IONE, Calif. — The old Amador Central Railroad once transported lumber and supplies to gold mining communities in the Sierra foothills using large steam-powered locomotives. Today, the Amador Central Railroad primarily transports tourists on rail-riding bicycles.
“These are custom-built rail bikes. This railroad commercial grade equipment,” says Heather Able.
She is a manager with Rail Explorers, a new tourist attraction in Amador County. Able says the company started in the fall of 2023 and you can hitch a ride on the pedal-powered bikes just outside the city of Ione. The tour takes riders through a mix of green scrub oak and the rolling hills of Gold Country.
“We are going to do about eight miles total and some parts are steep,” says Able.
The journey can be steep for railroad tracks; sometimes the track climbs up to 4% grade. Luckily for riders, the rail bikes are equipped with electric motors to assist them up the hill. Just to be clear, it’s not an effortless ride.
“I can’t just get the motor running and kick back. It's assisting me peddling which means I have to continually peddle,” says Able.
Once you pass through three traffic crossings you start to pick up speed. The click-clack of the old steel railroad gives you a sense of what it was like when locomotives ran through this area.
“This is the Amador Central Railroad. It used to be the Ione and Eastern, so it’s been around since 1904,” says Able. “Today, the track is not being used by locomotives or speeders."
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Rail bikes are not a new invention. Different versions of railbikes have been around since the 1800s, but back then they were called handcars.
“The iteration of rail bikes has evolved over time. In the 1800s they were mainly used for service runs. So, people used them to get out to gold mines,” says Able.
As you gradually climb the hills, the green forest fades and you will cross over a railroad bridge that intersects with Highway 88. From here the green forest fades and the golden hills open.
“We pass through a lot of private property and the views are spectacular,” says Able.
Keep an eye out for grazing cattle and horses. They get close to the tracks, but Heather assures me that the cows cannot keep up with the rail bikes.
“The speed limit is 15 miles per hour. Plenty fast,” says Able.
The Amador Central Railroad isn't a loop, so when we reach the end of the lines the bikes must be turned around on the battery-powered rail bike lift so you can ride back. The ride home is much faster than the ride up.
The rail bikes are a unique way to see Amador County. They take very little effort and pretty much anyone can ride them.
“We bring out paraplegic folks and get them on here so they can experience the speed of the railroad and the peddling if they can,” says Able. In all the ride is about two hours long. That is just long enough to get a cell phone full of selfies and get a mild workout.
You can book your Rail Explorers tours here.
MORE BACKROADS RAILROAD ADVENTURES: All aboard the Yosemite logging train. Ride one of the world's rarest trains through a sugar pine forest near Yosemite.
