29.9 miles of railroad track running along the Llano River are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 9 train trestles crossing  Llano River tributaries are also individually listed.

The first railroad was the Austin and Northwestern, which brought passengers from Austin to Llano in 1892. It was built primarily to haul iron ore from the Llano 1890’s boomtown days. In 1901 the Texas legislature approved the merger with the Houston & Texas Central Railroad. When the boom days ended, the train hauled passengers, livestock, cotton, grain, granite and other ores. The railroad ceased operation entirely in 1996. Thus, a century of use was laid to rest.

Today, the railroad is remembered in a beautifully rebuilt “depot” that houses the Llano Railroad Museum and rail yard.