A train whistles in the valley once again

A decade or two ago, summer afternoons near the Blanco meant lots of visitors, swimming in the river or Blue Hole. They might be stopping in town and having a snow cone at the Snocone Dude’s Wimberley Shave Ice, and hearing a train whistle echoing through the valley from Pioneer Town all afternoon.

It’s still possible to swim at Blue Hole or get a snocone at the same hut. And during the summer of 2021, a train whistle might again echo in the valley.

Pioneer Town is slowly coming back to life, one project at a time. Scott Way is the force behind the rebuild as are his childhood memories of spending summers in Wimberley. A strong family connection to the area meant playing and maybe stopping off and having an ice cream cone at Pioneer Town.

“Summers and weekends with my parents and great grandparents on Cypress Creek… Dad grew up swimming in the creek,” Scott way said. “Pioneer Town was always a special place and riding the train… I want to preserve the town and bring back the train.” Childhood dreams remain deep in all of us, like seeing movies again in the Opry House.

“It’s a labor of love, like ‘Field of Dreams.’ Build it and they will come. It’s very important to the Wimberley Valley… I want to bring back the train and bring back Pioneer Town.”

Pioneer Town was a big part of the community and was started by Raymond Czichos in the 1940s and operated by the Czichos family. While Way is using professional management to run the business, his kids do work dispensing the ice cream cones.

Bringing Pioneer Town back is one part of an overall project; the 7A lodging was the first part, with the rebuilt swimming pool and cabins. The floods of 2015 did extensive damage to the property.

Then the train was next on the list before moving on to Pioneer Town. The original train had been long sold off; finding one suitable became the next step. A small, family-run amusement park in Ohio was willing to sell one and it was purchased.

“I quizzed all I knew about trains, like Nick Edwards and local gurus who restored trains.” There was a lot to learn, and then put into practice, build or redo. Rail beds were re-made and rails re-laid. Getting bends in the rails has to be every four inches, learning from experts in Cedar Park at the Cedar Rock Railroad. It was a tedious task to do manually.

Way also met needed expert help and found it in someone who operates his own railroad in Schertz. He is now instrumental in getting Pioneer Town’s train down the tracks. “J.C. Herrera, he’s been a godsend. He’s got a crew, I help on the side.”

The train derailing is a major problem, especially with passengers. “Trains are unforgiving. It’s crazy that you don’t know that tracks heat up and cool off. When they are built they have to have the ability to flex. They become like spaghetti.” The train is going through trial runs and hopes to be ready for the summer.

“Our next focus, I would love to see people come out and see a gunfight, a reenactment. I remember movies in the Opry House, the Gay 90s show and I do remember the Medicine Show.” Ways is also looking to remain authentic to the Pioneer Town spirit. If anyone has a copy of the medicine show, or if you were the engineer on the train, please contact Scott Way at 7A Ranch.