Rotary Express popular on Day 1

By Hugh Fisher
Kannapolis Citizen
A sharp blast on a whistle, the squeal of brakes and the sound of a bell announce that the train is pulling into the station. And though 2008 may be far removed from the glory days of rail travel, the little red locomotive that now runs a loop around Village Park in Kannapolis has captured some of that magic for a new generation.
Saturday’s grand opening of the Rotary Express drew 755 riders, hundreds of whom were lined up before the opening ceremony that morning. Even more followed on Sunday, putting the train on track to haul a thousand passengers in its first weekend.
The first group of riders on Saturday received T-shirts and wooden train whistles to commemorate the grand opening. Saturday was a big day throughout the park: It was the first day in action for the park’s new playground equipment, nearly doubling the size of the existing play area. And the Village Park Splash Pad, which shut down early last year due to water restrictions, has reopened with a newly-installed water recycling system to save thousands of gallons per week.
Becky Tolle of the Kannapolis Parks and Recreation Department said she had no idea how many trips the train made on its first day in action, but George Hall, assistant park manager, said “we made more left turns than they’ll make in the race next Saturday,” referring to this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
“Today has definitely exceeded our expectations,” Tolle said. “All the hard work of the Parks and Recreation staff has really paid off and it’s been a fantastic day.”
The Rotary Express was named in honor of the Kannapolis Rotary Club through the work of benefactor J. Carlyle Rutledge, who died last month at age 98.
The train is pulled by a scale model of the 1863 C.P. Huntington locomotive. It was brought from New Orleans just days before Hurricane Katrina and restored by A.C. Seamon of Kannapolis Parks and Recreation. After giving a ticket to the conductor at the station, passengers take a tour of the park. Riders waved to kids playing on the playground and Splash Pad, and to the park’s neighbors in their backyards on West B Street.
One trip isn’t always enough for some riders. Reese Easton, age 2, rode the train with parents Bob and Lisa and sister Isabelle, 6. When the five-minute trip was through, he asked to go again.
A ride on the Rotary Express costs $1. The train will be open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. until Memorial Day; it will run daily during the summer months.
For more information, visit www.cityofkannapolis .com.