An iconic miniature railroad in Fort Worth made a triumphant return this week after being closed for over a year.
After 18 months of standing idle, the family-run Forest Park Miniature Railroad at 1700 Colonial Pkwy. is back on track. Passengers can hop aboard a train Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for $10 if they are between ages 13 and 64. Rides cost $8 for passengers ages 2-12 and 65 and up.
The grand return is welcome news for most residents of Fort Worth, with the attraction having become a local fixture imbued with nostalgia over the years.
Forest Park Miniature Railroad was started up in the 1950s by carnival owner Bill Hames. It brought passengers around Trinity Park in bright red and yellow train cars for just 35 cents.
The train wheels stopped rolling last year, with the company citing issues with equipment and its operator’s health, Fox 4 KDFW reported.
By November, the City of Fort Worth — which holds a contract with the company — had had enough, issuing a 60-day ultimatum.
“We have known since about March that the train has not been operating as per the terms of the contract, and we’ve been working with the owner to get the train … up and running again,” explained Dave Lewis, interim director of Fort Worth’s Park & Recreation Department, according to Fox 4.
Apologizing for the delay, owner Mary Talley, Hames’ great-granddaughter, recently said that supply chain issues made starting back up a slow process.
“The trains were in need of a facelift. These are the original 1972 CP Huntingtons that my family purchased back then,” Talley said, according to Fox 4. “There’s just not a lot of CP Huntingtons for sale, so we had to refurbish them, and we are working with some vendors right now to build some new engines.”
In the meantime, passengers can hop aboard and enjoy an array of snacks, such as cotton candy, hot dogs, candy apples, popcorn, and more, as they relish the ride to the city’s zoo and back.
Mayor Mattie Parker was one of the first passengers to ride on the railroad’s inaugural run of 2023, joined by former Mayor Betsy Price and her grandson.
“All of us have memories on this wonderful train track,” Parker said, per Fox 4. “I think that’s why there’s been so much media attention. Everyone in Fort Worth has some attachment to this amazing part [of] Trinity Park, being on this train.”