Spartanburg, SC to remove Cleveland Park's miniature train

Chris Webster · **Joined:** Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am **Posts:** 1087

The March 2011 derailment of the Cleveland Park train in Spartanburg, South Carolina was the subject of several RYPN threads. Last week, the Spartanburg County Council voted unanimously to remove the train from the park. Here are some recent articles from the Spartanburg, SC newspaper The Herald-Journal that describe that decision-making process.

The first article describes plans prepared by the Park Department:
Spartanburg County residents review plans for Cleveland Park (Published: Thursday, September 4, 2014 at 10:51 p.m.)
A short excerpt:

Quote:

For decades, a miniature train ran a circuit around the Cleveland Park playground. The train derailed in March 2011, killing 6-year-old Benji Easler and severely injuring several other children when it toppled down a rocky embankment because of excess speed. After the wreck, the train stopped running and two months later, the playground equipment was declared unsafe and removed.

For three and a half years, the play area of the park has been dormant. With litigation recently settled, Spartanburg County unveiled plans to bring the area back to life – without the train. In the plans shown to the public on Thursday, a walking trail replaces the train tracks.

That article generated a comment from a local resident:
The Stroller: Cleveland Park (Published: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at 3:15 a.m)

Quote:

Sammy Burnett of Spartanburg has followed news reports since the tragic accident involving the train in Cleveland Park, and he isn't convinced that retiring the train is the right thing to do. “It was very tragic, and I'm so sorry for everyone involved. I can't imagine the pain and loss of those involved, but when there is a tragic accident on one of our highways or roads, we don't close those roads so nobody can use them again,” he points out. “When there is a tragic accident on a lake, pond or pool, we don't close them down so nobody can use them. We try to make these things safer for all folks so they can use them safely. I'm 67 and have lived in Spartanburg all my life. As a young child, I rode the train, my children rode the train, my grandchildren rode the train and I hoped my great-grandchildren could ride the train, but our leaders seem to want to push our history away to try to make up for this tragedy. Could we not hire inspectors for the train? Could we not hire responsible operators to run the train? There is not another time that I can remember such a tragedy with our train. Why would we put an end to such an important part of our lives due to one accident?”

However, there was no comment from the public when the County Council approved the Park Department's concept designs:
Spartanburg County Council approves Cleveland Park renovation plans (Published: Monday, September 15, 2014 at 8:01 p.m.)

An excerpt:

Quote:

The train will not return to Cleveland Park, Spartanburg County Council decided unanimously during Monday's regular meeting.

With little discussion among council members and no public comment from attendees, council approved the concept designs for Cleveland Park and Berry Field as presented by the Parks Department.

“It is the strong desire of Spartanburg County Council to see Cleveland Park move forward without the train,” Councilman Michael Brown said in his motion for the livability committee to accept the plans.

trolleyira · **Joined:** Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:22 pm **Posts:** 219

A sad ending to a sad event.

Taking out the railroad does not accomplish anything, however.

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

someone walking down the trail falls down the same embankment....

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 783

Only if he's running.

Call a spade a spade-a foamer got caught up in the excitement and ran the train beyond what anyone could imagine was a safe speed. Nowadays the only answer is to remove the offending item. They probably couldn't get insured anyways. Take this as a lesson, and wherever and whenever you see unsafe, point it out, call it down, and try to get it stopped. It may be your favorite train that gets stuffed and mounted next...

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

That's certainly no surprise. In today's litigation happy society, they've removed lots of things that used to be common. Back when I was a kid our hometown park had a CP Huntington Park Train circling it, and a huge assortment of stuff to climb on, including a caboose, a tank, a fighter plane, a fire truck, those old metal slides, dangerous teeter totters and those death trap "Rocket ship to space" that we used to climb inside and rock back and forth like mad. All gone now, maybe a few picnic tables left, I don't know.

A nearby city recently closed all of the city pools, instead switching to "splash fountains" since it's presumably much harder to drown in one.

I'm curious, are there any city owned park trains left in operation? They used to be common, but they're certainly rare now. I can think of a few in zoos that might be city owned, but how many are left that are run by city parks?

wesp · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:19 pm

There are two county-owned park trains operating in Montgomery County, MD and one in adjacent Prince George's County. All of them are Chance Huntington trains.

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 783

The one in North Little Rock, AR at Burns Park is city owned:
http://www.nlrpr.org/parks/funland.php

there is also one in Ft. Smith, AR at Creekmore Park:
http://www2.fortsmithparks.com/index.php?page=creekmore
They have a REAL steam train that is run a few times a year!
http://condrenrails.com/FSVB/FS&ECPSRy-21-century.html
This is run by volunteers as far as I know

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 490

The Louisville KY Zoo suffered an accident with injuries a few years ago concerning their train. For a few years the train was out of service while litigation ensued.

Now, all of the old train equipment has been sold off and removed from the property, and all new equipment is in place and operating. The track has been inspected, repaired, and upgraded as needed, and there is a crew training program in place.

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:42 pm

Bobharbison wrote:

I'm curious, are there any city owned park trains left in operation? They used to be common, but they're certainly rare now. I can think of a few in zoos that might be city owned, but how many are left that are run by city parks?

The City of Scottsdale, Arizona owns three live steam locomotives and three diesel locomotives and operates them on the city owned 15 inch gauge Paradise and Pacific Railroad at their McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. They have a large loop configuration that encircles the park and the Maricopa Live Steamers have a facility there. The park is specifically railroad themed, as was the stipulation of the family that donated the property. Several pieces of rolling stock are owned by and maintained by the City, including the Pullman car "Roald Amundsen" which is open for visitation.

As far as I know, the Paridise and Pacific Railroad is operated by the City of Scottsdale itself, not a contractor. The equipment is maintained in very good condition, as is the park in general. Then again, Scottsdale is a very wealthy community and can certainly afford the expense.

The steam locomotives are:

No. 10: 4-6-0 built 1980 by Bill Daney

No. 11: 2-8-2 built 1956 by Bill Daney

No. 12 2-6-2 built 1943 by Texas and Pacific Railway/rebuilt 1967 by Bill Daney

Matt Bumgarner · **Posted:** Thu Sep 25, 2014 8:19 pm

Dan Nichols Park in Salisbury, NC operates a park train, as does the Shelby, NC Parks Department in Cleveland County, NC.

Matt Bumgarner

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 26, 2014 1:07 am

I haven't been there in years, but I understand Oglebay Park in Wheeling, W.Va. operates a pair of two-foot gauge Chance C P Huntington trains on a track layout of a loop to loop, with spring switches at the loops and a passing track at the station. I have seen both trains in operation at the same time, meeting on that passing track. This is in the park's zoo, which has or used to have a large O-scale model railroad display in the entrance building.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

I was aware of the Louisville incident, and I was expecting they would remove the train as well. However, it seems to serve a real transport function as well as generating significant revenue.

They have also, as you mentioned, made major changes. They went with Severn-Lamb trains, guessing the CPH didn't stand a chance. They're also switching to two man crews, with the brakeman on the tail end with the ability to dump the air.

http://www.whas11.com/video/featured-vi ... 63566.html

David Notarius · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:07 am

Hi Guy, Houston Texas's Herman Park still has a train, see recent article:

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas ... 159400.php

I don't think the city of Houston wanted to removed the train because of the accident and it is still running as far as I know.

There was an ex SP 2-10-2, numbered 982, stuffed and mounted near the park railroad. I think the Gulf Cost Chapter of the NRHS once tried in the 1980's to move it for restoration at their museum, but could not raise the funds. SP 982, is owned by the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce, is now located at the stadium, at the site of the old Union Station in Downtown Houston.

Slightly off topic, does anyone know who many of the "Pioneer Railways" are still operating in the former Eastern Block countries?
Have fun - David Notarius, out in the Cambridgeshire Fen's in the UK

10stewi · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 7:47 am

Hey David,
There is the one in Dresden, Germany next to the BMW glass factory

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:03 pm

San Francisco zoo is a "city owned" train, steam too.