Model Train Journal

Amusement park trains and O scale can make a great combination.

A Crown Products 4-4-0 and train at Six Flags St.Louis:



Hesston Steam Museum:



A Cagney engine (I think):

Picture #2 looks like a defective repro of the PRR Broadway Limited streamlined K-4.
Anyway, we contemplate adding somesuch to our club layout. Because we are a "community resource" we have to have open house every Saturday which means lots of small kids. One area will be dedicated to an amusement park. I'm thinking of an N-scale train; I think I can squeeze O-scale persons into a roofless passenger car.
The train in the 1st picture could be done in HO, but would take up a lot of room for a loop.

rex desilets wrote:...we contemplate adding somesuch to our club layout. Because we are a "community resource" we have to have open house every Saturday which means lots of small kids. One area will be dedicated to an amusement park. I'm thinking of an N-scale train; I think I can squeeze O-scale persons into a roofless passenger car.
The train in the 1st picture could be done in HO, but would take up a lot of room for a loop.

I put a small circular Z scale layout on the bedroom floor of a Playmobil house, to add a little action to a store display. When you want to minimize curve radii, flex track is a good option, regardless of the gauge. It's amazing how tight you can get the curves - but it must be done carefully, to maintain proper gauge, keep the track smooth, etc. There's no substitute for good trackwork.

Here's a cutie:



Disneyland #1, C.K. Holliday and freight train:





Larger image: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/08/04/296F5F0E00000578-0-image-a-37_1433735350702.jpg

Knott's Berry Farm Calico mine ride:



Larger image: http://www.acclaimlighting.com/uploads/tx_acclaimlighting/Project-Knotts1.jpg









Larger image: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVUUCeIVwAEijjh.jpg



Larger image: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7d/a7/a4/7da7a4de2a591b74c6e6ae7bc7309316.jpg

A whole model railroad, with spectacular three-dimensional scenery, in one ride. Note that the full size train runs around it.

I like this shot. If you look at the larger image, you'll see one of the engineers of the miniature train looking right at the camera, as his tender is getting watered. You can also see some good detail of the engine. Note the school bell on the engineer's side of the boiler front!



Larger image: https://thetrolleydodger.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/p1010126.jpg

Thanks Roy. I'm glad you started this thread.

I suspect other folks will have some pics to contribute.

I remember riding behind a dolled up Porter sugar cane road engine on the Cedar Point & Lake Erie and watching the engineer wrestle it to a stop with the Johnson bar. When I asked him about that he said the air brakes didn't work very well.

John Webster wrote:I remember riding behind a dolled up Porter sugar cane road engine on the Cedar Point & Lake Erie and watching the engineer wrestle it to a stop with the Johnson bar. When I asked him about that he said the air brakes didn't work very well.

John, did you see them running sans lagging and jacketing, too?

No. Last time I was there was 1986.

Cable car at Knott's Berry Farm, with Western-costumed park staff:



They ran through the park, and were also the parking lot tram:



Inside the park, with train and stagecoach:



Knott's park map from the 1960's, showing cable car route:



Larger image: http://www.keeline.com/KnottsCableCar-Route.png

The park cars were battery powered, and all trackage was street-type, with only the rail tops visible. I don't think any girder rail was used.

One such train that I remember from my youth, but have no photos of, was at an amusement park called Dietchs Farm, in Fair Lawn, NJ. It featured a train traveling through a zoo. I was fairly young and don't remember many details, but did find online references to it after this thread jogged my memory. If what memory I have is correct, it was a full sized train rather than a miniature one, either standard or narrow gauge.

In my neck of the woods, Branson Missouri, Silver Dollar City.

I have been on this one. Dole Plantation, Hawaii.

NJPiney wrote:One such train that I remember from my youth, but have no photos of, was at an amusement park called Dietchs Farm, in Fair Lawn, NJ. It featured a train traveling through a zoo. I was fairly young and don't remember many details, but did find online references to it after this thread jogged my memory. If what memory I have is correct, it was a full sized train rather than a miniature one, either standard or narrow gauge.

From what I could find, they had a handcar-operated train ride, and a steam loco on display. They may have had trains running just outside the park. Was it also known as Dietch's Kiddie Zoo?

HONDO74 wrote:In my neck of the woods, Branson Missouri, Silver Dollar City.

Interesting European locomotive!

HONDO74 wrote:I have been on this one. Dole Plantation, Hawaii.

Cute train. The yellow reminds me of the Lionel General I converted.