The Original Parktrains Website

The History of Parktrains

Chance Rides

Custom Locomotive started building park-size trains in the early 1980s. While not as popular as Chance trains, their chunky internal-combustion trains are in use in a number of parks all over the world -- even a water park in Brazil! Visit their official website for photos of many of their trains and a partial list of oprations using their products.

In addition to a standard line which includes several models of diesels, two steam-outline engines, and a trolley car, Custom Locomotive also offers true custom train design services. Most of their equipment is listed as being for 14" - 16" guage, but several of the standard offerings are listed as being available in guages all the way up to 36".

Cosmetically, the best-looking Custom Locomotive products are the two steam-outline locomotoives, called the American and Mason. The Mason is a Mason Bogie 0-4-4T which looks right at home on narrow-guage tracks. The American bears a strong resemblance to a live-steam Crown. The diesels have a toylike quality about them which I personally rather like -- it makes them look like purpose-built park trains instead of scale models.

Custom Locomotive is currently about the only domestic competition for Chance Rides in the park train field. They have the advantage that they deal only with trains, whereas the Chance train is only one of a wide variety of amusement rides. This means that Custom Locomotive can offer a variety of train designs. We parktrain enthusiasts can only hope that more parks, particularly those on the East Coast, take advantage of this variety and install trains other than the nice but all-too-common C.P. Huntington!

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