Serengeti Express
The Serengeti Express, formerly known as the Trans Veldt Railway, is a narrow gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located within the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida. Opened on July 3, 1971, the railway is about long, and has stations in the Nairobi, Congo, and Stanleyville sections of the park. It uses three trains pulled by one of four 4-4-0 type steam locomotives manufactured by Crown Metal Products.
Description
The railway consists of a loop of about. During the journey, the train will travel through the Serengeti Plain, where guests can see hundreds of African animals. There are stations in the Nairobi, Congo, and Stanleyville sections of the park. Two of the three stations contain a water supply that the engine crews use to top off the locomotive's tenders as necessary.The railway operates four locomotives and three sets of open-sided passenger coaches. Two of the locomotives were built specifically for Busch Gardens and resemble locomotives used in Africa in the early 1890s. The other two locomotives, which were acquired from previous owners, have a more American appearance, but with slight modifications to match the African theming.