I'll admit these aren't as good as "real" NG, but just the same, they're the next best thing, and get this, some of the locomotives and cars come from real NG.

This appeared to be the case on Saturday when I visited 6 flags in S. Maryland. The locomotive seemed to be a Plymouth. I took extensive photos of it up close. I haven't yet downloaded them but hope to this week. I asked the personnel what gauge it was and they didn't know. It appeared to be 30-36" gauge. It wasn't on their website.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, even tho it went only about 3mph at max. (OTOH I didn't enjoy the fast rides on the coasters).

If anyone else has experience with small railways that are NG, please share your stories. I'll admit to not really liking small railways that have miniature copies of big RR locomotives--to clarify, I like all RRs just these not as much. I like locomotives and cars that are built specifically for NG. Just my personal bias.

Hopefully, I'll have some photos.

An amusement park called Cedar Point has a NG railway that operates with old 2-4-0 steamers. Here are a couple links:

http://www.cedarpoint.com/publ...ke_erie_railroad.cfm
http://www.cedarpoint.com/publ...railroad_engines.cfm

Our family went to Cedar Point a lot. One time, I rode the train most of the day and talked to the crew a couple times. Delightful little steamers.

When I was 13yrs old, we went to King Island in Ohio (1980). I had two cab rides in their old timer. It was fired with propane. Here are links:

http://www.visitkingsisland.co...detail.cfm?ai_id=151
http://www.visitkingsisland.co...ions/train_thumb.jpg

Dollywood in Tenn. has a real life NG railroad running through the park. I forget the wheel configuration of the locomotive but it is full sized with NG wheels. Best part, is I have been told they WILL give you a cab ride if you ask. In fact, I wanted to take a picture of the cab and started to hand my camera to the fireman (yes a real fireman who shovels a lot of real life coal). He said "come on up." Next thing I know I'm standing in the cab of a real life active steam locomotive on a 90+ deg. day. Very cool, actually very HOT! Problem is I ended up with coal dust all over my nice white T shirt. I found out after leaving the park about the cab rides, otherwise I would have hung out for the ride.

finally got the photos downloaded; I have more but here's a couple. I think it may be 30" gauge (6 flags maryland); RR personnel didn't know

I just found out that the railway is 30" gauge (could be modeled in On30) and the Porters came from La. sugar plantations.

The poor rusting steam locomotive on the siding. Probably a legacy of Dan Snyder, who owned 6 Flags.

thanks for links, Paul

great story, coasterp

There is a 2' gauge railroad in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Toonerville Trolley. It uses Plymouth locos and runs down to the Taquanehmon (sp?) River where the passengers then ride on a river boat to the Falls.
Also, the Huckleberry Railroad, near Flint MI, is a 3' gauge line running an ex-Alaska 4-6-0 and a D&RGW 2-8-2.

John

quote:

Originally posted by coasterp:
Dollywood in Tenn. has a real life NG railroad running through the park.

Dollywood operates with ex-WP&Y 2-8-2s. Two are sisters to the 2-8-2 used by the White Pass (#70 & #71), while the third is a MacArthur engine and has a sister at the tourist Tweetsie (a third is on display in Skagway).

The Cedar Point engines are historic...the oldest is a 2-6-0 from 1910. The Kings Island locomotives are the standard Crown locomotives built for amusement parks in the 1960s-70s.

Ward Kimball, one of Disney's 9 old men, had a backyard 3' gauge railroad. His centerpiece was an ex-Nevada Central 1881 2-6-0 and an 1881 Barney & Smith coach. After complaints and boiler issues, his primary motive power was a Hawaiian tank engine (ex-HRy iirc).

You could consider Dan Markoff's Eureka to be a backyard railroad...as he keeps her in his backyard, along with the E&P replica combine he's building.

Near the 765's shops, there is a private 2' gauge railroad. It has a little infernal combustion locomotive as well as a German 0-4-0t.

IIRC, the Shenandoah Central was a private NG railroad. It caused ET&WNC combine #15, an excursion car, an EBT coach, and ET&WNC #12 to be saved.

Michael

Well, the Disneyland Railroad--one with which I'm sorta familiar--has five 36" gauge narrow gauge engines. Three are Baldwins--one dating to 1894.

And of course Knott's Berry Farm probably has the largest collection of operating D&RG/RGS equipment outside of Colorado.

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