Kiwanis Special
The Kiwanis Special is a miniature train that was donated to Noccalula Falls Park by the Kiwanis Club of Gadsden in 1978. The train itself was bought second-hand in El Paso, Texas. It had been purchased for an amusement park there that was never built. It included a locomotive engine, three coaches, two switches, and a half mile of track.
The locomotive is a 1/3-scale replica of the "C. P. Huntington", the model for which was built in 1863 and is exhibited at the Southern Pacific Station in Sacramento, California. The miniature, built by Chance Industries of Wichita, Kansas, has a 4-cylinder 62-horsepower gasoline engine and is equipped with an electric bell, air whistle, and smoke generator. Each coach accommodates about 14 adults or 20+ children.
Before it was installed, park officials speculated about adding a "train robbery" or "Indian-cowboy fight" along the route as an attraction. The half-mile route was later extended to a full mile.
References
- Butler, George (May 16, 1978) "Kiwanians donate funds for train for Noccalula Park" Gadsden Times
External links
- C. P. Huntington Train at Noccalula Falls Park website
- C. P. Huntington original locomotive on Wikipedia