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Reporter
The operator of the Central Park Mini Train couldn’t find the parts to keep it going and decided to not renew the contract with the city.
San Mateo’s Central Park Mini Train is being removed for the foreseeable future due to age, with plans to find a new train and operator, the city announced Friday.
San Mateo Parks and Recreation Director Joanne Magrini said the current train lacks the parts needed to continue running, and the current operator decided not to renew his contract with the city that expired June 30.
“The former contractor who owned the train, understandably, decided not to continue his niche concessionaire businesses,” Magrini said. “We know the community loves the ride, so we’re working on a request for proposals to bring a new train to the park.”
A request for a proposal for a new train and operator is expected to be issued in the next month before the city makes a selection. The replacement train is estimated to cost around $10,000 to $20,000.
The train had been closed for repairs for a couple of months as the operator looked for upgraded parts from specialists not readily available. During the closure, the city has been running an off-leash dog trial program in the area with plans to see if it could coexist with the train.
In the past, the train typically ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. year-round on weekends and on some weekdays during summer months. The train began operating in 1948 as a 14-passenger miniature coal-burning replica of Southern Pacific’s “Daylight in the Midwest” purchased for $10,000 and was shipped by truck to San Mateo. It originally cost 9 cents a ride and ran daily during the summer and on weekends in the winter. In 1953, it was converted to a diesel-burning engine and was converted to battery power in 1977 by Bob Bianchi, who died in 2019. It last cost $2 per ride and snow cones could have also been purchased for the same amount. The city owns the tracks and space in the park it leases to an operator.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
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Classic, custom & vintage automobiles displayed throughout the day along with music, loc… Read more2025 San Mateo Rotary Car Show
Dirk van Ulden said:
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(4) comments
I hope it comes back and doesn't get forgotten. I rode it as a child, as did my son who just turned 50. It was one thing we could afford after taking pop bottles from the trash and turning them in for cold hard cash at the liquor stores. That and the San Mateo theatre for 25 cent movies kept us out of our mother's hair during the summers.
Our kids loved it and it was a monthly must visit for them Let's not forget to thank the operator for the years of joy that he brought to the toddlers.
Yes, absolutely! The previous owner gave my daughter years of fun rids, and now I can do this with my granddaughter once the new owner arrives. Thank you!
Wow - its about time. I remember riding this as a kid.
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