The park had two separate tracks modelled on routes of the Rio Grande and Union Pacific Railroads
following a spectacular route that took them through cuttings, into tunnels, across bridges and
embankments allowing the lines to pass over or under each other. The only interconnection of the routes
was at the station.
The need to pull heavily loaded trains up the significant gradients of the Forest Railroad meant that one
eighth scale models of British locomotives were not going to be anywhere near strong enough for the
task. The Southern family decided to use far more powerful American-style locomotives in various
scales. The engines normally pulled eight bogie cars with passengers saddle sitting and carrying between
forty and fifty people at a time. That was some weight to pull but it was never a problem to these fantastic
machines.
Photographed 19th September 2001.
© Adrian D. Smith. Plymouth, England. #(fotosvanadrian@blueyonder.co.uk)