LIHU‘E – The restored narrow-gauge cane train locomotive Wainiha came to life Saturday during a celebration to mark the completion of the first section of a rebuilt railroad line located in the heart of Lihu‘e town. The newly-laid rail line
LIHU‘E – The restored narrow-gauge cane train locomotive Wainiha came to life Saturday during a celebration to mark the completion of the first section of a rebuilt railroad line located in the heart of Lihu‘e town.
The newly-laid rail line now stretches for about a third of a mile, and its tracks follow the path once used to bring sugar cane from the fields of Grove Farm Plantation to Lihue Plantation’s mill along the Nawiliwili Stream. The locomotive is one of four bought from Lihue Plantation by the late Mabel Wilcox who began a project to restore them in the 1970s as a part of her vision for her uncle G.N. Wilcox’s Grove Farm homestead located along Nawiliwili Road.
Rail buffs young and old came to the mid-afternoon celebration held just off Haleko Road to take a ride aboard the restored narrow-gauge train cars once used to haul sugar cane. The system has been rebuilt by volunteers and staff from the Grove Farm and Waioli Mission House Museums.
The last cane train to haul sugar on Kaua‘i made its run at Lihue Plantation in the fall of 1959, with cane haul trucks taking over the job across Kaua‘i.
An additional 1,800-foot portion is planned to be added to the right-of-way. This section is more seriously deteriorated, and will require shoring up of the eroded right-of-way as well as clearing of hau and other overgrowth before additional track can be laid, according to a statement from the museums.
Waioli Corporation, which operates Waioli Mission House and Grove Farm museums, is in its fourth year of the five-year project and hope to raise $250,000 to fund the work. Waioli Corporation director Bob Schleck led the celebration and said contributions to the project are welcomed.
