Forest Park mini-train operators have until summer to get back on track
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas) - City of Fort Worth leaders have given operators of the beloved miniature train in Forest Park and Trinity Park more time to get the attraction back on track.
A Haltom City company, Forest Park Rides Inc., which operates the miniature train, now has until June 30 to achieve fully operational status.
The extension from the city is due in part to the experience of new owner Mary Talley. Her company, Talley Amusements, operates midway rides at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, and the Texas Star Ferris Wheel at Fair Park in Dallas.
Talley's great grandfather was the train's first operator when she was a child, and she has remained a silent shareholder until buying it outright earlier this year.
Since the late 50s, many have enjoyed taking the forty-minute round trip ride on the bright green and yellow train. Crossing six bridges in more than five miles, the trip begins in Forest Park, crosses the Trinity River and enters Trinity Park. The train turns around near the Lancaster Bridge, then returns to its starting point on Colonial Parkway.
But that tradition halted in March of 2022, when the little engine that could, just couldn't anymore due to equipment issues. Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department staff members encouraged Forest Park Rides to repair the train.
"The Forest Park train is a longstanding part of Fort Worth's entertainment and recreation scene, and generations of families have fond memories involving that attraction," said Dave Lewis, the city's Interim Director of Parks and Recreation.
In 2022, the train's owner, Raymond Hames said he couldn't go into the reasons behind the seven-month shut down. He added that he was unsure of whether or not his family would continue to operate the attraction.
CBS 11 News reported last November that the City issued a notice of default to Hames a month prior to it shutting down. The contract allowed 60 days to address contractual breaches. Thus, Hames asked for a deadline extension to March 27.
In a current news release from the City, longer than expected times for equipment repairs and material delivery are blamed for the extended deadline to resume train operations. One material delay, according to the release, is the purchase of 1,000 new railroad ties, which have an eight- to ten-week delivery time due to a backlog with lumber purchases. The new ones will reinforce and replace old ties.
Photos of refurbished train cars and engines, as well as an itemized list of expenses already incurred to get the train back on track were shared with the City.
"After reviewing the new request and documents, City staff was satisfied with the vendor's progress and recommended an additional extension," said Dave Lewis, interim director of the Park & Recreation Department.