The train whistle heard around Trinity Park on Aug. 31 announced the reopening of the Forest Park Miniature Train.
Families can hop on the five-mile ride starting at 10 a.m. Sept. 1 at 1700 Colonial Parkway in Fort Worth. New owners Mary Talley and her husband refurbished the 1972 C.P. Huntington locomotive, the depot and concession stand. Self-service ticket kiosks also were installed.
City officials said the reopening was an important step in preserving a Fort Worth tradition.
“Projects like this are truly quintessential Fort Worth,” Mayor Mattie Parker said.
Talley’s great-grandfather, Bill Hames, first opened the park in 1959.
“Carrying on my great-grandfather’s legacy is an honor for me,” she said.
The train had been closed since March 2022 when former owner and Talley’s cousin, Raymond Hames, became ill.
Talley and her husband struggled to meet the city of Fort Worth’s deadline to reopen because of supply chain problems, she said. Still, they worked closely with the Fort Worth Park and Recreation department to meet a Sept 1. deadline to reopen.
“It’s almost a relief to have it finally happening. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time,” Talley said. “I want people to know that we’re going to continue to run this train for many generations to come.”
The park will now accept credit and debit cards and more snack options will be available at the concession stand.
Forest Park Miniature Train ticket prices and hours of operation
Passengers can purchase train and snack tickets at the self-service kiosks.
The kiosk takes cash, credit and debit cards.
Children age 1 and under: Free
Children ages 2 to 12: $8
Ages 13 and over: $10
Ages 65 or over: $8
Snack ticket prices vary.
The train will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, including Memorial Day and Labor Day.
During daylight savings time, the ride closes at 5 p.m.
The park has two trains that it can operate when it gets busy, Talley said.
The trains travel under Interstate 30 and through Trinity Park. Halfway through the ride, the train stops at the stand for passengers to pick up cotton candy, popcorn, pickles and other treats.
For the first time in the park’s history, t-shirts and hats will be available for purchase.
Fort Worth council member Michael Crain was a frequent passenger when he was a child. His mother brought him to the park to celebrate his birthdays.
He carried on that tradition with his two oldest children.
Crain is glad the city gave the owners the time to get the train chugging again because of its history in Fort Worth, he said.
“When we knew there was a possibility that this might not exist, as a council, we were like, ‘This is a priority for the city to understand how we make this work,’ so I can still do it, my daughter can do it, her children can come,” he said.
Crain wanted his youngest, Ainsley, 7, to have the same experience and build on that history.
Ainsley was nothing but smiles as she sat in the train on its inaugural 40-minute journey. She enjoyed the train itself, but her attention was more focused on the sights the ride made accessible — she especially loved seeing a bird sail by just as the locomotive passed over the Trinity River.
Marcela Sanchez is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcela.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.