On this Easter Sunday, let's take a trip to Paradise. This is the one in Arizona, not Pennsylvania, so the train is much smaller, but it's still pulled by steam. So there's fun for all ages.
This 15" Mike pulls a train of about eight gons fitted with benches for people to ride, then a stock car (and the conductor just sits on the roof) and a waycar which can hold several small children. It's meant to represent a narrow gauge prototype, so the railroad would be 5/12 scale.The impressive thing about this operation is how often it runs. The trip takes perhaps ten minutes or so; when the train pulls in, everybody unloads, then the next passengers are loaded, and away they go again. There's a one-man engine crew; by 6PM on this particular day he had already made 37 trips, he said, and was going to do a couple more before they stopped at 6:30. 
And he had started firing the engine at 6AM, I think. FRA hours of service are not an issue, of course. Sounds like a long day to me!
And he had started firing the engine at 6AM, I think. FRA hours of service are not an issue, of course. Sounds like a long day to me!
The sun was getting low in the sky when we arrived, so these pictures are not the best.
Nice scale accessories. The track layout is two large reverse loops with spring switches joined by a rather short single track main. Total route length is probably about a mile. And there's a tunnel.
Working pressure is 150 lbs. Oil fired, of course. I meant to ask, since I don't know much about park trains, but I would guess that box on the running board is a mechanical lubricator?
And off we go!
