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ANOTHER GREAT FRISCO RAFFLE!

Park Trains

Discussion in 'General' started by FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018), Jan 7, 2010.

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  1. FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018)

    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018) Passed Away April 12, 2018 Frisco.org Supporter

    This is a thread that is intended to encourage everyone in "Friscoland" to post memories and information about park trains that either existed or still exist so that when we travel we can stop and ride. Such things as the railroad "modeled", length of ride, cost, and location would be nice. Most railroad towns had a train in their park that was painted in the scheme of the railroad that was prominent there.

    (1) Independence, KS (my home town) Streamlined park train painted in Santa Fe Warbonnet located in Riverside Park. Cost of the ride is $.25 and operates in the summer on weeknights and weekends. It and the vintage Allen Herschel Merry-Go-Round (only one in US one can still ride for a nickel) are the pride of the city and are well maintained. I might add that the shelter where you purchase your tickets was once a waiting shelter for the Union Traction Co. Interurban that ran from Nowata, OK to Parsons, KS.

    (2) Parsons, KS Streamlined train that runs in the city park painted for for MKT

    (3) Pittsburg, KS Streamlined train that is part of a small vintage kiddieland located in the city park and painted in KCS livery.

    (4) Herrington, KS Streamlined train located in city park painted in Rock Island livery.

    (5) Emporia, KS Streamline train located in city park and zoo (Soden's Grove) painted in Santa Fe livery

    I plan to add to and upgrade this list as time permits.
     
    FriscoFriend (Bob Hoover RIP 4/12/2018), Jan 7, 2010
    #1
  2. WindsorSpring

    WindsorSpring Member

    The St. Louis area has the Wabash, Frisco & Pacific live steam railroad.

    http://www.wfprr.com/default.htm

    It runs along what had been Missouri Pacific right of way from Glencoe, MO along the Meramec River.

    It has the right middle name! One of its locomotives is noteworthy:

    http://www.wfprr.com/roster/5205.jpg

    Several years ago, they ran a 4-6-4 that was a pretty good rendition of the 1060-1069 Hudsons. They do not show it on their current roster, but the roster has a coal-fired and an oil-fired 4-6-4.
     
    WindsorSpring, Jan 7, 2010
    #2
  3. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    Lamar is a railroad town, but we don't have one of those in the park, but we do have a BN caboose that they recently repainted with a fake frisco paint scheme. O well, better than Green monster :D

    Also I think I saw one in Carthage, but the I think the tracks where tore out.
    You say "park" so we gotta as the Frisco Silver Dollar line in Silver dollar city.
     
    Iantha_Branch, Jan 7, 2010
    #3
  4. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    A relative, Bill Cannon, of one of the Frisco folk (Tim Cannon)on this site has his own Park Train:

    Bill, a retired engineer, has his own train on a farm outside Chaffee, Mo. Mr. Cannon purchased the farm back in the 1980's and used it to raise miniature donkeys. Later, he ran into a man who had just bought a train from the St. Louis Zoo and was selling another smaller train. He bought the train and began laying a small circle of tracks through the woods on his farm. Over the years, he has expanded the tracks, adding bridges to the system.

    Cannon Park is open to visitors by appointment only, year-round.
    Cannon can be reached at 573-450-5901.


    Address: Route A, Chaffee, MO Directions to Cannon Park from Chaffee: follow Route A east one mile, turn right at signs.

    [​IMG]
    Erin Easton photo
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2010
    klrwhizkid, Jan 7, 2010
    #4
  5. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    1) First, not a park train but an opportunity to operate! JamesP, one of our very own, has a large scale operation on his property. I operated there July 25, 2009 and had a blast:
    http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=3144&highlight=northview

    2) Long gone, but there used to be a small park train in Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau - my earliest recollection of riding any train.

    3) St Louis Zoo train - my first ride was when I thought the locomotives were still live steam. Train is still there, just infernal combustion transplant into a steamer's chest.

    4) Omaha, NE Dourly Zoo Train - great ride, live steam!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2010
    klrwhizkid, Jan 7, 2010
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  6. murphy millican

    murphy millican Member

    In Fort Smith there is a train in Creekmore Park. It has a live steam engine lettered Union Pacific #9999 it is ran during holidays, but stored in its own little train shop all year round. They also have an E-unit It changes paint schemes alot It has been Union Pacific, but last I0 saw it was Santa Fe. I do know of a one in Houston, TX. It has a Missouri Pacific EAGLE set as mentioned in a post earlier. They also have plent of steam trains around. One steam set was labelled for the BNSF and it had a Frisco sublettered passenger car. Unforchanetly they decided to take the Mopac Buzzsaw on the front of E-unit and cover it up with a UP Herald. Besides that the train is all MP blue and gray.
    Ship it on the Frisco!!!


    Murphy Millican
     
    murphy millican, Jan 7, 2010
    #6
  7. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    The St Louis Zoo Line locomotives were never live steam (unfortunately!), they have been internal combustion powered since "day 1" when the Zoo Line was put it - early 1960's I think. They have had both steam locomotives and a few diesels through the years, but they all ran on the same power chassis ("B-B" trucks) with the same engine (no, something less than an EMD 567!). They have gone through several generations of equipment by now.

    The St Louis Zoo is world class and very popular (one of only two free major city zoos in the US - the National Zoo in DC being the other), and the Zoo Line has been a huge success. I remember going to the zoo with my sister, mom and dad for the opening weekend of the Zoo Line - we had to wait about an hour for a ride. There are three tunnels and four stations on its route around the zoo grounds in Forest Park.

    I don't know how they staff the Zoo Line now, but back when it started, all the operators were railroad retirees. I remember our first ride was behind a Wabash guy - they had logos on their name badges.

    There is a similar train ride in operation here during the warm months (not today!) at the National Museum of Transportation at Barretts Station. It runs you around the upper NMOT grounds.

    There also must be a small railroad out in High Hill, Mo., between I-70 and the NS (ex-Wabash) tracks. I've never seen it in operation, but you can clearly see the tracks from I-70. There is also a big bull statue there and what looks like a Ferris wheel. I notice it every time we drive over to Olathe.

    Ken
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2010
    meteor910, Jan 7, 2010
    #7
  8. Iantha_Branch

    Iantha_Branch Member

    The St. Louis Zoo... :eek:
    I went there when I was 5. I don't remember it, but here's how my mom said it was: HOT. And I got really upset when I didn't get to ride the train. Like I said I don't remember it so I cant testify on what the power was.
     
    Iantha_Branch, Jan 7, 2010
    #8
  9. meteor910

    meteor910 2009 Engineer of the Year Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Come back!

    Try a spring or autumn day during the week- beautiful!

    If you come on any spring/summer/autumn weekend day, you will be there with about 50,000 of your friends, and you will have to wait a bit to get on the Zoo Line among other things.

    I'm biased - we are St Louis Zoo members, and Forest Park Forever members. It's a great place, one of the many treasures of St Louis.

    After your park and zoo visit, go down to one of the great Italian restaurants over on The Hill. Mamma mia!

    :p

    Ken
     
    meteor910, Jan 7, 2010
    #9
  10. TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020)

    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020) Passed Away July 15, 2020 Frisco.org Supporter

    I went to St. L. Zoo at about age 11 or 12. While there, I was looking through the glass of the reptile house and down throuh the vegitation, I noticed what I thought was a 12" diameter clay sewer tile just on the other side of the glass. However, when I noticed it had a heartbeat and was breathing, it dawned on mw that it was an anaconda! I was glad to be on the outside of the glass partition...

    Tom
     
    TAG1014 (Tom Galbraith RIP 7/15/2020), Jan 7, 2010
    #10
  11. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    I always enjoyed playing on the little tank steam locos (static) here in Cape Girardeau at Capaha and Arena parks. Aren't they retired Frisco switchers? I remember when they had to remove the asbestos boiler jackets for health reasons. Anyone else here ever climb around on those?
     
    Jim James, Jan 7, 2010
    #11
  12. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    The 0-4-0 steam locomotives on display in Capaha and Arena Parks in Cape Girardeau were donated to the city by Marquette Cement Company when they were replaced by the GE 44ton diesel. If my memory is correct they were built by Porter.

    And yes, like most every boy in Cape, I climbed all over those, but most of the time, my friends and I would pretend we were operating them.

    Correction:
    The one in Capaha Park was built by Davenport Locomotive Works in 5/1930, #2108, with 31" drivers and 12x16 cylinders with 10,100lb tractive effort.

    The one in Arena Park was built by H.K. Porter in 10/1923, #6571, with 38" drivers and 14x20 cylinders and 14,000lb tractive effort.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2010
    klrwhizkid, Jan 7, 2010
    #12
  13. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    Donated by Marquette. That's right, I just forgot. Must be getting old.
     
    Jim James, Jan 7, 2010
    #13
  14. john

    john FRISCO.org Supporter

    john, Jan 7, 2010
    #14
  15. JamesP

    JamesP James Pekarek

    Rothwell Park in Moberly, Missouri also has a nice park train. I think you guys have covered all of the other park trains in Missouri that I'm aware of, with the possible exception of Six Flags in St. Louis - I haven't been there for years, but they had Crown live steam locomotives IIRC. Not exactly a park train by definition, but the St. Louis Live Steamers have a track in Kircher Park at Eureka, MO. I believe they give rides to the public one Saturday a month in good weather. There is also a park train at the railroad museum in Atchison, Kansas - just up the road from Kansas City. Almost forgot, Springfield Mo's Dickerson Park Zoo has one of those ubiquitous Chance Amusement CP Huntingtons.

    There are a lot of "used to be there" park trains... the one in Springfield's Doling Park comes to mind. About 10 years ago there was one in Ozark near the swimming pool; I heard it is gone but don't know any other details. In Branson, there was the train at Mutton Hollow. Even my hometown of Marshfield used to have a park train at the fairgrounds, although I have never seen a picture of it - it was long gone by the time I was born.

    As Keith mentioned, I have a 12" gauge railroad at my house. I will try to schedule another op day this summer for any of ya'll who would like to try operations outside on a rideable railroad. My website is www.nfrailroad.com if anyone want to take a look. There are also other privately owned railroads around southwest MO in 7.5", 10", 15" and 24" gauges.

    That's all I can come up with off the top of my head! - James
     
    JamesP, Jan 7, 2010
    #15
  16. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    JamesP:

    That looks like a lot of fun! (And WORK.)

    LOVE your setting. What part of Missouri are you located in?

    I really thought long and hard about a 2.5" scale narrow gauge on 7.5" gauge line here at the house... but simply got scared away at the cost of such.
     
    Coonskin, Jan 7, 2010
    #16
  17. Ozarktraveler

    Ozarktraveler Member

    My local childhood park train haunts have been covered, so I'll add one from Lake Land Park near Memphis. I stayed with an uncle for a month one summer and he took us to Lake Land. I remember riding over a trestle over part of the "lake" on a mock diesel led train.

    This is the same uncle that showed me there were more to the train hobby than the circles and figure 8's in the Sears catalog and introduced me to Frisco 2-10-0's. He had purchased one while he was in Japan while he was in the service. Thanks, Uncle Doyle...
     
    Ozarktraveler, Jan 7, 2010
    #17
  18. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Keith, this brought back some good memories. I can remember my parents telling me not to ring the bell in the one at Arena Park, for fear that wasps had built a nest in it. It seemed well worth the risk. I always preferred the locomotive there over the one at Capaha Park.

    In retrospect, I think I was always using the air brake as the throttle. No wonder the locomotive never budged. The cab sure seemed more interesting than the first Frisco diesel cab I saw. I'll credit Marquette Cement's donation to my steam power preference in adulthood!

    I will also echo JamesP's comment on Moberly, MO (Wabash Country) and the fine job they've done at Rothwell Park.

    http://www.cityofmoberly.com/Parks/minitrain.html

    Best Regards,
     
    yardmaster, Jan 8, 2010
    #18
  19. FRISCO4503

    FRISCO4503 FRISCO4503 Frisco.org Supporter

    Gage Park in Topeka Kansas also has a train that you can ride. If your ever in San Antonio, they have a train in Breckinridge Park as well. I am not sure what it costs to ride the one here in San Antonio but its a long ride and I think you get 2 trips around the whole thing so whatever the price for that long train ride is well worth it.
     
    FRISCO4503, Jan 8, 2010
    #19
  20. JamesP

    JamesP James Pekarek

    There are a some more park trains out in Kansas. For instance, there is one in Ellis, one in Peppermint Park in Witchita and another in Wamego (I think). Also, a private track in Kansas is the C&H railroad, which is dedicated to the preservation of Ottaway park trains. It is noteworthy not only because of the trains, but also because of the buildings, some of which are authentic, old railroad buildings that have been preserved. Take a look at http://candhrailroad.com/ .

    In response to Coonskin's post, I am located at Northview, Missouri, which is about 15 miles northeast of Springfield on I-44. If any of you guys are ever passing through, just let me know beforehand (either a PM or through my website) and I will be happy to give you a tour of the N&F RR!

    - James
     
    JamesP, Jan 8, 2010
    #20
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