The Little Prince is ready to roll this Saturday.
That's when the 100-year-old steam train will start picking up passengers for trips along "Canada's shortest railway," a half-mile loop next door to Exploration Place in Fort George Park.
Other than the Thanksgiving weekend, the train was on hiatus for 2012 after two steam injectors had to be replaced. Moreover, two new engineers had to be trained and Nick Chapman and John Calogheros were certified Tuesday by the B.C. Safety Authority.
The train had also been off the rails from 2006 to 2011 undergoing repairs and restorations before coming back to operate for most of the 2011 season.
The City of Prince George owns the 24-inch gauge train and is operated by the Exploration Place.
The City contributed $15,000 to the projected $70,000 annual operating budget for the train in 2013. Local businesses have also contributed.
The train will operate from noon until 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday, with the exception of the June 1-2 weekend, and each long weekend Monday of the summer, weather permitting,
Rides cost $2 per person and operators are hoping to see 20,000 rides this season.
For more information, call Exploration Place at 250-562-1612.
