Disneys Imagineering Story and Model Railroading

[xboxtravis7992]

With the recent launch of Disney+ I have been watching a few shows on it with my family. One of the noteworthy ones is the six-part documentary The Imagineering Story about Disney’s internal theme park design and engineering division. I think at this point it’s pretty well known that Walt Disney, Ward Kimball, Ollie Johnston, Harper Goff and other Disney employees were either railfans or model railroaders; and even though they are all long gone now it seems a bit of a touch of their influence still remains in the company. As such I can’t help but wonder what lessons can be gleaned as a model railroader from the series.

 

Here are a few I have picked up on myself just from the latest episode to release (episode 4). While designing the Disney Cruise line the Imagineer’s noted they had to become very space conscious, to maximize the use of each square inch of the boat. “You can’t punch out a wall to expand in a boat because you can’t build over ocean.” I think many model railroads face similar space constraints since we can’t always punch out a new basement wall or something like that. Another scene shows Imagineer Joe Rhode’s world trips to research the locations that served as settings for the Animal Kingdom theme park and also has him giving a discussion on weathering structures in the park to make them look more used; both a reminder of prototype authenticity and literal 1:1 scale weathering. While discussion the period of austerity in the company in the late 90’s and early 2000’s; a few designers mentioned the importance of a large variety of attractions; many of which can’t be ridden in a single trip and how sometimes “the rides you don’t ride are just as important as the ones you do, because it promises a reason to come back again someday” and I couldn’t help but think of how many model railroads use interchange points to suggest a world beyond the pike; and multiple “jobs” and trains on the larger railroads to encourage operators to make repeat visits.

Of course there is some prototype fun there too… there is footage of the instillation of steam railroads and monorail systems in the American parks, and some footage of the “steam outline” diesel train used in Hong Kong; and of course the obligatory footage of Walt Disney’s own model railroading at his home prior to Disneyland.

So; anyone else watching this series? Hope I’m not the only one trying to store some ideas from it for future model railroad projects.

[nycmodel]

Sounds like a great series. I am not sure I have Disney +. I would highly recommend the Michael Broggie book "Walt Disney's Railroad Story". It's on Amazon and other sites. It covers all you would want to know about Walt's trains from his backyard empire to the rail based theme park attractions.

[BigDaddy]

Am I correct in assuming the Disney steam engines are not reproductions, but real engines that were tarted up?

Where do they send them when they need their mandatory rebuild?

[xboxtravis7992]

BigDaddy

Am I correct in assuming the Disney steam engines are not reproductions, but real engines that were tarted up?

Where do they send them when they need their mandatory rebuild?

 

 

The park's that operate live steam are Disneyland (California), Disney World: Magic Kingdom (Florida), Tokyo, and Paris. Disney World: Animal Kingdom (Florida) and Hong Kong use diesel engines in steam outline bodies, while Shanghaii is the first Disney Park with no trains. 

I don't know much about the Paris or Tokyo fleets; but the American ones are pretty well documented. The first two engines were Disney built reproductions in 1955; Disneyland's #1 and #2. The documentary series I mentioned actually has footage of #1's boiler and frame being delivered to the park in Anaheim during construction in 1954 where final assembly of the two engines was completed. The remaining Disneyland engines were all authentic steamers purchased secondhand. #3 is an 1895 built Baldwin, #4 a 1925 built Baldwin, and #5 a 1902 Baldwin.

Disney World's all came second hand from Mexico's Ferrocarriles Unidos de Yucatan. The four Disney World Baldwins's were built across the late 1910's to the 1920's. There are some neat pre-Disney photos of these engines in freight service out there: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrocarriles_Unidos_de_Yucat%C3%A1n#/media/File:United_of_Yucatan_66_(29947652165).jpg

All the American Disney parks use old cooking grease similar to the practice on the Grand Canyon Railroad to fire their engines. Repairs and rebuilds are usually done in house since both railroads have engine shops; but I know some contract work by Strasburg has been done on the Disney World engines.

[NVSRR]

There is at least one video documenting disney railroads and thier operations  

[dknelson]

There is another link -- John Olson who wrote many great articles for Model Railroader and whose Mescal Lines layout was a standout in its time for detail and imaginative solutions to problems, was a Disney Imagineer.  I believe the model railroading came first and is how he came to Disney's attention.  

Eventually the Disney job involving the theme parks became so time consuming that John more or less gave up the hobby.  By now I'd think he'd be old enough to be retired.  I have no idea if he is back in model railroading or not.  I hope he is.

Dave Nelson

[nycmodel]

I recall an issue of MR perhaps sometime in the mid 1970's that had an advert from Walt Disney Imagineering looking for prospective Imagineers to work on the upcoming Epcot project. I guess they knew where to look.