Birmingham Zoo Express
The Birmingham Zoo Express and the Red Diamond Express are two-foot gauge zoo trains operating at the Birmingham Zoo in Lane Park.
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.
History
The zoo train, in its various incarnations, has provided over 2 million rides to zoo visitors.
From 1957 to 1976, the zoo operated three small trains, which were miniature representations of the first generation of streamlined diesel locomotives. These were owned and operated by Bob Heath and Associates of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Heath designed the 16" gauge, one-mile loop railway and invested $70,000 in obtaining the G16 trains from the Miniature Train Company and installing them 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.
From 1976 to 2001 the zoo operated a Crown propane-fired steam locomotive on 24" gauge track, replacing the original smaller gauge track. This train was sold to the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum. It was painstakingly repaired by mechanic Denverd Moss and is currently operated as the "Shelby & Southern Railroad" at the Calera museum.
The "Birmingham Zoo Express" went into service in 2001. It consists of a propane-powered engine and four open passenger carriages totaling 88 feet long with a seating capacity of about 65-75 people.
The "Red Diamond Express" was purchased and donated by Red Diamond in 2008. The new train is constructed from recycled materials and has an African theme to coincide with the planned "Trails of Africa" exhibit.
Conductors
- Ed Keagals, 1957–
- "Engineer Claude" Gray, 1983–2003
- Joe Meadow, 2006–present
References
- Birmingham Rewound: Fun & Games www.birminghamrewound.com (October 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-7-23
- Lathrop, Dave (November 6, 2005) "Steam returns to Alabama". Railway Preservation News Briefs
- Batson, Roger Jr (July 5, 2007) "Zoo train conductor rides rail to relaxation despite old job injury." Birmingham News
- Wolfson, Hannah (May 20, 2008) "All Aboard! Birmingham Zoo adds second train." Birmingham News
- "Grand Scale trains". (March 30, 2009) Southeastern Railway Museum
External links
- Birmingham Zoo website
- Shelby & Southern Railroad website
- Southeastern Railway Museum website
- Birmingham Rewound website