Carillon Historical Park announces construction of $9M railroad project

Carillon Historical Park announced Thursday the construction of the Carillon Park Railroad, a privately funded $9 million project expected to begin this spring.

The railroad will be nearly a mile-long, equipped with a replica 1851 locomotive, and capable of carrying 120 guests on a narrated circle tour of Carillon Historical Park’s exhibit buildings.

The project will feature two loading stations, passage through the newly reconstructed stable, a 100′ long triple-cell ConSpan bridge, two open-air coaches, and “rare views” of Carillon Park, according to museum officials

A miniature model of a full-scale mid-century locomotive, commissioned by Carillon Park founder Edward Deeds in the 1940s, serves as an inspiration for the project.

“It is a real pleasure to implement and expand upon a project that our founder was excited about,” said Carillon Park President Brady Kress. “Achieving this milestone will provide a welcome form of guest transportation around the Park, and will be one more way of sharing unique regional stories throughout our historic campus.”

Museum officials say they plan to have the attraction open by the end of 2022.

Cox Media Group