Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad

paskalee (Atlas Obscura User)

The Kansas City Northern Miniature Railroad operates three miniature trains in Frank Vaydik Park, a 145-acre park north of the city. All three of these tiny trains are historic and have been meticulously restored, including one that came from the Kansas City Zoo. They operate on a 16” gauge half-a-mile-long track that even includes a tunnel.

The railroad is an entirely volunteer-run operation and is a not-for-profit corporation. The organization was formed in 1984, when the Kansas City’s park department “asked for volunteers to restore and operate the former Kansas City Zoo train that had been in Swope Park,” according to the department’s website. The Miniature Train Company of Rensselaer, Indiana and the Alan Herschell Company of Tonawanda, New York built the three trains, which are named: the Line Creek Limited-Kansas City Northern No. 802, the Southern Belle-Kansas City Southern No. 31, and The Eagle-Missouri Pacific No. 561

The trains are kid-friendly and operated by a dedicated team of volunteers.

Know Before You Go

The trains are open seasonally from May through September and operate on weekends and holidays. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.