Two of the Oregon Zoo’s popular train cars will spend the summer at Pacific Power Group’s facility in Ridgefield for repairs and refurbishing, leaving throngs of zoo visitors waiting at the station until late this fall.
The Centennial steam locomotive and its tender car, as well as the modern-style Zooliner engine, were transported by flatbed truck to Ridgefield on Monday for mechanical repairs and physical maintenance that will include fresh coats of paint.
A third locomotive, the Oregon Express, remains at the zoo, though it is not currently running. All three trains were temporarily taken out of service in September for line improvements and upgrades that will continue through the summer. Those changes include rerouting the line to make room for a service road and build an elevated trestle overlooking a new Elephant Lands habitat. Rail service with the upgraded trains is expected to reopen in time for the popular ZooLights tours this November.
The cost of the entire contract was $280,000, according to Hova Najarian, spokesman for the Oregon Zoo.