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Ticket to Ride: America's Theme Park Trains
Hardcover
Travel GeneralGeneral Photography
Publisher Price: $60.00
ISBN13: 9781960881090
Publisher: Rivershore Press
Published: Oct 1 2025
Pages: 216
Weight: 3.30
Height: 0.93 Width: 9.26 Depth: 12.22
Language: English
The golden age of regional theme parks quickly followed, and each featured a 19th century railroad. Almost all of them started out as steam-powered operations, many utilizing restored locomotives and equipment dating back to the early 1900s, others placing their orders with a small family-owned metal shop in the rolling hills of Western Pennsylvania.
Over time the trouble and expense of running such complex attractions began derailing much of the fun. Some parks quit the game completely while others searched for ways to lower the burden, often switching to what's known as steam outline locomotives--essentially a truck engine and transmission hidden underneath a costume. Equipment was shuffled back and forth between owners over the years, some now rusting away in a backlot somewhere, others still running daily.
This is their story--how they got started and where they are now. Grab your ticket to ride and hop on board!
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