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Trains of Oaks

From the park's opening in 1905 to 1985, there were five miniature trains providing tours of the park. Roses bushes lined the majority of the route with a dark tunnel.

Train #1 was installed circa 1914. It was owned by C. F. Stephens, the park's ride manager. This original train was 9/14" gauge, with real steam engine. The engine and cars were perfect for children but almost too small for the adults.

Robert is driving the golden spike circa 1914

Pictured are WWI Soldiers on the train. Robert and his father are standing on left




Train #2 was purchased in 1925.

Robert is shown with his train in 1927 (the only year it ran South to North).



Train #2 shown stopped in front of Monkey Island
(home to monkeys and brown bear) located in the Chute the Chutes pond


Train #3 is a replica Electric Train.

Around 1929, the motor on train #2 wore out. The new locomotive was patterned after the electric trains running between Chicago & Seatte.

Train #4 The G16 (painted in the Union Pacific colors) was purchased in 1956 and retired when the C.P. Huntington was put into service around 1980. Over time several G16's had been purchased. Most maintained the Union Pacific colors. One was stored in at Playland Park in Vancouver, BC and was painted the colors of the Canadian Pacific.

G16 purchased in 1956

Train #5
C. P. Huntington Railroad was named after Collis Potter Huntington a railroad financier and lobbyist. He was born in poverty in 1821 and died a multi-millionaire in 1900. C.P. Huntington's first job earned him $84.00 which he saved and soon multiplied into a fortune. The partners in CP Huntington's California railroad system system were Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker and Leland Standford. It was through their determination that the Central Pacific-Southern Pacific Railroad was built.

As Huntington was building his railroad the time came to drive the first spike in Sacramento. He remarked "If you want to jubilate in driving the first spike here, go ahead and do it. I don't. These mountains look too ugly and I see too much work ahead. . . we may fail and I want to have as few people know it as we can . . . anybody can drive the first spike, but there are many months of hard labor and unrest between the first spike and the last spike."

A motto of Huntington's was "Trust all in all or not at all"
Above quoted from CP Huntington document
CP Huntington Train
C P Huntington - manufactured by the
Chance Manufacturing Company of Wichita, Kansas


Huntington Engineer Wm Hayes
Updated 02/02/2015 |