Hawaiian Railway Society facts for kids
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Ex US Navy #302, a 45 tonner Whitcomb locomotive, at Kahe Point.
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Ewa Villages, Hawaii |
| Locale | Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA |
| Dates of operation | 1982–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Other | |
| Website | http://www.hawaiianrailway.com/ |
The Hawaiian Railway Society is a special place in Ewa, Hawaii, USA, on the island of Oahu. It's a heritage railroad and a railroad museum. This means it helps keep old trains and railway history alive! They use tracks that were once part of the Oahu Railway and Land Company. It's the only working train museum in the whole state of Hawaii. The trains here run on a "narrow gauge" track, which means the rails are closer together than standard tracks.
Contents
The Story of the Hawaiian Railway Society
Saving a Special Train
Back in 1970, a company called Waialua Agricultural Co. was going to get rid of an old train engine, No. 6. It was rusty and unsafe for kids playing on it. A man named John Knaus heard about this and wanted to save the train. He talked to Bill Paty, who managed the company, about keeping it.
John then found a place to move the train: the Naval Ammunition Depot in Lualualei. This place had the only train repair shop left on Oahu. He also reached out to the National Railway Historical Society to learn how to start a local group to save trains.
Starting the Society
On August 22, 1970, John Knaus met with other train fans like Nick Carter, Luman Wilcox, and Ken Peale. They talked about forming a local chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. A few days later, 15 people met and decided to create the group. Thirteen of them signed up right away!
They chose Luman Wilcox as president, Ken Peale as vice president, Nick Carter as secretary-treasurer, and John Knaus as the national director. On October 9, 1970, they approved their rules, and a special "Charter Night" was planned for November 13.
Restoring Engine No. 6
On February 17, 1971, the old engine No. 6 was finally moved to Lualualei. Students from Waialua Elementary School even came to say goodbye! Many skilled people, like a boiler maker, a welder, and a machinist, came to help fix up the engine.
On October 13, 1971, the State of Hawaii officially recognized the group as the "Hawaii Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society." However, the name was a bit long. So, on December 19, 1973, the members voted to change the name to the Hawaiian Railway Society. They still kept their connection to the national group.
Opening to the Public
On November 25, 1972, after 84 Sundays of hard work, engine No. 6 was fully restored! This amazing non-profit organization also helped get the remaining train tracks on Oahu, from Ewa to Nanakuli, listed as historic places. By 2009, the Society had restored about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of track and continues to work on more.
The Hawaiian Railway Society often uses open-air cars for rides. These cars are built on old US Army flatcars. They also have a special "Parlor/Observation" car for private trips. A unique part of their collection is a "Merci train boxcar." This was one of 49 boxcars given to the U.S. by French railways after World War II as a thank you gift.
Operating Diesel Locomotives
The Hawaiian Railway Society has four old diesel engines that are still working! Three of them are used for rides, and one is used for moving trains around the yard. The U.S. Navy on Oahu gave them three of these diesels, and the U.S. Army gave them one in the 1970s.
Here are the diesel engines that are still running:
- #423: An old USNX Whitcomb 45-Ton switcher.
- #302: Another old USNX Whitcomb 45-Ton switcher.
- #174: An old USNX Whitcomb 65-Ton switcher.
- #7750: An old US Army GE 25-Ton switcher.
Steam Locomotives
The Society also has several historic steam locomotives. These are trains that run by heating water to make steam!
- #85: From the Oahu Railway and Land Company (OR&LC), this is a 4-6-0 type engine. It's the last remaining "road engine" from Hawaii.
- #12: Also from OR&LC, this is a 0-6-0 type engine. It's the last remaining "switching engine" from Hawaii.
- #6: From OR&LC (also called Kauila), this is a 0-4-2T type engine. It was the very first locomotive bought by the OR&L!
- #6: From Waialua Agricultural Company, this is a 0-6-2T type engine. It's the only locomotive ever built in the state of Hawaii!
- #1: From Ewa Plantation Company, this is a 0-4-2T type engine.
Speeders and Maintenance Cars
"Speeders" or "MOW" (Maintenance of Way) vehicles are small cars used by railway workers to inspect or repair tracks.
- Speeder (Pop car) #233809: This one used to belong to the LK&P.
- Railcar, Inspection (MOW) #62-00249: This car was used by the U.S. Navy.
- Hand car: This old car from OR&L was moved by hand!
- Spray car (MOW): This car from OR&L was used to spray chemicals, perhaps to control weeds on the tracks.
Other Engines
The Society also has two small 2-foot (61 cm) mining electric locomotives. These were used in the Red Hill operations and have been fixed up to look nice, along with one of their dump cars.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
Images for kids
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O. R. & L. Co. No. 6, an 0-4-2T engine.
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