Busch Gardens Railway

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This article is about the railway within Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia. For the railway within Busch Gardens Tampa, see Serengeti Express.
Busch Gardens Railway
The Bush Beer Express.jpg
Der Hochbeinige approaching grade crossing
Overview
LocaleBusch Gardens Williamsburg
Dates of operation1975–
Technical
Track gauge3 ft (914 mm)
Length1.5 miles (2.4 km)
Route map
  • v
  • t
Busch Gardens Railway
Legend
Bus transfer
(via short walk outside park)
 Heatherdowns
Roundhouse
(not open to public)
 New France
Gondola lift transfers
(via short walks inside park)
 Festa Italia

The Busch Gardens Railway is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge amusement park railroad attraction located within Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement park in Williamsburg, Virginia. Opened in 1975, the railway is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, and has stations in the Heatherdowns, Festa Italia, and New France sections of the park. It features three trains pulled by 4-4-0 steam locomotives manufactured by Crown Metal Products.[1]

Description[]

The railway consists of a loop of 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Trains run in a clockwise direction, with a complete round trip taking approximately 20 minutes. There are two major bridges on the line, the Rhine River Trestle and the Loch Ness Trestle. The trains are inspected, serviced, and fueled at the Caribou Train Station in New France, which also contains two storage tracks to hold trains not currently in use. Caribou Station also has a water supply that the engine crews use to top off the locomotive's tenders every two laps of operation.

The railway operates three locomotives, each with their own train consisting of open-sided passenger coaches with a livery matching the locomotive.

History[]

The railway opened in 1975, the same year as the park. It initially operated with two stations at Heatherdowns and New France. The line initially operated with two locomotives, Balmoral Castle and Der Hochbeinige.

In 1987, the park expanded, adding the Festa Italia area, and with it the infill Festa Station, the third (and final) station on the line. In 1997, a third locomotive was acquired from a defunct amusement park, and given an Alpine theme to match the newly-opened Alpengeist roller coaster.

On August 16, 2018, the Balmoral Castle caught on fire. One employee received minor injuries.[2] The locomotive was subsequently repaired and returned to service.

Locomotives[]

All three locomotives are propane-fueled steam engines.[3]

Busch Gardens Railway locomotive details[1]
Number Name Image Wheel arrangement Date built Builder Date entered service Notes
17 Alpen Express 4-4-0 (American) 1972 Crown Metal Products 1997[4] Alpine-themed. Originally built for the now-defunct Lakeside Amusement Park in Salem, Virginia, with American old-west theming. When acquired by Busch 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 Bush Gardens - 116.JPG 4-4-0 (American) 1974 Crown Metal Products 1975 Scottish-themed. Painted in blue livery based on the Caledonian Railway Company, with CR painted on the tender.
238 Der Hochbeinige Bush Gardens - 83.JPG 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.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Crown Locomotive Roster".
  2. ^ "Train at Busch Gardens theme park catches fire". Fox News. 16 August 2018.
  3. ^ WAVY Web Staff (Aug 16, 2018). "Busch Gardens train, 'Escape from Pompeii' fires ruled accidental, officials say". WAVY. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  4. ^ https://www.facebook.com/Fireup611/posts/830368660471477

External links[]

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