Equipment
Passenger Cars: Six open-air coaches (handicap accessible) and one caboose
Steam Locomotives: No. 119, built in 1968 by Crown Metal Products and No. 395-104, built 1890 by Krauss in Linz, Austria.
M.O.W. (Maintenance Of Way): Ballast Maintainer; Fairmont MT 14 motor car.
Signals: Two "Magnetic Flagman" wigwags; One pair of crossbucks and lights; One semaphore with dual flags
History
Construction was completed in 1968 on a little railroad contained within the grounds of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. The 2.5 miles of 70 lb rail track were laid with great assistance from the Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific Railroad also assisted in upkeep involving track work, locomotive and equipment maintenance, signals, etc.
In the early years, there were two Wye tracks which allowed for the operation of running figure eights within Omaha's Zoo. As ridership increased, the figure eights gave way to running a simple oval of a little over 1 ¾ miles. In the late 1970's a fifth coach and caboose were added to the train set to operate on weekends due to the ever increasing ridership.
In late 1991, construction began on a 120' by 40' two-stall engine house replacing the two small sheds and an outside pit. This was done with Union Pacific Railroad, which assisted in the care and storage of equipment. The engine house was opened in the spring of 1994 for use and was dedicated in July of that same year.
In 2003 an additional sixth coach was added to bring the railroad’s compliment of equipment to its present stronghold.
Locomotive 395-104 History
Built by Krauss in their Linz, Austria factory in 1890. Named Riva, she was one of three sister locomotives built in 1890 for the M.A.R. and worked there until 1915 when the rail line was heavily damaged due to war.
Riva was active for the Austrian military railways during WWI, then located to Stryj, Poland from 1918-1939. Records of from 1939-1945 are non-existent (at this time) and eventually wound up in service for the Romanian Federal Railroad (CFR), until 1968. From 1968-1973 the Riva was owned by Plasser & Theurer of Vienna, Austria and in 1974 through mutual contacts and efforts between the Union Pacific Railroad and Plasser & Theurer, the locomotive was donated to Omaha's Zoo by Joseph Theurer, President of the firm. The Union Pacific’s Omaha shops rebuilt parts of the train to bring the Riva up to U.S. operating standards. By 1976 the locomotive was chuffing merrily along pulling coaches full of delighted passengers once again on the Omaha Zoo Railroad.
Costs
$5.00 - all day ride pass (ages 3 and over). The pass can be redeemed for a wristband at Omaha
Depot or Kenefick Station.
The train operates Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It operates weather permitting.