Steam & Excursion > Nearing the end of a run

Milwaukee County Zoo 8/30/2024-  Scheduled steam for 8/31/2024, supposed to add some further dates but have not seen.    This will be last season.
Was a nice day out.  3 hours of walking was enough.  No kids with us but still nice seeing families. 
Only a couple captions as photos are self explanitory. 

Note from Engineer:  Will be following engine to new home.
https://www.wpr.org/news/historic-steam-engine-to-leave-the-milwaukee-county-zoo

https://milwaukeezoo.org/about-us/our-blog/steam-engines-sale/
https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/2024/07/16/milwaukee-county-zoo-announces-schedule-for-trains-last-steam-engine/74427902007/

3) non-zoo zoo animals waiting for train doing their dust bath thing

Bob Jordan

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at the station

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9)  Hey it is Wisconsin.

Bob

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Great looking engines.  What's the gauge on that?

Tominde Wrote:
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> Great looking engines.  What's the gauge on that?


15".

Bob

Posted from Android

Must be a Frisco engine account coonskin number board.

I worked at the Zoo for 25 years taking care of this very locomotive. I now work in the Dells where it is going. The Frisco style plate under the headlight is soemthing I made myself just for the heck of it, because 1522 is one of my favorite engines. That locomotive is more "modeled" after a USRA Pacific and not a Friscon locomotive. However I did ad some items to the front to try and mirror the front of 1522.

I reitred from the Zoo in June and now work in the Dells and will still care for this locomotive and the one that left the Zoo in April, my coworker will be joining me..

If they are so concerned about emissions then go 100% electric.  I wouldn't consider diesel a great sustainability and emissions improvement, more of a money saver.

Zoos are not exactly saints either in their sustainability, keeping animals locked away and having to feed them with exotic foods some animals require that have to be transported great distances.  Seems like an administrator that sees the locomotives as expensive and concluded the customer doesn't care about the zoo train being pulled by steam.  Short sided if you ask me. True, some customers don't care, but many others do.  There is a reason Disney still runs steam at most of their parks, because in the tourism world steam powered trains is a good investment.

 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Of course it's a money saver.  That's why they are doing it.  Putting the "environmentally friendly" verbage on it is just an empty sales pitch.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions