About Engine #62
Engine #62 of the Resources Railroad pulls a trackless train into park areas that sometimes aren't easily accessible. It's a safe, fun way to see and learn about the county's natural and cultural resources. Drivers double as interpreters, so the rides are informative as well as fun.
Engine #62 has been chugging along since June 26, 2013. Its three brightly colored cars – one of them fully accessible and ADA compliant -- have carried thousands of people. It is housed at Clemyjontri Park and can be rented there as part of birthday packages.
About the Train
Engine #62 of Resources Railroad is a transportable, trackless train that can run on grass, gravel or pavement. The cars are pulled by a lawn tractor transformed by a wooden cover into a train engine named Engine #62 of the Resources Railroad. The train is ADA-accessible. It has been used at water parks, playgrounds, historic sites, nature centers, on a farm and at gardens. It has proven to be a safe and fun way to expand interpretation of parks and to increase residents' knowledge about stewardship of their local resources.
Resources’ Railroad carries about a dozen people at a time into park areas that often aren't easily accessible to families. Each car comfortably seats two adults with two children or four to five youngsters. ADA compliance is accomplished through a ramp/gate on the caboose that folds to admit a wheelchair. When the gate is up, a removable bench fits in front of it. The caboose has a side door so that when the gate is in its upright position the car functions as a normal passenger vehicle.
The train is driven on a hill grade of 7% or less to accommodate the power of the lawn tractor pulling it. The train travels at about four miles per hour.
Engine #62 has appeared at:
Frying Pan Farm Park for camps and a family program
Sully Historic Site for birthday parties, a farm-to-market program and a recruitment of a Civil War soldier program
Lake Fairfax Park for camps and weekend rides
South Run RECenter for camps and weekend rides
Cub Run RECenter for camps
Green Spring Gardens for weekend and fall programs
Clemyjontri (an accessible playground park) for weekend rides.
Among the special events at which the train has appeared are:
July 4 at Lake Fairfax
Pumpkins in the Park, Turkey Train, and Santa Train Ride at Lake Fairfax
Centreville Day in historic Centreville, Va.
The bunny train at McLean Central Park following McLean Community Center's Easter egg hunt
The Halloween Parade at Hidden Oaks Nature Center
Opening of new facilities at Oak Mar Rec Center
Birthday Parties
Camps
Homeschool programs
