The change is projected to avoid about 6 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Oaks Park will use a $430,263 grant from Portland General Electric’s Drive Change Fund to buy the locomotive. The fund receives support from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Oregon Clean Fuels Program.

Built by Chance Rides in Wichita, Kansas, the new C.P. Huntington locomotive will pull the park’s five existing passenger cars, including one accessible to people with disabilities. The project also includes a covered station platform with automatic charging equipment.

The train route will shift slightly to make room for a new drop tower planned for 2027, but will remain similar to its current path. The park expects to continue operating the ride 56 times each day during the season. Oaks Park charges no admission, and train rides will remain free.

The park also plans multilingual electric-vehicle displays and an E-Mobility Fair and launch celebration with Forth Mobility, a Portland-based electric transportation nonprofit.

“This is an exciting project for Oaks Park, our visitors and everyone who loves a classic train ride,” said Joshua Goldstein, development director for the nonprofit Oaks Park Association. He said the new locomotive will reduce emissions while preserving the experience for visitors.

The project is part of Oaks Park’s effort to run entirely on renewable energy. Once the locomotive is in service, the park says every ride except its go-karts will be electric.

PGE transportation electrification team head Elyssia Lawrence said transportation electrification is important to the clean-energy transition and that reaching a cleaner, more equitable future will require collaboration across Oregon.