After almost three weeks of being out of service, the popular miniature train ride at Peterborough’s Riverview Park and Zoo is back on the rails.
On July 26, the zoo announced the James Hamilton Railway was out of service until further notice because the train required “significant repairs.”
“Thanks to our generous donors, staff, and skilled mechanics, the 50-year-old train is back in service,” reads a media release from the zoo on Wednesday (August 14).
Established in 1974 by James Hamilton, the miniature train ride features a miniature replica of an 1860 locomotive (nicknamed “Rosco”) that is old and needs to be replaced.
Each season more than 66,000 people — around a quarter of all zoo visitors — ride the train, which generates revenue to support the operation of the only free-admission accredited zoo in Canada. The cost is $2 per person (free for children two years and younger).
Riverview Park and Zoo, an accredited zoo previously operated by Peterborough Utilities Commission and now by the City of Peterborough, has been working to raise $300,000 to replace the locomotive. The campaign, which was launched in 2021, has raised over $250,000 to date.
The train normally runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Victoria Day to Labour Day, weather permitting. The zoo has regularly taken the train out of service for short periods of time over the past few years.
“Until we have successfully completed our fundraising campaign and the procurement process to purchase a new train, we will do all we can to keep the existing beloved train in service,” reads the release.
For more information about the train ride and to make a donation to the zoo, visit www.riverviewparkandzoo.ca.
