Knotts RR down

[Bruce R Pier]

With the 41 down for a much needed overhaul, the 340 has taken over the duties. However it has been reported that cracks have been detected on the 340's firebox tube sheet. The latest is that the RR is scheduled to reopen on July 15th. Management decided not to utilize the Galloping Goose, fearing extreme wait times would cause more guest discontent than the RR being down. If they could have kept the former CP&LE locomotive and had it rebuilt this situation could have been avoided, IMHO.

[Bruce R Pier]

Checked the web cam on Friday July 19th and the 340 was back

[Dave Van]

On a visit a few years ago on a very low attendance day we spent about an hour with the crew of the railroad. They talked about Knott's wanting to alter the RR by doing like Disney did and moving Knott's Ave (I think) and expanding the park to the lot across the street.....moving the rail line to get it out of public crossings which are a HUGE liability in CA. Wonder if that talk is dead or just rumor.

[TFN5459]

On a visit a few years ago on a very low attendance day we spent about an hour with the crew of the railroad. They talked about Knott's wanting to alter the RR by doing like Disney did and moving Knott's Ave (I think) and expanding the park to the lot across the street.....moving the rail line to get it out of public crossings which are a HUGE liability in CA. Wonder if that talk is dead or just rumor.

Not quite sure which road that is, but supposedly the only rumors at the moment are the relocation of some facilities behind Ghost Rider to build a new expansion to Ghost Town since it seems management is capitalizing on the popularity of it as a theme. Given that Beach Blvd. is a main street in Buena Park, I don't think they'd be crossing that but Grand Ave. is a candidate for potentially lowering similar to how Disneyland Dr./West St. was lowered by the monorail station for the new bridge crossing at Downtown Disney eliminating the street level crossing to the hotel. I'm not entirely sure how they'd relocate the railroad to eliminate the at grade crossings, short of moving it to the outside perimeter of the park like Disneyland, but it would lose the neat effect of rolling into the main square area of Calico.

[Dave Van]

I pulled up a map online.....it was Western Ave they were talking about......and they said the RR would be raised on a berm much like Disney. I can see how it would work...but a major project and interruption. I could see the station area raised 6 feet with a underpass like the stage road has. But who knows for sure....just keep the trains.....they were THE draw for me as a kid growing up in La Palma!

[TFN5459]

I pulled up a map online.....it was Western Ave they were talking about......and they said the RR would be raised on a berm much like Disney. I can see how it would work...but a major project and interruption. I could see the station area raised 6 feet with a underpass like the stage road has. But who knows for sure....just keep the trains.....they were THE draw for me as a kid growing up in La Palma!

More importantly, keep the steam! Western Ave. is a pretty busy street but I guess they do have quite a substantial parcel on the other side of the street. Logistically speaking, a lot of strings might have to be pulled politically with the City of Buena Park but the GT&CRR might be an interesting solution to getting guests over the street if it's elevated. It would give the railroad a purpose for transportation and would be a neat sight seeing a DRGW/RGS consist flying over a busy Southern California street in the 21st Century, kind of like how the Disneyland Monorail will sometimes glide along Harbor Blvd and over Disneyland Drive.