Re: The San Francisco Zoo

10/30/02 - posted by Sean

Here's what else I remember about the Zoo in the 1970s. The Little Puffer steam locomotive train. It would take you around one part of the zoo. They tore up the tracks to build some natural habitats for the gorillas and big cats, I think. Then the Little Puffer sat for over 10 years in the Elephant or Tiger house unused. I think it's up and running again. And those 2 trains at the Entrance to the Zoo are immortalized in an early photo of the Grateful Dead with all the band members hanging on the front of it. It sure seemed more than 12 feet down jumping from the roof into the sand. Can you imagine the City letting kids do that now? Everytime I did it I thought I broke my leg. I also used to skateboard and walk around the empty Fleishaker (sic) Pool. KQED in the mid 80s aired a documentary on it as well as KRON. Plus we used to have a hole dug into the bottom of the wood fence behind the brown stone fence next to Sloat and sneak into the Zoo all the time for free. I think it let us out somewhere in the Childrens Zoo part. Also, remember the Zebra Train? It would always breakdown and had the exhaust emissions of 10 Muni buses. Pink Popcorn? Can't find that anywhere else.