69 years ago, on May 7, 1955 to be exact, the Centenario train made its first trip.
Since then it has not stopped providing service, becoming one of the main attractions of the park, which this September celebrates 114 years.
The train is so iconic that visiting the Centenario Zoo without taking the ride is like going to the beach and not going into the sea.
The train was created by the initiative of a group of ladies of the Yucatecan society back in the day, in order to provide a special attraction to the park.
The idea was to offer a ride aboard a scale train, like the one in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City.
Once the 1,300 meters of Decauville tracks, which were used in the henequen haciendas in the 1940s and 1950s, were laid, the little train went into service on May 7, 1955.
Its design evoked a modern railroad with futuristic references mounted on a chassis, equipped with a six-cylinder engine and three cars.
Visitors were fascinated by the train rides, whose route became more attractive as it passed over a bridge and under a tunnel, the latter built in 1962.
A complete ride aboard the train lasts about seven minutes. In that time, visitors can see practically every corner of the site, from the zoo area to the park.
The ticket price has been $1 for more than 20 years.
The official said that, although there have been proposals to modernize the service, for example, making them electric (currently they use diesel), for now there are no plans to change it.
Finally, he said that the “peculiar little noise” that the train makes on its journey is part of its appeal.
TYT Newsroom
