will be emailed out to those who preregister. Call Excursion Coordinator Dave Voeltz at 605-280-5551 for details. Hyrails permitted at the front behind the escort. The event is sponsored by First Iowa Division. NARCOA insurance and rules apply. Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
Additional information:Motels in Britton: Northern Lights Inn - 605-448-2438 (NOTE: there is a wedding in town Saturday evening, May 23 and the rooms are currently reserved through May 15th. Unbooked rooms will be available to book May 16th. Rooms were available for Sunday evening May 24th when this was posted)
Sunset Motel 605-448-2205.(This is a 50’s vintage older primitive budget motel) This should be a secondary choice.
Motel in Forman ND, (28 miles from Britton) Forman Inn & Suites 701-724-4094 108 South Ave West [email protected]
Motel in Webster, SD (43 miles from Britton): Boomers Outback Motel – 605-345-3323. 6 rooms available with 2 full sized beds. $90 + tax per night.
Breckinridge, MN/Wahpeton ND is 90 minutes from Britton in case you want to stay there after the RRVWRR excursion on Saturday and drive down Sunday morning
Preregistration is required. Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and payment to excursion coordinator Dave Voeltz.
Cost of this excursion is $70 ($80 day of ride or after May 9th). Please make checks out to: First Iowa Division. Full refunds will be issued for cancellations up to the day of the excursion. Price includes ride fee, host gratuity, and other associated excursion expenses but does not include meals and motels.
Event Coordinator: Dave Voeltz; Asst. Coordinators: Carl Schneider, Stuart Remmers, Gary Pyle
Contact:
Dave Voeltz
801 N. Harrison Ave.
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-2303
Phone: 605-280-5551
E-Mail: [email protected]
..
June 13, 2026–Redfield Depot Day–Redfield, SD
First Iowa Division was asked to recruit cars to participate at the city’s annual Railroad Depot Day event. Participants will provide rides to the public on a .8 mile length of track. Lunch will be provided. Rides are usually offered from 10 am until 4 pm. Call Excursion Coordinator Dave Voeltz at 605-280-5551 to register. Hyrailsare welcomed. The event is sponsored by the City of Redfield and we will operate under their insurance. This is a NON NARCOA event but NARCOA rules apply. Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
Additional information:Super 8 605-574-1339 826 West 4th St, Redfield, South Dakota
There is no cost to participate.
Event Coordinator: Dave Voeltz
Contact:
Dave Voeltz
801 N. Harrison Ave.
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-2303
Phone: 605-280-5551
E-Mail: [email protected]
July 18 & 19, 2026 - Ringneck & Western Railroad – Oacoma, SD
Canceled for this year due to track work.
August 1, 2026 – Iowa Southern Railway - Centerville, IA.
First Iowa Division will host a 1-day excursion at Centerville, IA.on Saturday, August 1, set-on will be on E. O’Neal St. near the elevator (south end of town and east of Highway 5) and will begin at 7:00 AM with a safety meeting at 8:15 and departure at 8:30AM. Vehicles and trailers can be parked at the set-on site. We will run from Centerville to the diamond south of Moravia and back twice in the morning, take a luch break, and then run again twice in the afternoo. Each round trip is about 40 mjiles wich a possible grand daily total of 160 miles. Since this is a 'members only' excursion, we will not be providing rides to the publis as in the past several years due to insurance restrictions. The First Iowa Iowa Division will be making a donation to the Centerville Historical Society since they can't sell rides to the public as a fund raiser.
Preregistration is Required. Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and payment to excursion coordinator Carl Schneider. An excursion packet will be emailed to those who preregister. Cost for the ride is $45.
NARCOA insurance and rules apply. For additional details contact Carl Schneider ( 515-494-4401 ).
Motels in Centerville are:
Super 8, 1021 N. 18th St. (641-323-2167)
Westbridge Inn & Suites, 117 N. 18th St. (641-437-7272)
.
Hotels available in Luverne include
-
Econo Lodge
-
Grandstay Hotel and Suites
- Super8
Cost for this excursion is $40 ($50 for those registering after August 7). Please make checks payable to First Iowa Division. Price includes the ride fee, host gratuity and other associated expenses, but does not include meals or motels.
Event Coordinator: Gary Pyle
Contact
Gary Pyle
403 West Main Avenue
Rockford IA 50468
641.530.4774
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August 22, 2026 - Minnesota Prairie Line – North Redwood, MN
The First Iowa Division will host a 1-day ride on the MPLI Railroad at North Redwood, MN. We hope to be able to set on Friday afternoon for early arrivals. Saturday set on begins at 6:30am. Safety meeting starts at 7:45 am with a scheduled departure at 8:15am. We will ride from North Redwood to Winthrop and back in the morning, take a late lunch break, then travel to Belview and back in the afternoon. We will stop at Fairfax to visit the restored depot in the morning and the restored depot at Belview in the afternoon. Approximate round trip mileage for this excursion is 98 miles.
An excursion packet will be emailed out to those who preregister. Last minute attendees are welcomed. Call Excursion Coordinator Dave Voeltz at 605-280-5551 for details. Hyrails permitted at the front behind the escort. The event is sponsored by First Iowa Division. NARCOA insurance and rules apply. Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be prepared to maintain the pace set by the
railroad pilot, maintain a safe following distance while keeping the
car in front of you within easy visual distance, operate with diligence,
obey all instructions from the Pilot and the
EC, and meet all call times without exception. If you, or your motorcar
design, are consistently unable to keep up with the team, or are
unwilling to comply with instructions, you and your car will be set off
at the next accessible crossing with no refund.
Additional information: Motels: (Preferred) Redwood Lodge. Redwood Falls - 507-644-5700. SPECIAL GROUP RATE: 15 Rooms @ $125 plus tax. Must ask for the NARCOA RAILCAR Rate. Offer good through July 1st. or until special rate rooms are reserved. Other motels via Google search.
Cost of this excursion is $80 ($90 day of ride or after August 8th). Please make checks out to: First Iowa Division. Full refunds minus a $10 cancellation fee will be issued for cancellations up to the day of the excursion. Price includes ride fee, host gratuity and other associated excursion expenses but does not include meals and motels.
Event Coordinator: Dave Voeltz; Asst. Coordinators: Carl Schneider, Stuart Remmers, Gary Pyle
Contact:
Dave Voeltz
801 N. Harrison Ave.
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-2303
Phone: 605-280-5551
E-Mail: [email protected]
Aug. 23, 2026 - Twin Cities & Western Railroad - Olivia, MN
The First Iowa Division will host a 1-day ride over the Twin Cities & Western’s Line at Olivia MN. Sunday set on begins at 6:30am. Safety meeting starts at 8:00 am with a scheduled departure at 8:30 am. We will travel from Olivia, MN to Norwood Young America MN and back. Lunch will be available to purchase at a nearby eatery at Norwood Young America. Approximate round trip mileage for this excursion is 106 miles.
An excursion packet will be emailed out to those who preregister. Last minute attendees are welcomed. Call Excursion Coordinator Dave Voeltz at 605-280-5551 for details. Hyrails permitted at the front behind the escort. The event is sponsored by First Iowa Division. NARCOA insurance and rules apply. Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
PLEASE NOTE: You must be prepared to maintain the pace set by the
railroad pilot, maintain a safe following distance while keeping the
car in front of you within easy visual distance, operate with diligence,
obey all instructions from the Pilot and the
EC, and meet all call times without exception. If you, or your motorcar
design, are consistently unable to keep up with the team, or are
unwilling to comply with instructions, you and your car will be set off
at the next accessible crossing with no refund.
dditional information: Motels: (Preferred) Redwood Lodge. Redwood Falls - 507-644-5700. SPECIAL GROUP RATE: 15 Rooms @ $125 plus tax. Must ask for the NARCOA RAILCAR Rate. Offer good through July 1st. or until special rate rooms are reserved. Other nearby lodging: Americas Best Value Inn, Morton MN– 507-200-3355; Be sure to check ratings.
Cost of this excursion is $80 ($90 day of ride or after August 8th). Please make checks out to: First Iowa Division. Full refunds minus a $10 cancellation fee will be issued for cancellations up to the day of the excursion. Price includes ride fee, host gratuity and other associated excursion expenses but does not include meals and motels.
Event Coordinator: Dave Voeltz; Asst. Coordinators: Carl Schneider, Stuart Remmers, Gary Pyle
Contact:
Dave Voeltz
801 N. Harrison Ave.
Pierre, South Dakota 57501-2303
Phone: 605-280-5551
E-Mail: [email protected]
September 18 & 19, 2026 – Black Hills Central Railroad– Hill City, SD
First Iowa Division will host a 2-day excursion at Hill City, SD. The excursion will consist of six round trips from Hill City to Keystone.
Friday, set on occurs from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Safety Meeting starts at 1:40 pm with a 2 pm departure. We depart in front of the train, travelto Keystone, and return to Keystone Junction to hold for the eastbound train. Immediate departure to Hill City after train passes. After the passenger train arrives back at Hill City, we will depart for Keystone. Once there, we will spend appx 2-1/2 hours there to explore and have dinner on your own. 8:30 pm planned departure from Keystone to Hill City. There will be two round trips this day.
Saturday, set on will be available for late arrivals from 6:00 amuntil 6:30 am. Safety meeting starts at 6:45 am with a 7:00 am departure to Keystone and back. There will be three round trips in the morning. In the early afternoon, we depart to Oblivion siding where we will have an “On Your Own” lunch and wait for the steam train to pass us. We will then follow it to Keystone and back to Hill City and set off. There will be 4 round trips this day. Set off will be around 5 pm.
Approximate round trip mileage for this excursion is 108 miles. This ride is limited to 25 cars.
The event is sponsored by First Iowa Division. NARCOA insurance and rules apply. Call Excursion Coordinator Gary Pyle at 6415304774for details. Hyrails NOT permitted at this excursion due to tight turns. NO MENTORING ALLOWED due to the challenging characteristics of this mountain railroad. Experienced 2 cycle operators with strong running well maintained cars are welcomed.
SPECIAL RAILROAD REQUIREMENTS: All cars must be equipped with functioning 2-Way radios so communication can be maintained between cars. Cars must also be equipped with a BRIGHT headlight that provide adequate illumination for the night excursion. 2 headlights are preferred. All cars must meet minimum NARCOA standards including appropriate spark arrestors and/or fire extinguishers. NO EXTERNAL GAS CANS may be carried on the cars during the excursion.
Additional information: Super 8 - 605-574-4141 Holiday Inn Express - 605-574-4040 Western Golden Spike Inn & Suites - 605-547-2577 Quality Inn - 605-574-2100
Preregistration is required. Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and payment to excursion coordinator Gary Pyle.
The price of the trip is $80. Price includes ride fee, and does not include motels and meals.
Excursion Coordinator: Gary Pyle
403 West Main Ave
Rockford, IA50468-1192
Phone: (641) 530-4774
E-Mail: [email protected]
October 3 & 4, 2026 - Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
October 24, 2026- Missouri Eastern Railroad - Labadie, MO....
The First Iowa Division will host a 1-day excursion on the Missouri Eastern Railroad. Seton will be in Labadie, Missouri. We will ride east to Centaur Road west of Chesterfield, MO, and to Union, MO in the morning with an additional afternoon run to Centaur Road. There will also be an optional catered box lunch at the Labadie, MO community center and church next to the seton lot. Total miles for the day are 77 miles.
This excursion will have a 20-car limit due to parking and the extra planning involved. Registration will close on October 10th with no more registrations being accepted after that date. Full refundswill be guaranteed up to October 10th. Following that date, full refunds will only be given if you can be replaced by someone on the waiting list.
The cost of this excursion is $65 and includes the ride fee, host gratuity and other associated excursion expenses but does not include meals and motels.
Additional comments: No Hy-rails allowed. No Mentoring allowed.
To Register: Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and $65 to excursion coordinator Stuart Remmers. An excursion packet containing the paperwork and information about the optional catered meal will be mailed to you during the first week in September. It must be returned to me by October 10th.
Hotels: There are no hotels in Labadie, but several within a few minutes.
West of Labadie:
Best Western - 2621 E Fifth St, Washington, MO 63090 - (636)-390-8877
Super 8 - 2081 Eckelkamp Ct, Washington, MO 63090 – (636)-875-1616
Super 8 - 1015 E Main St, Union, MO 63084 – (636)-487-0865
East of Labadie:
Comfort Inn - 1320 Thornton St, Pacific, MO 63069 (636)-257-4600
Quality Inn - 1400 W Osage St, Pacific, MO 63069 (636)-271-4033
Event Coordinator: Stuart Remmers Asst. Coordinators: Dave Voeltz, Carl Schneider, Gary Pyle
Contact:
Stuart Remmers
7 Eastridge Drive N
York, NE 68467
Phone: (402)-362-7891 Note: I generally will not answer phone before 3PM
E-Mail: [email protected]
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October 25, 2026 – Columbia Terminal Railroad - Columbia, MO.
First Iowa Division will host a 1-day ride in Columbia, Missouri on the Columbia Terminal Railroad. We will make 3 round trips during the day between the seton and the end of the railroad at Centralia. Those wishing to leave early will be allowed to do so after each round trip. Total mileage for the day is 96 miles if participant rides 3 trips. This ride is planned to happen with the Missouri Eastern Railroad excursion the previous day.
The cost of this excursion is $50and includes the ride fee, host gratuity and other associated excursion expenses but does not include meals and motels.
To Register:Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and payment of $50 ($60 after October 10th)to excursion coordinator Stuart Remmers. A packet with all the additional paperwork and ride details will be emailed to you during the first week in September.
Additional Comments: No Hi-Rails allowed. Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
Hotels: Information: There are many hotels in Columbia, but hotels are high in price this year. I would recommend booking your hotel soon. For those coming from the Missouri Eastern excursion, a second option is to stay in Kingdom City where the hotels are not as expensive and drive in to Columbia the following morning. The normal economy hotels in Columbia and Kingdom City are listed below:
Columbia, MO
Super 8 west - 3216 Clark Ln, Columbia, MO 65202 (434)-584-8260
Super 8 east - 5700 Freedom Dr, Columbia, MO 65202 (573)-474-8307
Kingdom City, MO
Baymont Inn - 5750 Jade Rd, Kingdom City, MO 65262 (573)-642-5500
Quality Inn - 3207 County Rd 211, Kingdom City, MO 65262 (573)-826-4053
Days Inn - 3391 County Rd 211, Kingdom City, MO 65262 (573)-746-2290
Event Coordinator: Stuart Remmers; Asst. Coordinators: Dave Voeltz, Carl Schneider, Gary Pyle
Contact: Stuart Remmers
7 Eastridge Drive N
York, NE 68467
Phone: (402)-362-7891Note: I generally will not answer my phone before 3PM
E-Mail: [email protected]
Nov. 7, 2026 - Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad - Boone, IA
Set on Friday afternoon for an evening run to Wolf and back. 4 round trips Saturday with a possible evening run as well.
We are ending the 2026 ride season on the B&SVRR. Early set on Friday evening will be between 5 and 7pm with a possible night run about 7:30pm for those interested. We hope to have four trips during the day on Saturday and a night run following the return of the dinner train. Enjoy the 156' high bridge and the Des Moines River bridge by the Y-Camp. Round trip mileage is about 20 miles for each run. Saturday set on is at the crossing east of the depot and will start at 6:30am with an 8:15am departure following a safety meeting at 8:00am for the first run. Use only the east crossing for setting on and setting off! We'll make two runs in the morning working with the lunch train schedule. Short restroom breaks will be in between runs while turning the cars. We also plan on two runs in the afternoon before the dinner train pulls into the station to board passengers at 5pm. A night run will follow the return of the dinner train.
Preregistration is required. Print out the registration form found at the top of this page, complete it, and mail it and payment to excursion coordinator Carl Schneider.
Preregistration cost of this excursion is $30 ( $40 day of ride or after Oct. 30 ). Please make checks out to: First Iowa Division. Current membership in the Iowa Railroad Historical Society ($25) is a railroad requirement. Print off the IRHS membership form above if needed and include it with your payment. Please make out check for the IRHS to: Iowa Railroad Historical Society. Carl Schneider is the EC for this excursion with Asst. ECs Stu Remmers and Gary Pyle.
Motels in Boone are the Super 8 ( 515-432-8890 ), American Inn 2215 Story St. (515-432-4322). Baymont Inn (515-432-8168).
Mentoring by advance approval only! Contact EC to arrange mentoring.
For questions or further information contact Carl at (515) 494-4401 or by email (m[email protected]).
Additional FID requirements:
1. No trailers on any FID ride.
2. All model cars that came with factory lift handles must have them installed.
The First Iowa Division and its officers assume no responsibility for any property damage or