8 Hurt as Tiny Train Flips on Park Tracks
Eight children and adults received minor injuries when two cars of a miniature train traveling no more than 6 mph jumped the tracks at Griffith Park on Sunday, police said.
About 20 people were riding “The Chief” around the 1.5-mile course at the Los Angeles Live Steamers site near Traveltown when an apparent shift in passenger weight caused two of the 10-foot-long cars to derail. The caboose came to a halt on its side next to a rock embankment.
“It just tipped over,” said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Tony Pascual. “It was going a very slow speed. This was just an accident.”
Neither the train operator on the front engine nor the conductor on the caboose was sure what caused the accident, Pascual said. But he said a passenger or two may have leaned too far to one side, throwing the knee-high cars off balance. Pascual said he was aware of no previous accidents with the tiny rail line. Injuries were limited to bruises and scratches.
The L.A. Live Steamers is a hobby group that operates the trains on property leased at the park. On Sundays, the group opens its trains to the public, treating about 1,000 people each week to free rides.
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