San Antonio – Breckenridge Park is one of San Antonio’s most sought after stops in the state. Since 1899, this 343-acre park has been the place to get back to nature, and over the years it’s added a zoo, a Japanese tea garden, and a train that’s particularly popular with pint-size people.
Nick Lopez is the lead train mechanic for the San Antonio Zoo Train. Nick says that it takes a lot of work to keep the trains operational, and that there’s a lot of hands involved that help give the satisfaction of these rides to riders every day and all year.
Formerly known as the Brackenridge Eagle, the train has been a part of the park for a long time. It started in 1956, and there were over a million riders over the first two years of operation. Everyday, 365 days a year, even on Christmas and Easter, this train takes to the tracks around Breckenridge Park providing riders with a 20-minute escape around the 2-mile track.
During the ride you get to see the parks, the zoo, and the nature of the river. Through trees, tunnels, and past golfers who are trying to concentrate on their game, there are all sorts of sights to see while riding the rails. This simple but satisfying train ride has stood the test of time, creating memories for generations.
Making sure the train is in tip top shape takes place in a shop surrounded by trees deep in the park. Known as the San Antonio Zoo Roadhouse, this is where Nick can get away and concentrate on making sure these little locomotives are ready for a long day of chugging along the tracks. Here’s a certain kind of heartbreak you experience whenever the train isn’t up and running for little riders, so Nick and the rest of the team make sure to take care of issues as quickly as possible.
The memories of the train don’t just sit in the hearts and minds of the kids and families that ride it. They also find a place to pull into the hearts of those who work on it. From the conductors to the ticket takers and the mechanics, this train is special to them too. So for a stop that brings joy to everyone its path crosses, hop on at this stop on The Texas Bucket List.