About the Train

THE RICHWOOD TAHOE RAILROAD IS ABOUT ½ SCALE OF A REGULAR SIZE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE WITH 1.5 MILES OF TRACK OVER WHICH IT CLIMBS 30 FEET OF ELEVATION. WHILE RIDING THE TRAIN YOU WILL ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL SCENIC VIEW AND MIGHT SEE SOME WILDLIFE. THE RIDE WILL TAKE YOU PAST AN OLD WESTERN TOWN WITH 150 FOOT OF BOARDWALK.   THE RAILROAD HAS TWO CROSSING SIGNALS, A TUNNEL AND WATER TOWER WHILE RIDING TO AND FROM RICHWOOD STATION. YOUR RIDE ON THE TRAIN GOES THROUGH TWO SWITCHES THAT TAKE YOU AROUND DIFFERENT LOOPS OF TRACK. THE STEAM DRIVEN ENGINE HAS 24 INCH DRIVE WHEELS AND IS FIRED BY DIESEL FUEL. THE WHEEL ARRANGEMENT IS A 2-6-0. THE TENDER HOUSES 400 GALLONS OF WATER AND 60 GALLONS OF FUEL. IT TAKES THE ENGINEER AN HOUR AND ½ OF PREPARATION TO RUN THIS LOCOMOTIVE. THE TRAIN TRAVELS BETWEEN 3-9 FUN MILES PER HOUR, DEPENDING ON THE TERRAIN. THE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE LOCOMOTIVE IS 30,000 POUNDS, WITH THE TENDER AND CARS WEIGHING ROUGHLY 4,000 POUNDS A PIECE AND THE CABOOSE SLIGHTLY HEAVIER. OPERATORS OF THIS LOCOMOTIVE HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY THE MANUFACTURER, MAMMOTH LOCOMOTIVE OUT OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO.