The History of the Zoo Choo
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Click the small pictures for a closer
look.
Roanoke's Mayor, A.R. Minton,
drove the Golden Spike into the track at the Roanoke Children's Zoo just prior
to the inaugural trip on Friday, August 1, 1952. In attendance were Jack
Coulter, Roanoke Jaycee President; Buddy Keister, Jaycee and train engineer; and
various other city, N&W Railroad and Jaycee officials. See the children in
the background. The train was called the
Starliner. The Roanoke Jaycees own the train. It is operated by the Blue Ridge
Zoological Society of Virginia (The Mill Mountain Zoo).
This picture was taken just
after the Golden Spike had been driven. Notice the tunnel is not yet present.
Mayor Minton can be seen as the first passenger in the train. The train originally featured an accurate Norfolk & Western
steam engine appearance with the swoosh stripe like N&W 611 has. (See
Virginia Museum of Transportation) Currently the train is painted in a diesel style. The
Zoo Choo is a famous icon in the Roanoke Valley area and has been in nearly
continuous service since 1952.
The first trip was at about 2
PM. According to an article in the Roanoke Times and World News, 150 boys and
girls from the Baptist Orphanage, and 28 boys from St. Vincent's Orphanage rode
the first trips. The ride was free. 3,494 passengers were given a
ride the first day.
There is a metal plate mounted
above the entrance and also the exit of the tunnel that indicates the year that the tunnel
was built -- 1953.
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Roanoke's Mayor, A.R. Minton,
drove the Golden Spike into the track at the Roanoke Children's Zoo just prior
to the inaugural trip on Friday, August 1, 1952. In attendance were Jack
Coulter, Roanoke Jaycee President; Buddy Keister, Jaycee and train engineer; and
various other city, N&W Railroad and Jaycee officials. See the children in
the background. The train was called the
Starliner. The Roanoke Jaycees own the train. It is operated by the Blue Ridge
Zoological Society of Virginia (The Mill Mountain Zoo).
