Birmingham Zoo Express: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:56, 19 June 2013

The Red Diamond Express in May 2008

The Birmingham Zoo Express and the Red Diamond Express are two-foot gauge zoo trains operating from the George G. Seibels, Jr Train Station at the Birmingham Zoo in Lane Park. The zoo train, in its various incarnations, has provided over 2 million rides to zoo visitors.

Both trains operate on the zoo's 4,200-foot rail circuit. Train rides cost $2.25 per person. Riders purchase tokens at a kiosk that are handed to the conductor before boarding. The current conductor is Joe Meadow.

G-16 trains

From 1957 to 1976, the zoo operated three "Grand Scale" G-16 train sets, among the last ones manufactured by Miniature Train Company of Rensselaer, Indiana. They were constructed as representations of the first generation of streamlined diesel locomotives and scaled to run on steel tracks set 16" apart. The zoo's three trains were owned and operated by Bob Heath and Associates of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Heath designed and layed out the one-mile loop railway and invested $70,000 in obtaining the equipment and installing it at the zoo. The first public excursion left the station at 9:00 AM on Sunday July 23, 1957 with Ed Keagals at the throttle.

The system was later sold to a Mr Yarborough who operated other zoo concessions. They were sold off in 1976. The #901 train was sold to Rickwood Caverns State Park and operated on an older 16" gauge track there. The #900 train (pulled by the "Falcon" locomotive) was purchased by Ben and Joy Black for their estate south of Birmingham. The couple also stored, and eventually purchased, the #902 train (pulled by the "Vulcan"). They operated the trains on a 200-foot loop in their back yard until the mid 1980s. In 2000 they donated them to the Southeastern Railway Museum near Atlanta, Georgia. The #900 locomotive has been cosmetically restored and is displayed inside the museum for picture-taking. The museum plans in the future to install a 5000-foot-long 16" gauge track and put that locomotive into operation with two passenger cars. The other locomotive, #902, is also being restored to take the place of the #900 inside the museum.

Magic City Express

From 1976 to 2001 the zoo operated a Crown propane-fired steam locomotive on 24" gauge track, replacing the original smaller gauge track. The #1869 locomotive was built in 1974.

This train was sold to a private owner who leases it to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. The train was restored at the Tweetsie Railroad shops in western North Carolina with additional repair work performed by mechanic Denverd Moss. It is currently operated as the "Shelby & Southern Railroad" at the Calera museum.