A ride aboard a restored steam locomotive transported its passengers back into the past without losing touch with today, or losing sight of tomorrow. Capitalizing on the fact that the Grove Farm Museum’s monthly train day fell during the final
A ride aboard a restored steam locomotive transported its passengers back into the past without losing touch with today, or losing sight of tomorrow.
Capitalizing on the fact that the Grove Farm Museum’s monthly train day fell during the final week of winter break, organizers utilized the event to allow passengers to get a taste of history while hinting at its plans for the New Year.
The historic trip will help kids get back on track, learning new things about Kaua‘i, a release from the Grove Farm museum states.
The plantation train ride was a family event years ago. Workers would pack food and family for a day of fun together.
That was the scenario as parents joined students from the Head Start program for a nice ride aboard the specially restored train cars that formed the core of transport for sugar cane when “Paulo,” a steam locomotive built in Germany, was in its heyday 120 years ago.
Hawai‘i had 63 sugar plantations with nine located on Kaua‘i at one time. Today, the sole remaining sugar plantations are Gay & Robinson on Kaua‘i and HC&S on Maui.
G&R recently announced that it, too, was getting out of sugar production and are in its final harvest stages.
Scott Johnson, the engineer who spearheaded the restoration of “Paulo,” said the current rail line follows the path once used to bring sugar cane from the fields of Grove Farm and Lihu‘e Plantation to the Lihu‘e mill.
The rail system has been rebuilt by volunteers from the community joining the staff at the Grove Farm museum over a span of the last 34 years and formally dedicated in 2004.
This year marks 50 years since the last sugar cane train operated on Kaua‘i, the museum flier states.
In the fall of 1959, Kaua‘i’s last sugar cane train was hauled by diesel locomotive at Lihu‘e Plantation.
These engines were later sold off-island with two in existence today in Cuba.
“Paulo,” an 1887 Hohenzollern locomotive, Number 426, was built in Dusseldorf, Germany, and shipped to Kaua‘i where it was used until the 1920s.
That was 120 years ago, and today it is the oldest operating plantation locomotive, provided by the late Mabel Wilcox who began an effort to restore the Grove Farm trains in the 1970s as a part of her vision to preserve Kaua‘i history and her uncle G.N. Wilcox’s Grove Farm homestead.
With train cars laden with students and visitors, “Paulo” signaled the start of its run with the familiar steam whistle, with the puffs of steam as the locomotive chugged to life.
A short tour to point out the remnants of an old plantation home belonging to the aunt of Art Fujita, and heading to the 100-year old stone bridge that spanned a gorge on the Lihu‘e mainline, “Paulo” let out another whistle as it ground to a halt.
Four Showtime characters appeared from just before the century-old bridge, their thumbs waving in the sun as the quartet tried to hitch a ride aboard the steam locomotive, to the delight of its carloads of passengers.
That was part of the New Year celebration by the Grove Farm Museum staff as Johnson said another train day will be hosted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow with appearances by more Showtime characters.
According to one of the Showtime quartet, Spongebob is scheduled to make an appearance along with the yellow sponge’s sidekick Patrick.
Parents are encouraged to bring along their cameras to photograph children and family with the Showtime guests.
“Mary Wilson of the Grove Farm Museum wanted to do something special for the children since they are on break until Monday,” Johnson said. “We are also working on trying to clear the area near the stone bridge so it can have its centennial acknowledgment as well.”
The Grove Farm Museum wants to continue to extend historic rails, one foot at a time, and donations are welcome.
Regular steam locomotive “fire up” days are on the second Thursday of each month.
For more information, call Wilson at the Grove Farm Museum at 245-3202.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.
com
