Meet Amtrak Missouri's Furry New Conductor At The State Fair

Amtrak's newest furry conductor will hop off the Missouri River Runner in Sedalia for two personal appearances at the Missouri State Fair next week.

Meet Ollie, the Missouri River Runner's new otter mascot. Ollie looks forward to meeting Amtrak fans, train buffs, and travelers at the Missouri State Fair next week. The service provides scenic, comfortable train service between Chicago and Kansas City, with stops including St. Louis, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Warrensburg, and Lee's Summit.

Ollie will greet train buffs and fairgoers of all ages at the Missouri State Fair on Wednesday, August 14, and Thursday, August 15. On Wednesday, Ollie will be at the Highway Gardens/Missouri Department of Transportation Building from 1:00 - 1:30 PM CDT, and on Thursday, Ollie will be at Lower Mohler Assembly Hall from 1:00 - 1:30 PM.

“Ollie, our otter mascot conductor, is here to welcome everyone from the newest adventurers to seasoned travelers. Decked out in his classic Amtrak uniform and trusty pocket watch, Ollie’s bound to be a hit with train buffs — and his plush fur coat and friendly smile appeal to the kids,” shares Carolyn Crooker, Executive Director of the Sedalia Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Amtrak's Missouri River Runner is a great way to travel throughout Missouri. Its trains have scheduled stops in Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Warrensburg, Sedalia, Jefferson City, Herman, Washington, Kirkwood, and St. Louis. They also include onboard Wi-Fi, Cafe Service, and Business Class.

Amtrak also allows riders to bring their bicycles along, which is great for those who want to explore the Katy Trail!

For more on Amtrak's Missouri River Runner service and the communities it serves, check out their website here.

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli