Cuba Missouri is a town that owes its development to both the railroad and to Route 66. When Cuba celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2007, the sesquicentennial banners placed the Route 66 logo over the train tracks to highlight the importance of both to Cuba.
In 1857, the town was platted around the anticipated railroad, which did spur the new town’s growth. Along with the development of the main line, there was the 1873 Cuba-Salem, Missouri branch of the road that brought goods and passengers from outlying towns of Viburnum, Cook Station, and Steelville to the mainline in Cuba.
To commemorate the impact of the railroad to the town, Viva Cuba commissioned a replica of the Cuba-Salem branch of the railroad to be installed in the Viva Cuba Garden that sits at the Route 66/Hwy.19 intersection. The steel train is 15′ long and weighs approximately 325 pounds.
