New electric train debuts at the Saint Louis Zoo

By Red Latina

On Tuesday, the Saint Louis Zoo’s Emerson Zooline Railroad unveiled its new electric train.

The new train joins six other locomotives and is the zoo’s first electric train, using fewer emissions and more sustainable resources.

The train features a green locomotive at the front and new car carriers at the rear. It will include a new train whistle and the number 50 will dawn on the side.

“As the trains at the zoo begin to age, replacing the locomotives with a much greener approach will set us up for a better future,” said Michael Macek, director of the Saint Louis Zoo. “We are excited to look to the future of the Emerson Zooline Railroad and will continue to help create memories that will last a lifetime.”

According to a press release, the electric train will be named for Mary Meachum, a St. Louis abolitionist who educated blacks and played a key role in the Underground Railroad.

Mary and her husband, John Berry Meachum, established a school for free and enslaved black children in a church basement and helped educate those in need. She also used her home as a safe house on the Underground Railroad and helped free enslaved people from the St. Louis area to Illinois, according to the statement.

“March is Women’s History Month, and we couldn’t imagine a more appropriate time to announce Mary Meachum as the name of the newest train,” said Michael Macek, Director of the Saint Louis Zoo.

The Zooline Railroad is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023. The railroad was built in 1962 and opened on August 30, 1963. In 2010, the railroad was renamed the Emerson Zooline Railroad.

This is the sixth train at the zoo, but the first to be electric and the first to be named after a woman. Officials say that once the gas locomotives wear out, they will all be replaced with eco-friendly options.

The newer train will have the number 50 on the side of the locomotive and will have a different whistle than the other trains. The electric train was created and developed by Chance Rides located in Wichita, Kansas.

The Zooline Railroad has 1.5 miles of track around the zoo and has served more than 41 million people since its opening.