Kennywood's Thomas train ride closed after 2nd derailment

Kennywood’s new Thomas the Tank Engine-themed train ride derailed for the second time in three days this week, according to a park spokesman.

The train ride has only been open for about a week. It was part of an $8.5 million expansion at the West Mifflin amusement park.

Spokesman Nick Paradise said crews are working to correct the problem.

“The Journey with Thomas ride will be temporarily closed while our maintenance team investigates the cause of recent issues and identifies a lasting solution,” Paradise said in a statement. “Kennywood apologies to those guests inconvenienced by the situation.”

No injuries were reported.

The ride derailed Tuesday, just three days after its July 27 debut. Repairs were made, and the ride reopened Wednesday.

The train went off the tracks a second time Thursday and remained closed Friday.

Records from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the state department charged with tracking amusement ride inspections and accidents, show the the ride was last inspected July 27. Each ride in the park except for the SkyCoaster has been inspected in the past month.

The second derailment came a day after the park’s Pirate Ship — a giant pendulum ride that swings back and forth — malfunctioned and closed for the day.

The malfunction turned the 2- to 3-minute ride into a 10-minute excursion until crews could engage a backup braking system to stop the ride from swinging.

No one was injured, but paramedics responded to check on patrons, some of whom were nauseous and “a little shaken up,” Paradise said.

The park also recently announced a Pittsburgh Steelers-themed area that will include the park’s largest expansion in history and a new, record-breaking roller coaster — the Steel Curtain.

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Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.