A four-person pedal railcar rolling down an old railroad line is a pleasantly different way to see Indiana. At Nickel Plate Express, the rails can mean a themed excursion aboard a historic train or a seven-mile round-trip railbike outing through Forest Park and the surrounding countryside.
The two formats give the operation a broader appeal than a single sightseeing ride. A family can climb aboard for a character-filled seasonal train, while another group may prefer an evening wine-themed excursion, a murder mystery, or a shared railcar that puts everyone to work pedaling.
The common thread is the railroad setting: a depot, a historic-looking train, and a route that trades highways and parking lots for vegetation, farmland, and stretches of rural Indiana.
A calendar built around changing train themes
Nickel Plate Express changes its train program with the season, so the experience is not limited to one standard ride. Its lineup has included Easter trips, Valentine’s outings, Shamrock rides, fall lunch excursions, Harry Potter-themed events, wine tasting, and murder mysteries.
Some programs are plainly aimed at younger passengers. The Easter experience, for example, combines train travel with character performances and refreshments, giving children more to follow than the view outside the windows.
Other departures tilt toward grown-up groups. The Uncorked Mallow Run excursion is a wine-tasting train ride, while certain events have offered a bar, adult beverages, or food such as charcuterie cups. The specific menu and onboard offerings change with the event, so a train selected for hot cocoa and holiday-style fun may be a very different outing from one booked for wine.
Stories, characters and a little railroad theater
The themed rides do more than give a name to the departure. Programs have included a playful train-robbery storyline, Easter characters, a magical holiday-style train, and a Transylvania murder mystery.
The murder-mystery format is suited to a larger party that wants an activity built into the ride rather than just a seat and a view. Staff participation is woven into the entertainment, leaving passengers with clues and characters to keep track of as the train moves along.
On some excursions, conductors also share bits of Indiana railroad history. It is a small addition, but it gives the historic train setting more context between the seasonal games, snacks, and performances.
Railbikes turn the route into a group outing
For a more active visit, the pedal railcars put four people on one vehicle. That makes railbiking a shared enterprise: friends, relatives, or a family can settle in together and work their way down the line instead of pairing off into two-person equipment.
The route covers seven miles round trip, with a turnaround along the way. Railcars are spaced out so groups have room to travel at their own rhythm rather than bunching up behind the car ahead.
The pedaling is active, but it is generally manageable for a mixed-age group that is prepared to contribute. Teens, younger children, and older adults have all taken part; still, this is not a passive train seat. Everyone should expect at least some pedaling during the outing.
Forest Park shade and open-country stretches
The railbike route moves through Forest Park and into rural Indiana scenery, passing vegetation, farmland, and broader countryside views. Portions of the path have enough vegetation to offer shade, a welcome detail on a bright day.
The look of the ride shifts with the calendar. Fall can bring color along the route, while early spring train trips may have more open views before the leaves fill in. Those are seasonal pleasures rather than promises, but the route gives repeat visitors a reason to see it in more than one season.
Wildlife can add a small surprise. Deer have occasionally appeared on early tours, though a glimpse is a bonus, not something to build the day around.
An orientation before the wheels start rolling
Railbike sessions begin with staff explaining the equipment and the basics of the ride. They help with seat adjustments, demonstrate how the railcars work, and provide support at railroad crossings and the turnaround.
That guided start helps take some uncertainty out of a first railbike outing. Once the group is underway, the format is simple: pedal, look around, talk among yourselves, and let the spacing between cars preserve a little breathing room.
For evening sessions, the route can take on a slower, more social mood. Some include an intermission with a fire, s’mores, and apple cider, with twilight or nighttime scenery around the rails.
A few useful railbike details
Each railcar holds four people. Smaller parties may share a car with other participants, which is worth keeping in mind when choosing a time and planning the group.
The seats are hard plastic, so a small cushion or pillow can make the ride more comfortable. There are wire baskets on the railcars that can hold small coolers, a practical feature for a seven-mile pedal outing.
Both railbike sessions and themed train departures are commonly booked in advance. Since the audience, food, drinks, characters, and entertainment vary considerably by event, the individual excursion description is the useful place to sort out what a particular date includes.
A reason to come back on another date
Nickel Plate Express works well for the multigenerational group that cannot agree on one kind of outing. One visit can be a short train ride with young children and seasonal characters; another can be an adults’ evening with wine or a mystery to solve.
Then there is the railbike, which has its own appeal: four seats, a shared bit of effort, a turnaround in the countryside, and enough room between groups to make the old rail line feel pleasantly open.