Ask anyone who’s lived in Fort Worth for a long time about the Forest Park Train and odds are they’ll probably have a memory of it.

It’s a city staple that goes back to 1959. Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price remembers heading to the park and hopping on the train when she was 4 years old.

Council member Elizabeth Beck, whose district includes the park, said she once found a photo of her grandfather and his poodle on the train back in the ’50s.

After a year-and-a-half long shut down, the train will open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, owner Mary Talley announced Thursday at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The new Forest Park Train, which shut down March 2022 due to mechanical issues, comes with a face-lift. Talley’s husband refurbished the train’s engine and gave it a fresh coat of orange and yellow paint. The Talleys also spent hours replacing over 1,000 cross ties on the five-mile track.

You used to only be able to use cash to ride the train, but now riders can pay at a self-service kiosk that takes credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

The opportunity to make memories stays the same.

The Talley family’s company, Forest Park Rides Inc., has a contract that allows it to use the city’s land to operate . As the train sat dormant, the city gave the family 60 days in October 2022 to get it back up and running or face termination of its contraction. The city extended that deadline in January after getting invoices from the company showing the ride needed $250,000 worth of repairs.

Supply chain issues and issues getting parts delayed the opening as well.

Talley said the city has been great about working with the family to make sure they had the time needed to get the train going again.

And it was evident Thursday — the train is ingrained in the community’s fabric.

As Fort Worth grows, Mayor Mattie Parker said one thing people always say to her is that they want to “keep Fort Worth Fort Worth” by retaining the small town feel while having the amenities of a large city.

“Projects like this that are truly quintessential Fort Worth over 60 years run by one family, to me, is the right commitment by the city of Fort Worth, that Fort Worth will remain the city that we all love to be a part of,” Parker said.

Beck thanked all involved for bringing the train back to life.

“It will continue to serve as that touch point in Fort Worth for generations to come as that fun attraction that we all have memories — some of them really fun, some of them hot with young toddlers,” Beck said.

Talley hopes to keep the train in the family for generations to come. Her great-grandfather founded the train, and the family is already working on getting its next generations into the mix.

After remarks Thursday morning, Talley asked the question everyone was waiting for.

“Who would like to ride the train?” She was met by cheers.

Those at the event wasted no time climbing into the newly painted orange and yellow cars, and they didn’t miss an opportunity for pictures.

And with a lurch forward and a toot of a horn, the train finally rode again.

This story was originally published August 31, 2023, 1:52 PM.