LIHUE — The banana and ti plants lining the tracks are not in Disneyland. They are in Lihue. Many years ago, Walt Disney was interested in purchasing the Grove Farm Plantation sugar trains for $500 each, said Scott Johnson, Grove
LIHUE — The banana and ti plants lining the tracks are not in Disneyland. They are in Lihue.
Many years ago, Walt Disney was interested in purchasing the Grove Farm Plantation sugar trains for $500 each, said Scott Johnson, Grove Farm Museum engineer.
“I’ll pay that much just to keep them here,” said Miss Mabel Wilcox to the Grove Farm board in an effort of saving them.
Kauai’s railroad history, the legacy of Princess Liliuokalani, and National Train Day were more than enough reason for Wainiha, one of Kauai’s operating steam locomotives, to fire up, offering free train rides to honor the first ladies of Kauai’s railroad history in honor of Mother’s Day, Johnson said.
Additionally, the rides were offered ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Kauai Historical Society while commemorating 150 years of Grove Farm, Johnson said.
“Princess Liliuokalani, who on Sept. 24, 1881, drove in Kauai’s first railroad spike, and Miss Mabel Wilcox, whose legacy provides the world’s largest collection of operating Hawaii sugar plantation steam trains for the Kauai community and visitors alike, are why we do this,” Johnson said.
Liliuokalani trusted the railways would “gird the whole island and so develop its resources and promote the industry to its people,” Johnson said.
Johnson said Miss Mabel’s commitment to the Grove Farm board led to her paying for the first locomotive restoration in 1975, and her Grove Farm Museum continues the preservation of this unique locomotive collection.
“Miss Mabel, the niece of Grove Farm plantation owner G.N. Wilcox, is why Kauai still has operating sugar cane locomotives,” Johnson said. “Miss Mabel’s preservation of Kauai history, seen through protection of the sites where her missionary heritage placed its roots in island soil, still hosts many of our museums today.”
During the free train ride, guests were offered views on the same railroad rights of way as in the days when steam powered locomotives hauled sugar cane, heard the stories of historic railroad firsts on Kauai and of the only Hawaiian train robbery.
The Grove Farm Museum offers free “fire up days” on the second Thursday of each month.
