The Calico Railroad (alternatively known as the Calico Railway or the Ghost Town & Calico Railroad) is a narrow-gauge train ride at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. The station to board the train is located in Calico Square within the Ghost Town area.
History[]
Park founder Walter Knott had been acquiring vintage railroad equipment and began laying the foundation for a narrow-guage railroad at Knott's Berry Farm in 1951 to soft-open service by that November. The railroad was formally opened on January 12, 1952. The engines and cars originated from the Rio Grande Southern Railroad or the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, and were restored to their appearance in the 1880s though their paint scheme is maintained to their last use in the 1940s.[1] The official website boasts of "the highest crime rate in all of Orange County, as notorious Ghost Town bandits still hold-up every departure". The route departs from Calico Square in the Ghost Town area and circles past the Boardwalk, Fiesta Village, and the Timber Mountain Log Ride before returning.[2]
Trains[]
The railroad operates with engine #41 or #340 from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad which are narrow-gauge locomotives built in 1881 by Baldwin Locomotive Works to handle sharper turns in the Rocky Mountains. Engine #340 was rebuilt and returned to service in 2016. Rebuilding engine #41 is expected to take about 5 years.[3] The open-air passenger car has been adapted with a wheelchair lift to allow accessibility for guests with disabilities.[4] During the off-season, Galloping Goose #3 is used to operate the railroad with smaller crowds while the locomotives enter maintence.[5]
Gallery[]
Video[]
References[]
- ↑ Merritt, Christopher and Lynxwiler, J. Eric. Knott's Preserved: From Boysenberry to Theme Park, the History of Knott's Berry Farm, pp. 77-82, 94, Angel City Press, 2015. ISBN 978-1-62640-085-6.
- ↑ Knott’s Calico Railroad 4K HDR On-Ride POV | Knott’s Berry Farm (2022) by Theme Park Connect, YouTube. 2022-01-24.
- ↑ A Knott’s Berry Farm steam locomotive is reborn by Mark Eades, Orange County Register. 2016-08-27. Archived 2017-08-24.
- ↑ File:Calico Railroad open air car access KBF 2025-02-16.jpg by Pippinitis, Six Flags Wiki. 2025-02-16.
- ↑ Galloping goose #3 at Knotts Berry Farm by Death Valley Lumber Company, YouTube. 2021-11-05.
See also[]
- Beagle Express Railroad, a miniature gauge version for kids at the Camp Snoopy area.
External links[]
- Calico Railroad official webpage at Knott's Berry Farm
- Calico Railroad at the Railroad Fan Wiki
- Calico Railroad at Wikimedia Commons
Ghost Town & Calico Railroad at Wikipedia
