East Alabama Local News

East Alabama Local News

 

Rocket in a Railroad Town


Opelika  Park and Recreation is celebrating the return of the Rocky Brook Rocket  miniature train with the premiere of the “A Rocket in a Railroad Town”  documentary. The 45-minute film tells the story of the Rocket’s history  and the restoration process that brought it back to its current  condition. 

 

Community members can be among the first to  see the film at its premiere on Saturday, April 14th at 5 p.m. at Monkey  Park. Prior to the event, Opelika Parks and Recreation will give free  train rides to the public from 3-4:45. In the event of rain, the event  will be moved to City Hall. 

 

The film was written,  photographed, and edited by Rex Roach and narrated by Bob Howell. It  outlines the history of the Rocky Brook Rocket miniature train as well  as a brief history of the City of Opelika and why it is called a  “railroad town”. 

 

“Bob Howell does a great job of telling  the story,” said Matt Battles, Municipal Area Supervisor. “I believe  most people will learn something new about the history of our city and  the train.” 

 

The Rocky Brook Rocket first came to Opelika  in 1955 and has a long history of providing entertainment and rides to  the citizens of Opelika. It also has a long history of defective parts,  temporary fixes and decommissions. The train was sent to Oxnard,  California in August of 2015 for a total renovation, with the hopes that  the train would come back ready to operate for 60 more years. 

 

The train returned to Opelika in November 2016 with a new engine, new break system and complete restoration of the body.  

 

“The  train is back to ‘better than new’ condition,” said Battles. “The train  is one of the things that makes Opelika so special, and I think it will  continue to do that for many years to come.” 


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