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Railroads in Hawaii
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Author:  ekburger [ Mon Jan 17, 2005 8:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Railroads in Hawaii
In a few months I will be spending several days each on Oahu, Hawaii and Mauai. I have visits planned to the Ewa operation on Oahu and the LK&P on Mauai. Are there any other sites, locos and cars or any other railroad related places on these three islands.
Author:  Ed Kelley [ Mon Jan 17, 2005 9:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Railroads in Hawaii
On Maui, the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum is home to Kahului Railroad #1 "Claus Spreckels", which was fully restored to working order a few years ago by an outside contractor (Matt Austin). Beforehand, she was quite a basket case...of "Eureka" caliber as-discovered in 1986 by Dan Markoff. The locomotive I don't believe is on display, but I believe has operated at events at the museum. While she's not in the public eye, a real gem to know about. The locomotive's namesake is the same Claus Spreckels that also controlled interests in the Monterey/Salinas area of California.

As a side reference, Kauai is growing quite active. There is a 30" gauge collection at Grove Farm in Lihue (including a German import; one of a handfull of European locomotives that made up the early plantation motive power in the Kingdom of Hawaii), however, not on your agenda and not open to the public as far as I know as of yet. I heard they were laying down some track; there apparently wasn't much previously. Did some movie work a few years ago if I remember. In addition, a new and seperate steam operation is being built on Kauai (3' gauge) at the Kilohana plantation involving Brook Rother of Northern California (rebuilding of the locomotives at his shop) as well as Boone Morrison in Hawaii, who also produced that documentary video on narrow gauge lines in the west which was released I believe along with Bruce MacGregors new book a year or two ago.

The Ewa operation is also home to a couple of static native Hawaiian locomotives (unlike the LK&P, which operates converted 0-4-0Ts from Carbon Limestone, rebuilt by Keystone and test-run at the East Broad Top in Pennsylvania). I also heard a rumor that the OR&L #85 was being rebuilt out in Lahaina? Same locomotive that operated in Griffith Park in Los Angeles in the 50s.

Good Luck
Author:  wesp [ Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Railroads in Hawaii - Grove Farm
Grove Farm on Kauai was running one of their steam locomotives on the first Thursday each month for very short rides across the parking lot at the storage shed for the collection. There are four engines there, including the German "Paulo". My wife and I visited in 1999 and enjoyed this little operation. It is worth seeing if you can arrange your schedule.

Here is a link to a news article about the operation:

http://starbulletin.com/2000/07/08/news/story4.html

Wesley
Author:  Brian Norden [ Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Railroads in Hawaii - Grove Farm
I believe that Grove Farm has been doing the occational operations -- some for school groups -- for a good number of years.

At Hilo on the big Island may have some rements of the standard gauge Hawaii Railroad. Some buildings or bridges may exist.

I went to the Trains Magazine website and looked at its list of trourist railroads. Found something on Oahu that Dole Pineapple operates a tour that looks like a train:

http://www.dole-plantation.com/Train/train.aspx
Author:  Ed Kelley [ Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Railroads in Hawaii - Grove Farm
I believe the Dole Plantation railway was done by the same developers who have done several other attractions, including the 3' steam operation using Raritan River #3 in Orlando (now at Agrirama in Georgia). One of the guys in that group ran Custom Locomotive (miniature railway construction firm, now out of business) in Chicago; one of the locomotives at Dole is one of his Masons that ran in Orlando as well on another 2' operation in some shopping center. The other yellow locomotive is a standard Severn-Lamb "Texan" amusement park model made in the UK; the same company that also builds full-scale replica steam locomotives; including one for Disneyland Paris and two for Universal's theme park near Barcelona known as Port Aventura. Disney also purchased quite a few diesels from them for their Hong Kong and Animal Kingdom (Orlando) parks. The work is exquisite. I hear the Dole Plantation (while it's not much more than an amusement park train) offers a nice ride and is worth the money to visit their complex.

-Ed Kelley
Author:  Pullman [ Tue Jan 18, 2005 12:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Railroads in Hawaii - HRS
I had the pleasure to visit the Hawaiian Railway Society at Ewa in October of 2003. A fine group of people and a project with a great deal of potential. Their web pages are at:

http://hometown.aol.com/hawaiianrailway/

Here's a gallery of photos from that day:

http://www.privatecarservice.net/hrs1003.html

As well, I stopped in at the Dole operation and did ride their railroad. A nice way to show folks the fields and get an idea of what it takes to bring pineapple to their tables. In that vein, it's a success.

I also enjoyed doing a bit of abandoned right-of-way fanning along the former OR&L. Now with the recent books, I'm more than ready to go back and look for everything I missed.

I did pass through the mill areas at Kahuku and Ewa. It was interesting to see what remains of the company town at Ewa, and how the mill at Kahuku has become a shopping mall. As a side note, an episode of Magnum PI appears to have been filmed there during the Seventies while it was still operational.

Based on what I have heard about the O&RL #85, I believe it is stored in a disassembled state following an aborted restoration effort. No idea what the future plans are for it.

Roger Colton
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