Richwood Tahoe Railroad (Kentucky)

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:34 pm

Whatever happened to this miniature railroad that was located at Columbia Sussex in Crestview Hills, KY?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYCHLOfZCOk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1hsCMLgb-w
http://steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive ... play=28121

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Sat Jul 21, 2018 4:13 pm

Wow, that is just crazy. I am from this area and I never heard of it. It must be brand new in the last few years. Satellite photo shows it is still there, but I don't see any workshop or storage building. Maybe they truck the train in every time. Clearly owner of office building is a live steamer.

The people to ask would be the members of the Cincinnati Cinder Sniffers. They would know for sure.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Seed+Strategy/@39.0233637,-84.5530808,290m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x8841b9d9a3296079:0xba964a26f575cdb3!2sRichwood+Tahoe+Railroad,+Crestview+Hills,+KY+41017,+USA!3b1!8m2!3d39.0234724!4d-84.5518664!3m4!1s0x8841b9d0ac27d499:0xb9f18573a105e544!8m2!3d39.023939!4d-84.5504131

Dick_Morris · **Posted:** Sat Jul 21, 2018 7:37 pm

According to Google Earth, the hotel and other buildings were built around 2007. Before that the area was forested. Railroad ROW was cleared in an October, 2008 image and there was track in July 2010. The tunnel is more visible in the earlier images and appears to be big enough to also serve as storage and maybe a shop. In the earlier photos it appears that it may have a concrete roof.

Jennie K · **Joined:** Fri Feb 13, 2015 2:48 pm **Posts:** 181

They have a FB page, but it has had no activity since 2011.

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 747

Odd, that is a neat idea and that company really went whole hog on making it work, and now it may be dead?

https://web.archive.org/web/20091201000000*/http://www.richwoodrailroad.com/

Rob Gardner · **Joined:** Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm **Posts:** 567

The train including the 2-6-0, were built, I believe, by Mammoth Locomotive Works in Colorado. The 2-6-0 was built from castings and design from Winton Engineering (Winton Brown). The railroad I believe was built as a special event and fundraising facility.

Rob Gardner

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 473

As far as I know, it's still there.

The train is 24" gauge, and is diesel fuel fired. It is a Mammoth Loco Works engine.

The tunnel is the storage area and shop, and has a pit, water, and electricity and lights.

I looked at it when it was first put into service, and several times since. Their boiler certificate is due for renewal this month.

The loco had a scale cab as built, but the owner wanted to be "in" the cab, not looking over top of it, so the present oversize cab was built. The original owner's son is now in charge of it, and I don't think he shares the enthusiasm his dad did, so it may not run as much as it used to.

mitch45 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:38 pm **Posts:** 1

I went by there at the end of June on a Saturday. Rails are rusty and in places very weedy. Roadbed starting to go downhill. I had called the phone number listed on their website. No scheduled runs at that time according to the lady I talked to. I talk to Mammoth Locomotive from time to time. As I am building a 5" scale mogul in 16" gauge using the Winton parts. I'll ask John if he knows anything.

Mitch

Jim Herron · **Posted:** Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:32 pm

If the videos are typical, the "engineer" never closes the cylinder cocks.

dwither1 · **Joined:** Tue Sep 20, 2011 8:43 pm **Posts:** 46

I have no personal knowledge, but found this "Googling": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYCHLOfZCOk

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Sun Jul 22, 2018 12:28 pm

This also turned up, the delivery of the locomotive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrRY8_D2MGo

And a revenue run. Nice looking water tank and station platform; I wish more park railroads looked like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-e7E5C ... CGaQrn8SKg

o anderson · **Posted:** Sun Jul 22, 2018 3:32 pm

From the web archive, it appears that the operation's website was last updated in the fall of 2014, was not updated through archives in late 2016, and has been down since about that time. The videos of it operating with the cylinder cocks open date back to the first year of operations.

I had thought this small engine would look nice built to 18" or 20" gauge. I wonder what a 16" version would look like.

These are nice engines. I believe that Winton, which made the casting masters, only manufactured one of these engines in the 1950s/60s. It is currently available for sale, after conversion to propane.
https://houston.craigslist.org/bfs/d/winton-24-gauge-park-train/6597981045.html

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 747

To be clear: The Houston one for sale apparently has been converted FROM steam to internal combustion (listed as a Diesel in the ad). But it looks like they might of confined the butchery to the tender, so maybe could be brought back to steam?

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Mon Jul 23, 2018 5:49 pm

Even as a charity operation, they sure were not really serious about it. Every event they offered only operated from 9am to 12:30. Three hours a day?

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 2879

softwerkslex wrote:

Even as a charity operation, they sure were not really serious about it. Every event they offered only operated from 9am to 12:30. Three hours a day?

Sounds like his personal back yard railroad he ran for fun when he felt like it and he decided to haul guests if they were lucky enough to be there at the right time?

Sure it's an expensive hobby, but have you priced a yacht lately?

Richwood Tahoe Railroad (Kentucky)

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