Alpen Express 17

Alpen Express 17

This video includes on and off ride footage of the Alpen Express. The filming of this video was started on June 23, 2015 and ended
on August 31, 2015. This video has taken a long time to film and edit.

Engine 17 was built in 1972 by Crown Metal Products in Wyano, Pennsylvania. #17 has a three passenger cars and a caboose. It's caboose is one of the few Crown cabooses ever built.

17 was owned by Lakeside Amusement Park in Salem, Virginia until 1996. At Lakeside, 17 was blue, and named "The Big Lick". The coaches and caboose were red. 17 was american themed at the time. It had a cowcatcher, bell, rectangular headlight, and a diamond stack.

In 1986, Lakeside closed. In 1996, Busch Gardens bought #17 and its cars and had the Tweetsie Railroad overhaul the entire train. 17 was turned into the Alpen Express, a Swiss themed train. It was fitted with a big red snowplow, round headlight, and had the center dome made smaller. 17 and its train was painted Southern Railway Crescent Green. When 17 ran for the first time, its debut was conjoined with Alpengiest, an inverted coaster. On the snowplow, tender, and coaches it said "Alpengiest Express". The train also had fake snow on the plow, and on the top of the train. After many years, the snow became dirty and became harder to clean. Eventually Busch Gardens removed the snow and Alpengiest decals .

17 is currently the smallest train at Busch Gardens with a capacity of 250 people. The Alpen Express is only used when the Balmoral Castle or the Der Hochbeinige are down for maintenance.

Enjoy!