During our next Roadtrip, we'll visit six parks; Dorney Park in eastern PA will be our third of the bunch. Doing a little research this morning, I found this little snippet about one of Dorney Park's vintage rides, the Zephyr:
This miniature train takes riders on a scenic trip that ends where it begins. Added to the Park in 1935, the Zephyr helped Dorney Park survive the Great Depression. It is a one-of-a- kind train designed after the Burlington Zephyr--the first streamline train.
Imagine a family in the 30s with not "two dimes to rub together", as my Dad (who lived through the era) would put it. A special treat for the family might be a day spent at a nearby amusement park, to shrug off the effects of the Depression with a spin on the miniature railroad. And the park benefitted from the commerce that this "Little Engine Who Could" brought in.
In these tender economic times, I think a journey on this tiny locomotive might be just what many of us need.
