page_title: Omaha Zoo Railroad
section_title: Omaha Zoo Railroad Trains
hierarchical_section_title: Omaha Zoo Railroad / Omaha Zoo Railroad Trains
caption_attribution_description: English: Omaha Zoo Railroad steam locomotive Number 119 Photo by Samuel Smith-Shull, taken April 2001. Uploaded by the photographer.
context_page_description: The Omaha Zoo Railroad is the name of a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge heritage railroad in Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. The railroad offers a narrow gauge excursion train for zoo visitors hauled by a steam locomotive. The train loads passengers at two stations within the zoo. Annual ridership of the Omaha Zoo Railroad is over 200,000 people.
context_section_description: Visitors to the Henry Doorly Zoo ride behind one of three locomotives for the 1.8-mile (2.9 km) trip around the park. Two of the engines are steam locomotives, and though they are similar in the basic principle of their operation, the two locomotives are otherwise quite different and guests can easily distinguish between them. The third engine is a diesel, which operates very differently from the steam locomotives. New coaches have been added and replacing the old coaches.
  119 is the less powerful of the zoo's two locomotives and regularly hauls a train of five open-air coaches. This engine is known for its colorful paint scheme, polished brass, and sweet-sounding Nathan six chime whistle. No. 119 was the original locomotive on the Omaha Zoo Railroad and was custom built for the zoo in 1968. It was built by Crown Metal Products of Wyano, Pennsylvania, a company that built replica steam trains for amusement parks and zoos all over the country. In honor of zoo railroad benefactor Union Pacific, the engine was decorated to resemble the Union Pacific's ceremonial engine used at the 1869 completion of the first transcontinental railroad. It is a 4-4-0 type locomotive, meaning that it has four pilot wheels to help guide it through curves, 4 large driving wheels, and no trailing wheels. This type of locomotive was prevalent on American railroads from 1850 to about 1880, thus earning it the nickname "American standard". During the 119's first years at the zoo, it was underpowered and had difficulty pulling the train up the steep hills. Subsequent modifications by the Union Pacific and the zoo railroad's own shop have improved it greatly, and after a major rebuild in 1996–1999, it was deemed to be in better-than-new condition. During the rebuild, the engine also received a cosmetic makeover. Originally painted black, silver and red, it emerged resplendent in a beautiful and (at the time) historically accurate scheme of crimson, maroon, and olive green with a boiler jacket of simulated Russia iron. A new stained wood cab replicating the one on the original UP locomotive was also fitted. This engine returned to service in May 2013 after an overhaul. Plans for a second cosmetic makeover are possibly being taken into consideration due to new discoveries of Union Pacific's 119 and its paint. 
  Riva, number 104, is the zoo's second steam locomotive, acquired in 1974. It is a 0-6-2 tank locomotive, meaning that it carries its fuel oil and water in tanks on the locomotive rather than in a separate tender, as does the 119. It has six relatively small driving wheels and large cylinders, making it extremely powerful for its size and is also known for its European-style high-pitched whistle. A two-wheel trailing truck supports the firebox and cab. Generating tractive effort of 10,600 pounds it has almost twice the pulling power of 119, and typically operates with a train consisting of six open-air coaches and a caboose. The caboose has had its lettering, data, and logo removed. 
  Riva began its long career in 1890 when it was turned out by the Krauss Works of Linz, Austria as serial number 2360. Its first owner was the M.A.R. (Mori–Arco–Riva del Garda) Railway in northern Italian region of Trentino-South Tyrol, where it served as number 2 alongside two identical sister engines, "Arco" and "Lago di Garda". The railway was closed when Italy entered the World War I in 1915. The railway was on the front line and then sustained heavy damage, while "Riva" was sent to work on the Heeresfeldbahn (field military railways) in the Eastern front. From 1918 to 1941 it served an industrial railway in Stryj, Poland. World War II brought another stint in military duty before the engine finally ended up on the State Railways of Romania (CFR) as number 395–104. "Riva" operated on the CFR's Alba Julia–Zlatna line until 1968, when it was finally retired and sold to Plasser and Theurer, an Austria-based builder of track maintenance machinery. Fortunately for the little engine, an American representative of Plasser and Theurer became aware of the Omaha Zoo's search
caption: Engine 119, original locomotive of the Omaha Zoo Railroad
exif: {}