By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

MASON, Ohio — Mason farmer Butch Schappacher and his wife, Sherry, wanted something a bit more extravagant and breathtaking for a ride to a pumpkin patch. Since the tracks of the Lebanon-Mason-Morrow Railroad (LM&M) bordered their 360-acre farm, the rail system was their answer.

“Years ago, the train (then called the Indiana & Ohio Railroad) took passengers from downtown Mason to the shops in Lebanon six miles away and back, but Mason residents complained about the train whistles because they had to blow them at every intersection,” Sherry said.

“Those excursions were stopped, but we got the railroad to take passengers from Lebanon to our farm just short of town each weekend from mid-September to the first weekend in November.”
Rides aboard the 1930 vintage train (called the Pumpkin Patch Express in the fall) are $16 per adult and the round trip lasts about 2.5 hours. Passengers board the train in downtown Lebanon and are dropped off at the back of the Schappacher farm.

The ride is slow and peaceful, taking visitors across the scenic Warren County landscape. Riders can board one of four passenger cars or one gondola.

During their time at the farm, visitors can sort through fresh produce, hand-picked apples, fall squash, Indian corn and pumpkins, take children to the farm’s petting zoo, take a hayride and see cattle, goats, sheep, miniature horses and miniature donkeys and grain bins.

A warm, cozy gift shop is on the premises should the temperatures drop. Such goodies include caramel apples, jams, jellies, apple cider, popcorn and an assortment of craft items made by locals. And, if the weather is just right, a challenging corn maze awaits.
The train rides are three times each Saturday and Sunday from mid-September to the first weekend in November. “We started out small, long before development came to Mason,” Butch said.
The family farms 65 acres at the barn site, and 200-300 more acres opposite state Route 741 across from the farmhouse.

There they grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. At one time the Schappachers farmed 1,000 acres, but with development they found it difficult to navigate their machinery, so the family narrowed its farming scope and move to agri-entertainment.

“People enjoy coming here because it’s a family working farm,” Sherry said. “We’re not commercialized and we don’t have a festival type of weekend planned for people. It’s just a farm for city folk to visit and explore.”

The Schappachers also entertain up to 2,500 school children each fall.

“We enjoy the train excursions and the train cars are always filled to capacity,” Butch said. “If they get an overflow of ticket holders, they simply attach another passenger car to the train.”

The general public is welcome to drive to the farm, but those taking the LM&M train there receive a free pumpkin upon return.
Passengers also receive a history of the railroad as given by the conductor, and a locomotive tour. For more information about the train rides, call toll-free 866-934-9464. Contact the Schappacher farm at 513-398-0904.