photo 1 - This photo shows
the grade crossing between the Zoo Atlanta's petting zoo (left) and the Okefanokee Cafe (right). The crossing was
protected by flashing signals but the proposed crossing gates were never installed.Hi. Welcome to my Atlanta Zoo Train home page.
I worked on the Atlanta Zoo train (for the Atlanta Zoo Train Company) from 1991 to about 1996 when Zoo Atlanta decided they wanted to run the train themselves. The late Paul Dimanchik and Wayne Lass maintained and restored the train for about 10-12 years. My remembrances are put down here and Wayne has promised to review this and make corrections. I hope you enjoy this small trivial interlude.
These photos were taken a few weeks before the G-16 train ceased operations and the tracks were pulled up. It was a shame to pull out history like that since the train dated fro the late 1950's or early 1960's. I personally remember riding the train in the early 1960's when I was between 6 and 8 years old. It was a thrill to work on something I'd ridden years earlier.
Once I hear from Wayne, I'll sort the photos into an order that would represent a ride starting from the station.
As for the history of the equipment itself, I'll add a series of e-mails here that I tried to answer questions for now. I'll add a formal history later.
"
Atlanta Zoo comments:
Pix shows some real crooked track ??,
"
There was only a few places where we had kinks in the track. Most of the track (even the 50' radius curve) was
smoothed with prebent rail (we used three people and a 12 ton press). There were/are a lot of lazy curves instead
of straight track to keep the ride more interesting I assume. The track was laid in the 1950's.
"
pix 11-is the tunnel a storage shed or
did the pa trains go through it ?,
"
There were two "tunnels", the first is/was a short one where the Zoo Atlanta main entrance is (photo
18). The second one is/was about 250 feet long or so. The second had/has glow in the dark paintings of the zoo
inside. The trains were stored in this longer tunnel when not in use.
As for more details on the Zoo Train, here is the thread from the Narrow Gauge Railroad Discussion Forum. In addition,
I've asked Wayne Lass to help me out in documenting the photo captions so between the two of us we'll get fewer
errors. The only changes I've made here have been to correct spelling errors and documentation errors.
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001, at 2:15 p.m.
Ran across this mini-golf place in N.Hampton, NH with a 15" "Allan Herschell" locomotive and open
car. The engine was a gas powered 4-4-4 with tender. The attendant/engineer told me the locomotive was around 40
years old, was a "Wisconsin" engine, and came from a zoo in Connecticut. "Miniature Train Div."
was also written on the builders plate which was located above the cow-catcher. Anyone familiar with this manufacturer?
I've never come across this name on any "Park Train" or related websites.
In Response To: Re: 15"gauge "Herschell" (Bruce R. Pier)
Miniature Trains manufactured a 1/4 sized F3 based on the EMD blueprints.
I worked on them for about two or three years at the Atlanta Zoo. We had two F3's, four (4) passenger cars, and
one observation car.
Both locos were powered by a 4-cylinder Wisconsin air-cooled agricultural engine that as I understand it is still
manufactured. It is of a 1947 design (as I recall). We altered the two F3's we had so there was an electric vacuum
pump for the air brakes (vacuum) since the original design used the manifold vacuum for brakes.
The entire train set could be converted from 14" to 15" to 16" gauge by an ingenious way of changing
spacers on the wheels and brake rigging. We had a spare truck which we did convert the brake rigging to 15"
gauge to see how easy it was. It was just time consuming but not hard. The hardest part of the change would have
been the wheel sets.
The Atlanta Zoo train's equipment was actually two different sets (one had a loco and two cars and one had a loco
and three cars. One set built in 1952 and one in 1956 if I recall correctly). We were able to easily alter the
pneumatic throttle and brake control on the one loco so that both locos could be MUed and either could lead. Only
one was MU capable when originally purchased.
There are two types of couples used on the MT. One is a knuckle type coupler and one is a link and pin type coupler.
The knuckle is not prototypic looking but is prototypic in operation. They were the original couplers on the train
sets. After kids pulled the pin several times, the link and pin was converted to.
The link and pin style coupler was again not prototypic in looks but in functionality. The link was about a 2"
diameter steel rod that fit snugly into the pockets and held in place by the pins. Basically it formed a solid
draw bar from kingpin to kingpin.
Although I was a part time employee, I helped restore the equipment to operating condition and maintained it once
it was restored. I also filled in on occasional weekends to run the train. Either loco could pull the entire train
around the track (grades up to about 3% and curves as sharp as 50 feet) but usually we only allowed 4 cars per
loco and went to double heading for 5 cars. The extra fuel cost for the extra loco was not paid for by one extra
car's worth of passengers. We were considering another car near the end of operations.
We were designing a signal system to allow two trains to run (same direction) when Zoo Atlanta decided they wanted
to run the train concession themselves. They now have a 24" gauge train set.
MT parts were still available as of about 5-6 years ago. Only car and loco bodies were not available. These bodies
are in demand on the used market.
At one time MT offered switches and turntables and crossings and signal systems (mainly crossing gates) and quite
a wide selection of accessories.
At the zoo, we had a passing siding at the station to allow us to put one train in while the second train was in
use. They were stored in a tunnel overnight. Near one tunnel portal, a trailing point spur was installed with a
small storage shed where we could put up one car or one car and one loco for repairs. The loco was about 10 feet
long, a passenger car about 12 feet long and the observation about 14 feet long.
As I understand it, MT made the original F3 in 20" gauge (the only one built in that gauge). A photo of it
has been on D.F.Barnhardt's site for about 6 months. I do not recall 12" gauge but I really did not follow
anything outside of the 14-16" gauge stuff closely.
There was a 4-2-4 C.P.Huntington type steamer in 14-16" gauge that used the EMD diesel trucks for the front
and rear trucks. A Wisconsin gas engine was the power. The driving wheels actually took power from the track and
drove the piston. The cylinder (which would be the steam cylinders on the prototype) compressed air for the air
brakes. If the driver slipped, you had no air for braking.
Success on this design drove MT and/or its successor to use the same designs on 24" gauge equipment. The C.P.Huntington
style is currently used at Zoo Atlanta in 24" gauge. Supposedly when the 4-2-4 first ran on the 24" gauge
track that replaced the decades old 16" gauge track, they did not check tunnel clearance and the stack was
about 4" too tall. They ended up cutting down the stack.
I do not recall the name of the company that currently supplies the MT parts, but MT heritage designs are still
being used today in 24" gauge.
Doug.
In Response To: Miniature Trains (DvV)
Thanks for that response. I had seen "MT" before,
but not "Herschell". This locomotive was a "4-4-4"
but the "drivers" really were not doing the work.
There was a sort of transfer-case which sent power
forwards and back to two different opposing drive-
shafts. It actually worked more like a heisler.
And I noticed the air hose, but couldn't imagine how it worked.
Interesting design. The operator
also stated that only 50 of these were built,
is that possible?
In Response To: Re: Miniature Trains (Stephen Hussar)
It sounds familiar. The F3s had the Wisconsin drive shaft going through a hydraulic clutch.
It's been 5 years since I last saw it, but as best I recall, the output of the clutch went to a gearbox that basically
lowered the drive shaft from above the frame to below the frame. Internally it was a chain drive I believe.
Then there were two drive shafts (just like auto drive shafts but shorter) oriented like a Hiesler (front and rear)
that went to a gearbox on the axle. This gearbox would both change the power direction 90 degrees to actually power
the axle and wheels and pass through the box, under the bolster and to the gearbox on the other axle of the truck.
I do remember that servicing these gearboxes was the worst task on the whole loco. To get the truck off the loco
was a bear of a job using a modified and cut down Allen wrench that could only turn about 1/8 of a turn and about
8 turns per bolt were needed to remove all 8 bolts.
Except for the power trucks, the train was easy to maintain and ran like a charm once adjusted correctly. Only
once did we need to send one of the Wisconsins out to a shop for repairs - we found out someone had put sand in
the gas tank.
As far as the 4-4-4, it sounds very plausible. Modeltec Magazine has a column titled something like "larger
gauges then and now". I seem to recall they mentioned a short-lived MT steamer that is your 4-4-4 and maybe
even a 4-4-0 (5-10 pieces). I also seem to remember that they tried an actual steam loco on their 4-4-0 but it
was too difficult to maintain for an amusement park type setting.
My speculation (with no real evidence) is that they had a steam powered 4-4-0 to start with using a steam ejector
for the vacuum brakes. They then went to the 4-4-4 with F3 trucks and used the drivers and cylinders for the brakes
and eventually evolved into the 4-2-4 C.P.Huntington style.
One other interesting item was that the passenger car trucks were unpowered F3 trucks. It made the number of parts
needed to maintain the train a lot less.
If I'd known the selling price of the 16" gauge Zoo train was so low when it was abandoned, I'd probably tried
to buy it. It was a great train.
If you're interested, I'll scan some pics I made of the Zoo train two weeks before the end and post them on my
web site for you. Contact me back channel.
One other trivia tidbit, the two F3's were (in the 1960's) painted for Southern RR's SOUTHERNER passenger train
and the two locos were carried on SRRs official roster until the mid-1970's. I guess SRR could be said to have
had narrow gauge in the 1960's albeit 16"
Doug
In Response To: Re: Miniature Trains (DvV)
Alan Herschell was bought out by Chance in 1969. Chance was by that time building the C.P. Huntington. They did
continue to inventory the existing parts inventory and the plans and patterns from the Miniature Train line. A
few years back they auctioned off the bulk of the old Herschell Co. assets. They wound up in the possession of
the Carousel Society of the Niagara Frontier, caretakers of the Herschell Factory Museum in North Tonawanda,NY.
As I understand it, they are setting up a separate holding company to manufacture parts for the MT equipment as
well as the old Herschell kiddie rides, which a great many are still in use.
photo 1 - This photo shows
the grade crossing between the Zoo Atlanta's petting zoo (left) and the Okefanokee Cafe (right). The crossing was
protected by flashing signals but the proposed crossing gates were never installed.
photo 2 - just beyond the
grade crossing above, there was a small drainage ditch that the train had to cross. Paul and Wayne built a scale
bridge to cross it. To the left was the old zoo where the bears and the seal lions resided.
photo 3 -From the small bridge,
the train ran lazily towards the station. To the left were the seal pond. The wood fence to the right separated
the railroad from the walkway through the petting zoo. The trailer directly ahead was for zoo offices.
photo 4 - This view shows
the zoo offices to the right. If you have a good display, you can see (in the middle center) the left-hand switch
that is the beginning of the station.
photo 5 - using a zoom
lens, this shot shows the station passing siding better. The vertical line that seems to be an extension of one
of the back ground fence's supports is actually the switch stand.
photo 6 - If you have a
good graphics display, you can see the approaching train as it crosses the little bridge.
photo 7 - Here is a better
view of the station area showing the beginning of the platform.
photo 8 - Here is a good
shot of the station facilities from the railroad side with a train in the station.
photo 9 - This shot is
taken from just outside the second tunnel portal. The spur to the right was the maintenance and storage area. The
second loco is standing on the track.
photo 10 - The shop area
was small, a storage shed and a place to keep one passenger car or a passenger car and a loco. Behind the locomotive
is a home made work car. When we needed to work on the track when they were running a train, the spare loco was
attached to the work car and a work train ran around keeping out of the way of the passenger train. When no maintenance
work was needed, the spare equipment was kept at the station on the passing siding.
photo 11 - another shot
of the shop area. Working equipment was always kept in the tunnel.
photo 12 - just beyond
the shop area, there was a lazy right hand curve. standing in the curve, here is a shot showing the petting zoo
on the right. Before Zoo Atlanta, there was a crossing in the sunlight that went up the hill to the left. By the
time I started, the retaining wall on the left had been put in and the grade crossing no longer was used by the
public. If we were working a night and had to move a railroad car, we used the public crossing. However, if the
zoo was open or we had ballast (gravel under the track), we came into this crossing. To the left of the crossing
was the ballast pile.
photo 13 - Taken from
the closed crossing, we had Deadman's Curve. This curve was a 50' radius on a 3.5-4% upgrade. Wheels squealed here
frequently.
photo 14 - This shot shows
the public crossing approach and one of the grade crossing signals.
photo 15 - Here is another
shot of the station with the crew.
photo 16 - This is the
curve exiting the station and entering the first tunnel. When I rode this train in the early 1960's, this overpass
was not there.
photo 17 - Here is the
train being loaded in the station. The switch in the foreground is a spring switch. Since it was a trailing point
switch, no switch stand was used. The small berm to the right of the siding was to keep water from flowing down
the hill and onto the tracks during rains.
photo 18 - This is the
short tunnel - it was about 20 odd feet long.
photo 19 - Here is the
exit from the first tunnel.
photo 20 This shows another
lazy curve. The track has just climbed out of the cut from the first tunnel. Better graphics will allow you to
see the entrance to the second tunnel in the distance. This was the highest point on the railroad.
photo 21 - The train approaches
the summit.
photo 22 - Exiting the
second tunnel. This tunnel was about 200 odd feet long with black light paintings of the zoo inside. On the left
is the rail pile, on the right is the shop area.
photo 23 - Mr. Wayne Lass
in between.
photo 24 - The train exits
the tunnel.
photo 25 - The train continues
on its way. The observation car on the rear.
photo 26 - here is the
work car we built on a spare truck. The timber was left over redwood from when I rebuilt my deck at home. The ends
were two pieces of wood that slipped between angle iron guides so we could dump from the ends. To dump on the sides,
the sides hinged down and had a 1/4" bolt used to keep them from opening. There were two doors on each side.
To allow us to be able to pull this with a train, two pieces of angle iron were bolted onto the end beams and drilled out for the train's link and pin couplers. The pin would fit between the angle iron and a 3/8" bolt would be dropped in place. The car had coupler pockets on both ends of the car.
The car was originally built by Paul and Wayne and was labeled for their FFSC (Fair Field Sandy Creek) live steam railroad.
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I may be contacted at douglasvanveelen@mindspring.com