A Trip into History on the Lakeside Amusement Park Train

The Lakeside Amusement Park train has a very long and colorful history and is unique among miniature railroads left operating in the United States.

There were 30 or more small steam locomotives constructed for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Mo.

Lakeside Amusement Park purchased two of these locomotives for its opening on Memorial Day 1908.

The engines are of a rather odd gauge, 22 3/4 inches, and were named “Puffing Billy” and “Whistling Tom.”

In 1950 to add capacity, Joe Ruth designed a diesel streamliner for the park along the lines of the California Zephyr. At the present time, this is the only engine operating in the park.

The steam locomotives are being restored, and in the future, one of them will be placed back in service.

Trains run on track a little over a mile long that circles Lake Rhoda and provides a variety of views of both the mountains in the distance as well as the park.

A trip around the lake takes about 15 minutes.

Lakeside Amusement Park is open every day except Monday during the summer and is located on the west side of Sheridan Boulevard two miles south of Interstate 70.

The train starts operating at about 1 p.m. Rides cost four tickets or $2. Entrance to the park is $2.50 per person.

Kenneth Jessen has been a Loveland resident since 1965. He is an author of 18 books and more than 1,300 articles. He was an engineer for Hewlett-Packard for 33 years and now works as a full-time author, lecturer and guide.

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