During the late 1800s, the Provo Canyon Toll Road was the only way to ship hay, sheep, cattle, and dairy products produced by local farmers to market. Likewise, it was the only means of transportation for citizens in the community to get to Provo and Salt Lake City for shopping, purchasing goods, or attending social, cultural, and religious activities.

The thought of developing a railroad into the valley arose as early as the 1850s, when Provo Canyon was surveyed as a possible route for the Transcontinental Railroad. Citizens of Herber pushed for the development of the railroad, and by Spring of 1896, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railway began surveying a route through Provo Canyon. Following several court trails, the case was eventually by Rio Grande Western, thereby linking Herber to the rest of the world.

Many modifications and improvements have been made to both the trains and railways over the years. The railroad is operated much like the typical short line railways that could be seen in many parts of Utah and across rural America during the "Golden Years" of US railroading (1920s-1950s). As such, the Herber Valley Railroad attempts to preserve a slice of Americana that has otherwise disappeared. The atmosphere hopes to recall this bygone Era, and bring back memories of days long ago.