Train Rides...

[Chittlins]

We love the SDC train ride with the hold up skit in the regular season and the Christmas version. My wish, since SDC is supposed to be a working city in the late 1800's is if they expand the park that they theme the train workshop with a period style round house and turntable so that the maintenence would blend seemlessly into the park and actually add to the attraction.

[biker7766]

My grandpa goes gaga for any train rude considering he owns and collects model trains from every year since 1939!! I drag him to my favorite amusment parks, and he gets a ride on the train! Its a win-win!

[Intaman]

I typically make an effort to ride park trains. It is a way for me to relax/rest during an afternoon of coasters. That said, I really enjoy the train at Dollywood, especially at dusk.

[Nrthwnd]

One of my favourite train ride attractions in the world

is the Western Railroad at Tokyo Disneyland.

 

It's a complete attraction of it's own, since TDL can't

make it a circle-the-park train with more than one

station - or it gets heavily taxed as "public transport."

 

So, you get off where you get on, right above the Jungle

Boat Cruise dock! And most of the train is elevated as it

travels around the Adventureland rivers and close by to

Splash Mountain, rounding around Big Thunder Mountain,

and THEN dives into a show bldg. with the Primeval World

beasts in it!

 

A very cool and relaxing train ride, and not your usual

transport train, either.

Western Railroad at Tokyo Disneyland.

A great train ride at TDL.

[rcdude]

I think I've only been on three actual train rides at parks: Knott's Calico Railroad, the Disneyland Railroad, and BGW's Train. Of the three, the Disneyland Railroad is probably my favorite, with the BGW Train coming in at a really close second. Both of these are not only excellent transportation systems, but they give good views of the park as well (and Disneyland's has the bonus Grand Canyon/Primeval World segment to add variety). The Calico Railroad is fun as well, but it's just a loop around the Boardwalk section of the park.

 

In general, when I'm visiting a park for the first time I'll only use a train ride for transportation purposes. On return visits, however, I usually will try to do a full lap at least once, as well as doing any non-transport railroad attractions. The one train ride I wish I would have done but didn't is Dollywood's. I've heard this is a really good one, but unfortunately a thunderstorm shut down the attraction so I was unable to ride on my visit. I also may have been on one or two others not listed above, but I only count full size trains as railroads and simply refer to smaller electric trains (the kind built specifically for an amusement park) under the track ride category.

[beatle11]

Knoebels Pioneer Train is great, especially at night.

[Cyrbuzz]

I used to like the original train from Michigan's Adventure back in the Deer Park Funland days. The ride was more scenic since they still had a lot of trees back then. But now there's not much to see scenery wise but open weed covered field and the coasters of course. I agree Busch Gardens Africa has a great train ride, my son and I enjoy it a lot.

[ajfelice]

The train is the best ride to operate next to some of the coasters, hands down. The train is also my favorite gentle ride. I usually enjoy every park's train except Kennywood's because I find the billboards tacky.

[XYZ]

I really like train rides. Whenever I go to Knott's, I usually go on the Railroad multiple times.

[larrygator]

My favorite is at a small roadside attraction in New Hampshire: Clark's Trading Post

 

Silverwood was my favorite at an amusement park.

 

Other good ones are Busch Gardens, Dollywood and Silver Dollar City

[gisco]

I love riding the trains at a park. Nice time to kick back and relax for a bit and you usually get good views of the park. Probably my favorite is at Disneyland. Nice way to sit down for 20 minutes and you can get off at different stations.

[Meteornotes]

Train rides are great. I believe my all time favorite one is at Dollywood.

 

dt

[ernierocker]

You can't go wrong with the Dollywood Express.

 

I also have fond memories of Opryland's train ride.

[cfc]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg used to run their train ride as the "Transylvania Express" during the early years of Howl-o-Scream. It was a bit cheesy, but had one particularly funny moment--a pit full of unseen "werewolves" throwing around random body parts.

 

Now they just use it for transportation during HOS.

[chadster]

I am partial to the train ride at Silver Dollar City, of course after dozens of rides this year I wonder why...

 

The train at Waldameer runs at a snails pace, I could probably crawl faster.

 

At Sandy Lake the old man who runs the train stops to tell stories and depending on what time of year it is they pass out candy and have visits by the appropriate seasonal character. Great small park charm.

 

The train at SFOT is kinda meh as is WoF's.

 

One day I hope to get back to Dollywood and give their's a try.

[larrygator]

I am partial to the train ride at Silver Dollar City.

 

I was waiting for you to write this.

[invisibleinthedark]

RIP Great America Scenic Railway (CGA). For those of you who are wondering, the Green Locomotive was at a locomotive restoration shop in Georgetown CA which closed down and the Red locomotive will be returning to operation at a farm in Florida.

 

Anyways Calico & Ghost Town Railroad has my vote. Considering they have historical narrow gauge railroad equipment from a formerly major railroad line, and a fully operation restoration shop.

[Philrad71]

I'm both shocked and appalled that no one has given props for Mister Rogers Land of Make Believe Hug & Play song ride!

 

Granted it's technically more like one of the old trams, but it's still one of the weirdest in-the-woods rail rides you will ever encounter!

Come along, come along!

[linearinduction]

RIP Great America Scenic Railway (CGA). For those of you who are wondering, the Green Locomotive was at a locomotive restoration shop in Georgetown CA which closed down and the Red locomotive will be returning to operation at a farm in Florida

Where is the Red Locomotive going in Florida? I still can't believe no one has any photos of the Green Train in Operation at the park.

 

- Sid

[Nrthwnd]

^^ That floor looks like an

insane version of TWISTER, lol!

[invisibleinthedark]

I feel this post my be getting too specific for this, if there's anymore specific's about the locomotive you want to know you can message me!

 

Where is the Red Locomotive going in Florida? I still can't believe no one has any photos of the Green Train in Operation at the park.

 

- Sid

 

This post (by myself on another board) is pretty much a history of the Red Train, and the other Custom Fabricators Locomotive. :

Recently I've been wandering around the internet of the whereabouts of the Custom Fabricators trains and thought I should post my findings here if someone else is interested about these park trains. For those of you who don't know, Custom Fabricators was a company that had built five 2-4-0 steam outlines made out of frames from 0-4-0s and ran on Detroit Diesel engines hiding in the tender. Four of the locmotives went to the two Great America Parks, and one ended up in Ramada Express in Nevada. Over the years at Great America Santa Clara one of the locomotive's was just used to repair the other. In 2001 the Railway was removed and the equipment sold off. I recently tracked down the red locomotive that used to run at Santa Clara's Great America. After being sold on Trains-Trams-Trolleys, it sat in Williston's Crossing RV park in Florida after a plan fell through to expand the RV park with a train ride and various other amenities...

original post: http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,196584,196584#msg-196584

 

Also on that form is a user named "RailNole" who is the current owner of the Red Train, the last email update got from him is that the locomotive has received a new oak cab to replace the rotting one (built to same measurements as the original) and that the diesel engine has been overhauled. As for the exact location of the Red Locomotive I do not know.

[bludowise68]

Same here mines is the Great American Scenic Railway ats Six Flags Great America.

 

the ride is not too bad when riding it.

[ThanksforRiding]

I don't believe a train can make or break a park but it can certainly add a nice and relaxing dimension to your day. It's a great way to take a break, catch some views, get to another part of the park and possibly see something special that isn't visible from anywhere else in the park. Every park should have some sort of transportation ride and a train is a good way to go.

[KDGY75]

"Old Dominion Line" was one of KD's most popular family attractions in the Golden Years. Operated from 1975-1995. I was so sad to see it go. Paramount got rid of a lot of Kings Dominion's family attractions/rides.

 

[acehightower]

I am new to this board, and was just curious if there are other train enthusiasts like myself out there.....

 

My top 5 theme park trains, and why:

 

1. Dollywood. Just can't beat the feel of an original steam locomotive. I can easily pass an hour eating a grilled fajita plate and just staring, in awe, at the engine. Can't find anyone who appreciates just observing it in detail like me

2. Knoebels. Pioneer train. Just feels like I'm on one of the many toy trains I grew up loving. Riding under Twister is just so cool.

3. Kennywood. Olde Kennywood. The super tight tunnel is so awesome. And the beautiful setting by the river. Love that train ride.

4. Lake Winnie. Not sure why I love this ride, I just do. I think it's the slight out of control downhill feeling through the woods as it first takes off. The track rolls behind the worm and antique cars, and it just barely gets that out of control feel. Finishes with a great lake ride. I just love this train.

5. Magic Kingdom. It's not so much that I love this train, but hands down my favorite theme park And I do LOVE the front station, and I can feel Walt's love for trains with the pictures and plaques. Plus the roll through Splash Mountain is just so cool. Then the station by Thunder Mountain is completely epic. To bad the toon station is so plain jane.

 

My theme park train credit is at 38......trying to get to 50.