Locomotive 344 at the Erie Zoo is back after a 3-year hiatus, but it’s not what you might remember.
The train was sent to North Carolina to be converted from gas to electric and is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.
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The work was made possible thanks to the donation of the Okel family, who got to take an inaugural ride on the locomotive Friday morning.
Hali Hartley, lead manager of public relations, marketing & events at the Erie Zoo, explained how the train will operate.
“The train will be running during daytime hours for only for the first few weeks as we’re learning the kinks of the electric train, just making sure we know how many laps it can make a day with its battery and everything. Our plan is, after the first few weeks, to be able to run this in the evening for our evening events like Glow Wild, Wild Wednesdays and Zoo Boo, but for now it will just run during daytime,” Hartley said.
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Rides cost $5 for non-members and $4 for zoo members. Kids younger than 2 years old ride for free.
Zoo officials said the locomotive’s conversion aligns more closely with their mission to implement greener practices.
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