Iowans will soon be able to ride the rails on what are known as “railbikes,” which resemble steel-framed go-carts that you pedal on railroad tracks with a battery-assist like electric bicycles. Mary Joy Lu is C-E-O of Rail Explorers which is launching service in Boone this month. Lu says railbike riders will start at the historic Boone Depot, pedaling across farmland into the Des Moines River valley.

The route will take riders about six-and-a-half miles from the depot where they’ll enjoy stunning views and might spot a few bald eagles fishing along the waterway.

There are two and four-seat railbikes with the costs averaging about 40-dollars per person. Groups of about 20 railbikes will be leaving the depot in a group, with guides at the front and back, but with plenty of space in between.

Rail Explorers is partnering with the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad and anyone who’s taken the Boone Dinner Train will be familiar with the stretch of track as it’s the same course.

The rides will debut on July 21st, running Thursday through Monday through perhaps mid-November. Lu says they’re looking to immediately hire about 30 railbike guides. The company has railbikes in four other locations in the U-S: Las Vegas; Newport, Rhode Island; and in Cooperstown and the Catskills in New York.
railexplorers.net