Lahaina, Kaanapali and Pacific Railroad
Transport company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Transport company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Lahaina, Kaanapali and Pacific Railroad (LKPRR) was a steam-powered, 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge heritage railroad in Lāhainā, Hawaii. The LKPRR operated the Sugar Cane Train, a 6-mile (9.7 km), 40-minute trip in open-air coaches pulled by vintage steam locomotives. The tracks connected Lahaina with Puukolii, stopping briefly at Kaanapali.[1] A narrator pointed outs sites of interest during the trip, which crosses a 325-foot (99 m) curved wooden trestle whose elevation yields panoramic views of neighboring islands and the West Maui Mountains. The line is currently not operating and all equipment is stored north of Lahaina.
| Lahaina, Kaanapali and Pacific Railroad (LKPRR) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Locale | Maui County, Hawaii |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Craig Hill |
| Reporting mark | LK&P |
| Length | 6 miles (9.7 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1970 |
| Preservation history | |
| Headquarters | Lahaina, Hawaii |
| Website | |
| www | |
The line follows a 6-mile (9.7 km) stretch of historic right-of-way originally constructed to haul sugarcane from the sugarcane plantation fields in Kāʻanapali to the Pioneer Mill in Lahaina.[2] At one time, the island had over 200 miles (320 km) of rails connecting the sugarcane plantations to the mills. Trucks, however, largely replaced the railroads by the middle 20th century. In 1969, A.W. "Mac" McKelvey and the Makai Corporation created the railroad in order to illustrate this part of Hawaii's past.[3]
On July 24, 2014, the company announced that it would be closing on August 1, 2014 due to financial difficulties. The company was put up for sale as a going concern.[4]
Within months of closing, the Sugar Cane Train was bought by a local Maui resident, Craig Hill, owner of Maui Concierge Services. Hill felt that the Sugar Cane Train needed to be kept running in order to preserve one of Lahaina's best-known attractions. The Sugar Cane Train is currently running seasonal "Holiday Express" trains, which run on a short stretch of track in Kaanapali. These trains take place from late November up to December 25.[5] The full line was in the process of being revived.[6]
The company planned to rebuild all three locomotives from the ground up, as well as possibly add grade crossings to prevent accidents. Plans for the Sugar Cane Train also includes hosting weddings as well as running an evening train. The old tracks were being removed and were being replaced with newer ties and rails. Although the official website[5] stated that operations would resume in 2018, the only trips that operated were the Holiday Express trains. In a 2018 interview, the co-owner of the railroad, Lahaina businessman Todd Domeck stated that the railroad aimed to return to full operations in May 2019, however the railroad did not open.[6] In July 2021, the entire railroad (including track, but excluding right-of-way land) was listed for sale for $400,000 by the Ozark Mountain Railcar brokerage firm.[7] The sale listing indicates that the buyer will be obligated to dismantle and remove the railroad track materials and rolling stock from the site, as no land is included in the sale.
On August 8, 2023, the Lahaina station, turntable, and the eastern half of the railroad were destroyed in the Lahaina fire.[8] Much of the railroad’s equipment and the sheds were not affected due to being north of the fire’s path. As of now, the railroad sits abandoned with an unclear future.
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