Busch Gardens Railway
Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Locale | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dates of operation | 1975– | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Length | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Busch Gardens Railway is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located within Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park in Williamsburg, Virginia. Opened in 1975, the railway is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, and has stations in the Heatherdowns, Festa Italia, and New France sections of the park. It uses three trains pulled by three 4-4-0 steam locomotives manufactured by Crown Metal Products.[1]
Locomotives
Number | Name | Wheel arrangement | Date built | Builder | Date entered service | Notes |
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17 | Alpen Express | 4-4-0 (American) | 1972 | Crown Metal Products | 1997[2] | Originally built for the now-defunct Lakeside Amusement Park in Salem, Virginia, with American old-west theming. When acquired by Bush Gardens, the engine was rebuilt with a new smokestack, headlight, its pilot replaced with a snowplow, and its bell removed; however, it still retains a relatively American appearance compared to the other two engines. |
661 | Balmoral Castle | 4-4-0 (American) | 1974 | Crown Metal Products | 1975 | British-themed. Painted in blue livery based on the Caledonian Railway Company, with CR painted on the tender. |
238 | Der Hochbeinige | 4-4-0 (American) | 1974 | Crown Metal Products | 1975 | German-themed. Painted in red livery based on the Prussian state railways, with Preußische Staatsbahn painted on the tender. |
Incidents
On August 16, 2018, one of the trains caught on fire. One employee received minor injuries.[3]
See also
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Busch Gardens Railway.
Categories:
- 1975 establishments in Virginia
- 3 ft gauge railways in the United States
- Heritage railroads in Virginia
- Narrow gauge railroads in Virginia
- Passenger rail transportation in Virginia
- Railroads of amusement parks in the United States
- Railway lines opened in 1975
- Transportation in Williamsburg, Virginia
- United States rail transportation stubs