Wilton Fire Department selling tickets for steam engine train rides

WILTON — Support an Eastern Iowa small town volunteer fire and first responder service — the Wilton Fire Department — by taking a ride in a 1930s train car pulled by a real steam engine on Sunday, Aug, 22. Tickets are selling quickly, so the Wilton Firefighters encourage everyone to visit bit.ly/WiltonTrain2021 for details on how to reserve your tickets; while you are there, follow their Facebook page @WiltonFireEMS. Alternatively, you may call (563) 260-1188 for more information. Adults (ages 11+) are $20/ticket and children (ages 3 to 10) are $10/ticket. Infants (2 and under) are free on lap and do not require tickets.

Boarding at the Historic Wilton Depot (1988 National Register of Historical Places), located at the intersection of Cherry Street and E. Third Street in the small town of Wilton, Iowa, this historic steam engine train ride heads east toward Walcott and back to Wilton for a family-friendly experience lasting about 45 minutes. Choose between four departure times: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. (sold out), noon or 1:30 p.m. (only a few left) on Aug. 22. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your ticketed time for check-in and embarking. Parking is free near the boarding location. If you require assistance, please call (563) 260-1188 to discuss accommodation needs with the Fire Chief before purchasing tickets. The train will run rain or shine.

This unique fundraising event is a part of the annual Wilton Founders Day celebration, which begins Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. and runs through Aug. 22, culminating with the train rides. Food vendors will be available in the immediate area on the day of the ride. A full schedule can be found at bit.ly/WiltonFoundersDay2021.

The fundraiser is being held as legislation deeming “EMS as an Essential Service” (SF 615) passed earlier this year. This legislation gives counties new funding tools for first responders with a goal of better response times and higher quality care.

“While we enjoy the camaraderie of pancake breakfasts and street dance fundraisers, it generates a lot of work on top of the time commitment required to serve on an all-volunteer organization that provides both fire and medical response,” said Fire Chief Raymond Sterner. “My team members donate a considerable amount of free time to care for people in their time of emergency, especially when you add in meetings, trainings, certification tests, and station upkeep. Making sure they are provided with the right equipment and best training possible shouldn’t be a struggle.”

Wilton Fire Department teamed up with Central States Steam Preservation Association and Iowa Interstate Railroad to offer this unique opportunity to ride on train cars from the 1930s pulled by an authentic steam engine. Proceeds will benefit the fire department, to be used for recruitment and training purposes to better serve their rural service area in Cedar and Muscatine counties. All ticket sales are final and are non-transferable. Tickets are sold for a particular departure time and cannot be switched to a different time.

The U.S. Dept of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has an ongoing face mask requirement for individuals across all transportation networks throughout the United States, including excursion rail, through Sept. 13. People under 2 years old and with certain disabilities are exempt. This means passengers are required to don the face mask as they board the train and then wear while in the confined space of the train; feel free to remove the mask while waiting outside and after you have disembarked. Disposable face masks will be available.