Six Flags Over Texas' railroad is last remaining original ride

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Six Flags Over Texas — the first regional theme park in the country — will celebrate its 55th year in operation this summer. And after all these years and all the changes the park has seen, there’s only one thing that’s remained constant: The Six Flags Railroad. The railroad is the last remaining ride from the park’s opening season in 1961, and more than five decades later is still incredibly popular.

Read more and see video from KTVT/Dallas-Ft. Worth.

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Six Flags Over Texas

Every park that I have been to, the railroad is an extremely popular ride. Whether it is point to point like Disney and most Six Flags, or round trip like Dollywood.

Paramount absolutely ruined a few of its parks by removing railroads in the 90s. Both parks are C class parks at best now, and that was one of many decisions that took them down that path.

That's kind of harsh. Have you been since Cedar Fair arrived on their white horse? From C to A in my opinion.
And perhaps I don't get your reference entirely, but didn't 3 parks lose their trains? KD, Ca. Great America, and Carowinds? Maybe one of those was pre-Paramount. Anyway, don't forget about the removal of Carowinds' boat ride for a relocated lay-down. That was Paramount's fault for sure.

Ca. GA does not have a train -- 87 % certain that was under Paramount. The station, track and berm were all removed; Carousel Plaza and Hometown Square were combined into Celebration Plaza.

Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.
--Fran Lebowitz

Anyone know if this is the last steam engine at a Six Flags park? I'm pretty sure both Georgia and St. Louis converted to diesel several years back.

"Absolutely ruined"? Guffaw.

I don't know of any park that could be "absolutely ruined" by the removal of any one ride.

Except for the Big Dipper at Geauga, of course.

SF SL still has the Crown steam locomotive, tried to link to their site, but apparently you need "permission" to do that now.

As far as the Texas park, I recall that they actually don't own the locomotives, they are leased from a Louisiana plantation.

Last edited by Dutchman,

Great story. I had the chance to work on those locomotives during my time at the park and it was easily the most fun I had in those 6 years. Cliff, the engineer interviewed in the story, was an engineer on the train in the 70s and went back to do the same thing in his semi-retirement years. He's done a lot of great PR work to raise awareness about the history of the locomotives and the ride.

Well, Cedar Point would kind of be ruined if they took out that causeway ride.

Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."

Not if they replaced it with a monorail and a boat!

Dat airtime, doe!

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

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