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New electric train debuts at the Saint Louis Zoo

The new train joins six other locomotives and is the zoo's first electric train, using less gas emission and more sustainable resources.

ST. LOUIS — On Tuesday, the Saint Louis Zoo Emerson Zooline Railroad debuted its new electric train.

The new train joins six other locomotives and is the zoo's first electric train, using less gas emission and more sustainable resources.

The train features a green locomotive at the front and new coach carriers behind it. It will include a new train whistle and dawn the number 50 on the side.

“As the trains at the Zoo begin to age, replacing the locomotives with a much greener approach will set us up for a better future,” said Michael Macek, director of the Saint Louis Zoo. “We are excited as we look ahead to the future of the Emerson Zooline Railroad and will continue to help create memories that will last a lifetime.”

According to a press release, the electric train will be named after Mary Meachum, an abolitionist in St. Louis who educated Black people and played a critical role in the Underground Railroad. 

Credit: UPI
Cassandra Brown Ray, Chief Financial Officer for the Saint Louis Zoo, unveils the name of the first electric train "Mary Meachum" at the Saint Louis Zoo in St. Louis on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 Photo by Bill Greenblatt//UPI

Mary and her husband, John Berry Meachum, established a school for free and enslaved Black children in the basement of a church and helped educate those that needed it. She also used her home as a safe house on the Underground Railroad and helped move enslaved people to freedom from the St. Louis area to Illinois, according to the release.

The Zooline Railroad is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2023. The railroad was constructed in 1962 and opened on Aug. 30, 1963. In 2010, the railroad was renamed the Emerson Zooline Railroad. 

The Zooline Railroad has 1.5 miles of track around the zoo and has served over 41 million people since its opening. 

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