Have fun with your trains
daveklepper wrote:Also: Doesn't Disney World have the only operating HORSE CAR LINE in North America? It did some 30 years ago. Does it still?
Also: Doesn't Disney World have the only operating HORSE CAR LINE in North America? It did some 30 years ago. Does it still?
I'm pretty sure that Disneyland's horse car line is still operating - the tracks are certainly still there. Will have ot look for horse cars next time I'm up there.
Tom Moran wrote: Mr. & Mrs. Ward Kimball, close associates of Walt Disney, had a magnificent 'backyard railroad'at their home in Santa Barbara. Several years ago the question came up about The Grizzly FlatsRR, and what would become of it...down-the-line, so to speak.The Kimball's were well aware of the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. After manytrips and much discussion, it was the Kimball's decision that the ONLY location that wouldprovide the care, love and security for the Grizzly Flats RR would be the dedicated volunteersat the OERM. Visit online<www.oerm.org>Tom Moran
Mr. & Mrs. Ward Kimball, close associates of Walt Disney, had a magnificent 'backyard railroad'
at their home in Santa Barbara. Several years ago the question came up about The Grizzly Flats
RR, and what would become of it...down-the-line, so to speak.
The Kimball's were well aware of the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. After many
trips and much discussion, it was the Kimball's decision that the ONLY location that would
provide the care, love and security for the Grizzly Flats RR would be the dedicated volunteers
at the OERM.
Visit online<www.oerm.org>
Tom Moran
Tom
Ward Kimballs RR was in San Gabriel, an LA suburb, not Santa Barbara, it was pretty much an out and back straight line about 300' long, All the rolling stock has been sent to the OERM, and the buildings are also slated to be moved to the OERM. The rumor is that they will rebuild the GFRR just as it was in Kimballs backyard so all can enjoy it,
Heck if thats true, I'll joint the OERM just to 'volunteer' for that project!
blhanel wrote:Hey REI, I'm going to be down in Orlando the last week in June- does anyone get lucky enough to get a cab ride on the WDW RR?
Well the last time I was there, it was Dec.24, 2006, anyway, I tried to get a cab ride but failed.. I aked the engineer if I could get one since I saw a little kid getting one! He told me that that little kid was related to one of the cast members, so basically that's why he was able to. I was told that I couldn't because of saftey reasons. Just try your luck, okay At the Disneyland Railroad, it is much easier to get one upon request, but you have to wait at the staition to see if C.K. Holliday or E.P. Ripley are on duty.......sometimes it could decline as well.
....We certainly stayed there earlier than '86 but sorry, Fort Wilderness was not an area of interest for us...We did visit over there years ago and one thing that stands out in my mind....A push type lawnmower was almost completely covered by the growth of a tree. How that happened, have no idea.....Someone had let a tree grow around it for years, I suppose...?? On the other hand, Knowing the Imagineers at Disney....I'm beginning to wonder if it was staged...?
Sorry, don't remember anything of the RR tracks from that one brief visit we did over there....Had a dinner and show in a building...I believe it was called Pioneer Hall....
Quentin
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
StillGrande wrote: REI wrote: She's not completely accurate because she should be a 4-6-0 ten wheeler instead of a 2-6-0 mogul, the sand dome and bell are not in the right place, and the smoke stack is not the same, but hey! I find a resemblence in her. Here are some pictures of her with her Red, 100 series coach:So what you are saying is it is exactly the same, but different?
REI wrote: She's not completely accurate because she should be a 4-6-0 ten wheeler instead of a 2-6-0 mogul, the sand dome and bell are not in the right place, and the smoke stack is not the same, but hey! I find a resemblence in her. Here are some pictures of her with her Red, 100 series coach:
She's not completely accurate because she should be a 4-6-0 ten wheeler instead of a 2-6-0 mogul, the sand dome and bell are not in the right place, and the smoke stack is not the same, but hey! I find a resemblence in her. Here are some pictures of her with her Red, 100 series coach:
So what you are saying is it is exactly the same, but different?
Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying.
Nice pics. I am trying to convince the wife we need a G scale out in the yard. I am making some headway!
...Very true...When we would be sitting up on our balcony of the Contempary Hotel {while staying there}, watching all the sights, one would see the trains continue to circle the Magic Kingdom some time after the park would be closed. And they would be started very early in the morning as well.
Harbinger wrote:Back at the WGH show in Ft Worth last month Michael Broggie was saying that WDW RR is looking for a steam foreman. The fella that did the restoration (and was ultimately foreman at WDW) work has retired.
Yeah that was Geoge Britton. He retired last year. I don't think that there will ever be a WDW RR foreman as great as he was. I don't think the new "annonymos" foreman, I've heard he goes by the name of "Wally", isn't doing the job good. Ever since George retired and put his replacement they have been putting the trains away before the park colses! That's absurd! In the George Britton era, the trains would run really late, even an hour after park closing to assist in helping guest to the Main Street Staition to exit the park.
....Horse drawn street car line....Sure do....Between the castle and the depot end of main st. at WDW. Horses only work a few hours a day too so as not to subject them to too much of Florida's heat especially in the hot season.
As for the only similar line in America....I do not know.
Otherwise, the only transit system operating horse cars today that I know of is the line along the waterfront in Douglas, Isle of Man, The United Kingdom.
Stumpie wrote:Well, let's see here. Regarding Disneyland. In Frontierland, there was a mine train ride that went through the painted desert. That was there from the '50s I think. It wasn't a roller coaster. They tore it up for the Thunder Mountain Railroad coaster ride. Is that what you're talking about? Fort Wilderness I believe is on Tom Sawyer's Island and it never had an actual train ride there. Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm confident of that.
Well, let's see here. Regarding Disneyland. In Frontierland, there was a mine train ride that went through the painted desert. That was there from the '50s I think. It wasn't a roller coaster. They tore it up for the Thunder Mountain Railroad coaster ride. Is that what you're talking about? Fort Wilderness I believe is on Tom Sawyer's Island and it never had an actual train ride there.
Somebody will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm confident of that.
You're correct for Disneyland, but not for Disney World. I did ride the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland a few times before it was replaced by Big Thunder Mountain.
...We're all intitled to our opinions for the most part and yours {emmar}, sure is clear.
I find we {my family},have dealt with reality probably as long as most on this forum and we also have had major enjoyment at Disney's WDW many, many times....For days on end. Beautiful place and we have wonderful memories from all the family fun being there and enjoying it all.
That was Ward Kimball's full size railroad. It had a station with an operator inside. I think it's all down at the Orange Empire Museum.
emmar wrote: I can say one thing Disney sure picked an ugly set of colors to repaint those locomotives. If they had been smart they would have painted them with a paint scheme from their working life, but of course this is Disney and they always have to make everything about money. It is good that the locomotives were preserved in some form. However as a rule Disney shouldn't be let near anything with historic value and should focus their wasteful and useless exploits on supposedly entertaining a populous that can't deal with reality. Well that’s about all I have to say on that subject.
I can say one thing Disney sure picked an ugly set of colors to repaint those locomotives. If they had been smart they would have painted them with a paint scheme from their working life, but of course this is Disney and they always have to make everything about money. It is good that the locomotives were preserved in some form. However as a rule Disney shouldn't be let near anything with historic value and should focus their wasteful and useless exploits on supposedly entertaining a populous that can't deal with reality. Well that’s about all I have to say on that subject.
I object. I do not agree with this at all. The WDW RR engines are one of, if not the most beautiful surviving steamers in the whole world. First off the colors are magnificent and 100% accurate and fit perfectly with the setting, you think that they would be better and look better if they were kept in their former black, ugly self??!! GIVE ME A BREAK! Second, the great men that had the knowledge, skill and will to take the task of completly rebuilding them one by one, down to every last bolt did the best rebuilding job of locomotives that I have ever known. And third, The engines are the SAME AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EVER SINCE THEY LEFT THE BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS TO THE UNITED RAILWAYS OF YUCATAN, MEXICO. All four have their original builder's plates on each side of the smoke boxes with their construction number and month and year they were built. And they are pristine STEAM TRAINS AFTER ALL! It shames me to such an extent that there are people like you that demoralize the fine and genius works that nobody but the Walt Disney Co. can create!!!!
Did anyone have a chance to ride the train at Fort Wilderness before it was removed? The very first time we went to Disneyworld (approx 1986) the tracks were still there but employees had said that the trains had been sent to another park. What kind of trains were these. The guage was smaller than standard, but I don't think it was that small.
Thanks. Yeah I've read them.
There are a couple of articles on wikipedia about the Disneyland and Walt Disney World railroads, go to http://en.wikipedia.org and do a search. Also mouseplanet.com has many articles on the two railroads, the one I saw was very well-illustrated with both contemporary and historic photos. http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=eo051028bb
The AT&SF Railway sponsored the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad until around 1974. Walt Disney and his brother Roy spent most of their childhood in Marceline, MO, which is on the Santa Fe's Kansas City to Chicago mainline.
....Like your photos.....and a really bright pretty red color.
I know this is off subject but does anyone have Walt Disney World Railroad G-scale train sets? I have one that I love and I've added a little more stickers to make her look a little bit more like the #1 Walter E. Disney. She's not completely accurate because she should be a 4-6-0 ten wheeler instead of a 2-6-0 mogul, the sand dome and bell are not in the right place, and the smoke stack is not the same, but hey! I find a resemblence in her. Here are some pictures of her with her Red, 100 series coach:
....Isn't it a shame W. Disney never got to see his completed creation of Disney World, at Orlando area.....A beautiful place. He managed to purchase the swamp land....manage the design....was fully involved in getting it all started but did not survive to see and enjoy it's completion and success. All accomplished and keeping control of the natural survival of the wet lands it was built on, etc....
I have never been anywhere where so many people are moved about so efficiently.
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