Not quite two years old, the Amador line of Rail Explorers in Ione is a unique, self-motorized way to experience the countryside of Amador County’s historic Mother Lode region.

Utilizing Amador Central Railroad tracks that were originally built in 1904, riders can choose between four daily two-hour excursions. Each 8-mile round trip starts at the station in Ione and glides through the picturesque rolling hills of the Sierra Nevada foothills — an area that was filled with miners during the 1849 Gold Rush.

“You get to be out in nature and feel the wind hit you, smell the fresh air,” says Amador Division manager Amanda Sgroi. “It’s just a really neat experience.”

Human-powered rail vehicles were commonplace during the Gold Rush, when workers used handcars to travel along the tracks while transporting crew and materials.

Amador is part of the Rail Explorers group of seven current locations established in 2015 by East Coast-based married couple Mary Joy Lu and Alex Catchpoole. The Amador line is their only one in the West, joining two in New York — The Catskills and Cooperstown — as well as Rhode Island, West Virginia, Iowa and Kentucky.

The Amador line opened in October 2023, after the Amador Central Railroad Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the railroad’s rich history, reached out to the company and asked them to come check out the existing tracks, according to Sgroi.

The railbikes are custom built with technology that enhances safety and ease of operation, says Sgroi, who adds that they can accommodate special needs riders, from babies to those with disabilities.

Cruising at a top speed of a leisurely 15 mph, the route travels four scenic miles past wildflowers and grazing cattle high above Highway 88 and intersects three railroad crossings where Rail Explorers staff stop traffic before the riders proceed. The turnaround location — where riders can bring a snack or lunch and enjoy the scenery before the trip back — overlooks the old Newton Copper Mine, which provided copper during World Wars I and II.

Excursions currently begin at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., or 5:30 p.m. for the “Golden Hour” tour. Both two- or four-seat Rail Explorer cars are offered, which utilize the company’s exclusive REX Propulsion System electric motors. Rail Explorer calls it the “Rolls Royce” of railbike systems.

“As the pioneers and founders of railbiking in America, our all-steel railbikes are equipped with hydraulic disc brakes and world-leading propulsion systems and electric pedal assist for a smooth and effortless ride,” says Sgroi.

The unique story of Rail Explorers began in 2012 in Brooklyn, when Lu was watching a Korean soap opera and was intrigued by a scene with someone pedaling an unknown contraption along railroad tracks, according to Sgroi.

Within two weeks, Lu and Catchpoole, who owned a visual effects and advertising company in New York, went to South Korea to meet with designers and manufacturers of the vehicles. The couple drew up a company business plan and returned to Korea in 2015, bringing a fleet of seven vehicles back to the U.S. to start the Adirondacks line — the first time those railbikes had been operated anywhere outside of South Korea.

The company has grown steadily since then, with total riders nationally numbering around 600,000, the company says. Sgroi got involved with Rail Explorers before the Amador line began, when she was the manager of a Mexican restaurant in Ione. Lu and Catchpoole would come in and show her photos and videos of their business, and they mentioned they were hiring.

“They kind of sold the company to me,” Sgroi says. “I just jumped in, threw it out there, and here I am today.”

Located less than an hour from Sacramento and about a mile from downtown Ione, Sgroi has seen the Amador division grow to 16 employees during peak season while working closely with local businesses.

“We’ve brought a lot of economic impact to Amador County,” says Sgroi, who notes they booked 36,000 riders in 2024, the Amador location’s first full year. A Red Rider wristband program  gives Rail Explorer riders discounts at several business locations in Ione and the county.

“We had a 95-year-old lady’s birthday last year, and she had her great, great-grandbaby with her,” says Sgroi. “It was touching because she was like, ‘Where else could I go, where I could have all of my family do some type of activity where we’re all enjoying ourselves, laughing and having a good time?’”

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