6 facts about the Dinkey Train
Courtesy of the Ames Historical Society
The Dinkey train used to connect Iowa State’s campus with the rest of Ames. The Dinkey train began as an idea for a horse-car railway. It began running in 1891 and was replaced by buses in 1929. The Hub, the Dinkey’s terminal, is now a cafe and study spot today.
September 29, 2014
6 facts about the Dinkey Train
Dinkey ran for 16 years, from 1891 to 1907.
During its lifetime, more than 2.1 million people rode Dinkey.
Dinkey had a “Donkey” type engine, which was smaller than most engines of the time. It is thought that the name “Dinkey” was derived from slang changing Donkey to Dinkey.
The rail line that Dinkey rode on was called The Ames and College Railroad.
The distance between the town of Ames and Iowa State’s campus was just more than two miles.
Dinkey had an average speed of 10 mph (which was fairly quick for that time).
The Ames Historical Society has a panel on Dinkey and transportation at the Ames Octagon Center for the Arts until Oct. 25.
