| Black Hills Central Railroad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Locale | Keystone, South Dakota |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Keystone Branch of the Burlington Northern Railroad |
| Built by | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Black Hills Central Railroad |
| Operated by | Black Hills Central Railroad |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| 1957 | Reopened |
Burlington and Quincy High Line Hill City to Keystone Branch | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Hill City, South Dakota |
| Coordinates | 43°55′56″N 103°34′24″W / 43.93222°N 103.57333°W |
| Area | 35 acres (14 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001768[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 5, 2003 |
The Black Hills Central Railroad is a heritage railroad that operates in Keystone, South Dakota, United States. The railroad was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 5, 2003.[1]
It currently operates the 1880 Train on the former Keystone Branch of the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) between Hill City, South Dakota and Keystone, South Dakota. This railroad line was originally built by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) to serve mining and timber interests in the Black Hills. It reached Keystone on January 20, 1900 and was later used to haul equipment for carving nearby Mount Rushmore.[2]
The Black Hills Central Railroad restores early twentieth century-era locomotives and train cars and has been featured on television shows such as the Gunsmoke episode "Snow Train", General Hospital and the TNT mini-series Into the West. It also appeared in the movie Orphan Train.
Trains operate between early May and early October over the scenic 10-mile (16 km) line.
The South Dakota State Railroad Museum is located adjacent to the Hill City depot, on BHCR land.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ Hayes, Robert E. "A Thumbnail History of Keystone". Keystone Area Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 4, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.