While out hitting the antique shops last week, we picked up a color stereoview image, of something called the Dellwood Short Line. I did a quick Google search, and found a number of similarly-named stereoview cards for sale, but no other details.

The images are of an amusement park train ride, with a half dozen youngsters on board. The train consists of a pseudo-steam locomotive, lettered D.S.L. No. 3, with a trolley pole, and a single passenger car. The track gauge is an estimated 12". Based on the clothing, I'd guess 1920s or perhaps 1910s vintage.

Anybody ever hear of the Dellwood Short Line?

JR

I found a RR liability case concerning Dellwood Park Co., located in Will County, Ill. The case talks about an amusement ride type RR. Maybe that's where it was. Here's a link to the case study I found.

http://books.google.com/books?id=tsg9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=dellwood+park+co&source=web&ots=nkwSqMgJBW&sig=51_APO3nIIfvwg2l-bAYYCuLzXk#PPA183,M1

Bill

Thanks for the link! Very interesting reading. It would appear likely that this is the same park, but the operation that is described in that proceeding, seems to be more like a roller-coaster than the amusement park railroad in the stereo illustration.

Apparently Dellwood Park still survives in Will County, Illinois. The aforementioned stereo card was purchased in the city of Chicago.

Thanks again.

JR

"Scenic Railway" was a common term for the early roller coasters, especially those built before the invention of the "upstop wheels" that keeps coasters on the rails during negative G and other high speed maneuvers.

Many of the early coasters even had scenery, consisting of fake mountains looking a lot like those found on the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland. They often featured tunnels and overhanging rocks, and the ride was more like a bobsled run than the up and down hills found on coasters today.

This page has several postcard photos of "scenic railways"
http://www.deltatango.freeserve.co.uk/amusements.html