Disneyland Railroad

Disneyland Railroad
Attraction Poster
Disneyland
Land	Main Street, USA, New Orleans Square/Frontierland, Mickey's Toontown/Fantasyland, Tomorrowland
Designer	WED Enterprises
Attraction type	Railroad
Propulsion method	Narrow-Gauge Steam Train
Opening date	July 17, 1955
Vehicle type	Train Cars
Ride duration	18:00 minutes
Length	6336 ft (1931.2 m)
Maximum speed	17 mph (27.4 km/h)
Originally Named	Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad (1955-1974)
Required Ticket	D, Santa Fe Rail Pass valid until 1974
Signaling System	ABS
Sponsored by	Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (1955-1974)
Wheelchair accessible Must transfer from wheelchair

The Disneyland Railroad (DLRR), originally the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a narrow gauge railroad at Disneyland, Anaheim, California, United States, that was inaugurated on the park's opening day, July 17, 1955. This live steam railway was constructed for $240,000; each of the original four locomotives cost $40,000. Riders use it as transportation to other areas of the park or simply for the experience of the "Grand Circle Tour". The Main Street railroad station is seen entering Disneyland.

Layout

Laid to the most common narrow gauge in North America, 3 ft  (914 mm), track runs in a continuous loop around the park (which has expanded past the tracks in some places). The line features several grade crossings, including one located near It's a Small World, automatic block signals, and a roundhouse for locomotive storage, located backstage adjacent to It's a Small World and shared with the monorail.

Under the original track plan, two trains (one freight and one passenger) could operate on the railroad simultaneously in the same clockwise direction. A rail siding was incorporated at Main Street Station and at Frontierland Station, where one train had to wait to allow the other to pass. To allow the use of more than two trains, the operation was changed so that the trains no longer passed each other. The passing track at Main Street Station was disconnected and now is only used to display a narrow gauge Kalamazoo handcar, while the passing track at Frontierland Station was removed completely. Walt Disney dictated that two trains were to operate at all times, and it is not uncommon for three or four trains to run simultaneously on busy days.

After the train passes above It's a Small World in Fantasyland, it crosses a service road that is protected by two miniature wigwag crossing signals. The Santa Fe Railway offered the use of full-scale crossing signals, but Disney declined as they would be out of scale with the trains. These scaled-down replicas were designed and built by the San Bernardino shops of the Santa Fe Railway as a gift to Disneyland. They operate with automotive windshield wiper motors.

Including stops, the train takes twenty minutes to circle the park.^[1]

There are also Disneyland Railroads at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. Disneyland Resort Paris has four trains: the W.F. Cody, the C.K. Holliday (not to be confused with the one in Disneyland), the G. Washington and the Eureka, each of them measuring 73 meters (~239 feet) long and weighing 75 tonnes (~83 tons, US). They take twenty minutes to tour Disneyland Park, and are stored backstage in the Roundhouse, behind the Indiana Jones attraction. Hong Kong Disneyland has three trains: the Walter E. Disney (not to be confused with the one in Magic Kingdom), the Roy O. Disney (also not to be confused with the Magic Kingdom one) and the Frank G. Wells. They are Severn-Lamb Jupiter models. Hong Kong's however are steam-outline locomotives due to the lack of steam knowledge in the country.

Rail cars

Passenger seating in the early passenger train was forward-facing seats in several railcars. The freight train initially had seats only in the caboose, with most of the other passengers standing in the open gondola and cattle cars. These cars eventually had seats installed facing the right side of the train. A third set of cars, debuting in 1958 with the addition of the Grand Canyon diorama, also had seats facing forward. In 1965 and 1966, new cars were added which featured seats that faced toward the right side of the train.

Today, the seating consists mostly of open-air, freight-styled coaches with bench-seating still facing right for ease of loading and unloading at the depots and for easier viewing of the Grand Canyon/Primeval World diorama — excepting the 1958 Excursion cars, which still face forward. The original five open-air, clerestory-roofed sightseeing cars with forward-facing seats dating from the park's opening were removed from service shortly after the diorama's opening in 1958 and stored in the Roundhouse, until traded in the 1990s for a locomotive that eventually went to Walt Disney World. The Lilly Belle presidential coach is occasionally added to the rear of a train, as is an enclosed wooden caboose.

History

From concept to inauguration

The Disneyland Railroad was inspired by Walt Disney's love for trains and his live steam backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad. Until 1974, it was sponsored by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, during which time it operated as the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad. To offset construction costs, the Walt Disney Company solicited major railroads for corporate sponsorship of the attraction in 1953; the Santa Fe was the only company to respond.^[2]

The train originally had custom-built, five-eighths-scale equipment. WED Enterprises constructed the original two locomotives in the roundhouse at Disneyland under the supervision of Roger E. Broggie. Patterned after the Lilly Belle, a miniature steam locomotive Broggie had made for Walt's backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad, these were models of "Wild West"-style American 4-4-0s, but built to a larger five-eighths scale. No. 1 was given a big wood-burning "Diamond" stack and a large, pointed pilot (cowcatcher) while No. 2 was given a straight stack and smaller pilot common to East Coast coal-burning locomotives.

Three more locomotives were later acquired from outside sources, since this was cheaper than building new ones and since many narrow-gauge lines were closing down and selling their equipment. All three were given extensive renovations before entering service, including new boilers. Number 3 and the "new" Number 5 are "Forney" locomotives, a type of tank locomotive. As an 1894 product of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, number 3 is the oldest locomotive in service at any Disney property.

Walt Disney, along with California Governor Goodwin J. Knight and Fred G. Gurley (in his capacity of president of the Santa Fe) presided over the opening-day ceremonies. Since Disney made frequent rounds of the park from opening day forward and since his railroading hobby gave him extensive experience in the operation of steam locomotives, it was not uncommon to see him in the cab of one of the locomotives in the capacity of engineer.

The Santa Fe sponsored the attraction from its inception until 1974. Santa Fe had gotten out of the passenger train business several years prior, with the takeover of Amtrak in 1971, and the Santa Fe could not justify the sponsorship expenses. This, coupled with Santa Fe's wish to highlight its modern fleet of diesels instead of the park's diminutive steam locomotives, led negotiations to extend the sponsorship contract eventually to fail, and the Santa Fe name was removed.

The narration inside the cars at various points around the park once featured the late voice actor Jack Wagner, and later, Thurl Ravenscroft.^[3]

The E.P. Ripley was displayed at the annual Fullerton Railroad Days in 2006 in Fullerton, California. This was the first time the locomotives were displayed at an off-site public event.^[4] The C.K. Holliday was later displayed at the annual Fullerton Railroad Days in 2007 in Fullerton, California, a year after the E.P. Ripley.^[5]

The Grand Canyon/Primeval World diorama

Artist Delmer J. Yoakum (left) painting the Grand Canyon diorama in 1955.

The 1958 addition of the "Grand Canyon" diorama painted by artist Delmer J. Yoakum (added to what was once a long tunnel through a backstage service area) necessitated a change in the rolling stock as well; instead of facing forward, the new flatcars' benches now faced right so that the passengers could better enjoy the scenes. The diorama, which includes taxidermic animals (the only ones in the park) in lifelike poses, is the longest in the world. Painted on a single piece of seamless canvas and representing the view from the canyon's south rim, the rear of the diorama measures 306 feet (93 m) long, 34 feet (10 m) high and is covered with 300 gallons (1,100 L) of paint. A 96-year-old Hopi chief, Chief Nevangnewa, blessed the trains on the diorama's opening day. The cost was US$367,000, and it took 80,000 labor hours to construct. The main theme of Ferde Grofe's "On The Trail," the third movement from his "Grand Canyon Suite," is piped in through the train's sound system as it enters the diorama.

In 1966, the diorama was expanded with a prehistoric theme to become the "Grand Canyon/Primeval World" diorama, with Audio-Animatronic dinosaurs from Walt Disney's Ford Magic Skyway attraction at the 1964 New York World's Fair. At the same time as the track expansion on the east side of the park, the track on the western side of the park was extended to make room for the New Orleans Square expansion, including buildings for Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. The northern edge of the track was moved north to allow for an expansion of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland. That area is now home to the Big Thunder Ranch, the unused Festival Arena, and Fantasyland Theater, currently home to the Princess Fantasy Faire.

Alterations and modernization

The construction of New Orleans Square in the mid-60s required the tracks to be expanded outwards in the southwest quarter of the park. The open-air stretches of track on both sides of Frontierland Station became enclosed by a tunnel over Pirates of the Caribbean to the east and a tunnel through the berm behind the Haunted Mansion facade. Additionally, the trains originally ran behind Casey Junior Circus Train, but the track was rerouted in order to make more space inside the park. The DLRR was in near-continuous operation since the park's 1955 opening day until December 2004 when the system was shut down for reballasting, regauging and new block signals as part of Disneyland's fiftieth anniversary celebration. The attraction reopened on March 17, 2005. It was the railroad's longest closure in park history.

In 1999, Disney purchased the inoperable Maud L locomotive from the Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio, and sent it to a Southern California shop in 2004 to restore it and transform it into a Disneyland Railroad locomotive. This 1902 Baldwin loco is now Disneyland Railroad locomotive number 5 and is the first added since 1959. Originally named for Maud Lepine, daughter of one of the original owners and a name kept throughout the locomotive's service life, it is now named Ward Kimball, one of Disney's Nine Old Men and an avid railroad preservationist.^[6]

Stations, route and tour

A view of the Main Street railroad depot in 1955. The building is in the Queen Anne style with mansard roofs, widow's walks, dormers, and a clock tower. People walk by a cannon, streetlamps, and a horse-drawn surrey.

The 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop originally only stopped at Main Street, USA and Frontierland. The Frontierland Station was renovated to become the New Orleans Square station when that section of the park opened in 1966. The loop expanded to stops at Fantasyland (which became Mickey's Toontown station) and Tomorrowland.

Main Street Station is designed to coordinate architecturally with the rest of Main Street, and is the first Disneyland structure visitors see upon entering the park. A sign on the roof shows an elevation of 138 feet (42 m) above sea level (though this figure is only approximate) and a population number that roughly corresponds with the number of visitors to the park over the past five decades. As of January 2005 the number stood at 500 million. A handcar is on permanent display on a siding in front of the station that once allowed two trains to run the loop, while passing each other at the two original stations. It was donated to Walt Disney himself around 1955 by railroad historian and Disney friend Jerry Best. A replica of the locomotive Lilly Belle is on display inside the station as are various print articles pertaining to the DLRR.

Main Street railroad depot during the 50th Anniversary.

After leaving the Main Street station, the train travels west along Disneyland's border, separated from the Jungle Cruise by half of the park's main berm. Guests get a glimpse of an antelope on the berm and, for a few years, a black panther yowled at the trains before the trains entered New Orleans Square. Eventually, the train passes over part of Pirates of the Caribbean and reaches New Orleans Square Station, a platform whose canopy is stylistically similar to Main Street Station. A building on the opposite side of the tracks (inspired by the Grizzly Flats depot) once served as the station platform; it was removed from service in 1962 and now serves primarily as an ornamental detail and break room for train crews. The telegraph sound effect emanating from the building is morse code, which was used by telegraphers on operating railroads, that repeats the first two lines of Walt Disney's 1955 opening day speech.

Upon leaving New Orleans Square, the train goes through a tunnel in the berm. This passes between the Haunted Mansion's facade and show building and enters Splash Mountain shortly thereafter. Riders catch a glimpse of one of the log flume ride's final scenes before traveling over Critter Country on a trestle. The track then follows the outer edge of Rivers of America, where guests can see minor wildlife scenes, an Indian chief on a horse, and a view of a western frontier cabin across the river on Tom Sawyer's Island. Originally, this settlement was shown being under attack by Indians, with a burning roof and sounds of Indian war chants and hollers coming from the distance, and a cowboy in front of the cabin with an arrow in his back. (These elements were removed in the 90s to avoid offending Native Americans.) The train then passes behind areas off-limits to guests, through a tunnel in the berm, and into Toontown Depot.

Disneyland Railroad
Legend Main Street, USA New Orleans Square Toontown Maintenance Depot Tomorrowland (Monorail via short walk)

Fantasyland Station was rethemed to a cartoonish design in 1992 to correspond with the new Mickey's Toontown, which opened in January, 1993. Toontown Depot is usually one of the most crowded stations on the railroad. Upon leaving the depot, the trains pass through It's a Small World's facade and roll past backstage areas, such as parts of the parade route and mechanical stations. The trains then pass Autopia before entering Tomorrowland Station, a Googie-styled depot with a futuristic aesthetic preserving the bronze color scheme of the 1998 New Tomorrowland project, most of which has since been replaced with whites, silvers, and blues.

Leaving the Tomorrowland station, viewers get a quick glimpse of the Innoventions building. They then pass into another berm tunnel, enter the Grand Canyon diorama building, followed by the Primeval World diorama. After a brief stretch along the berm, the train reenters Main Street Station.

Stations of the Disneyland Railroad

Main Street, USA station

Frontierland station

Mickey's Toontown station

Tomorrowland station

Locomotives

As of 2007, all the Disneyland Railroad locomotives have been converted to burn biodiesel. Disneyland has recently taken to recycling its own cooking oil into biodiesel, further reducing fuel costs. It also burns cleaner than traditional coal, wood, or heavy "Bunker C" oil normally used on steam locomotives.

The Disneyland Railroad currently has five narrow-gauge steam locomotives (the original four are named after former Santa Fe CEOs):

• 1: C.K. Holliday, a 4-4-0 built in the Walt Disney Studio in 1954; went into service at Disneyland on Opening Day, 1955. Named for Cyrus Kurtz Holliday, founder of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1859. This engine was also known to be Walt Disney's personal favorite.

• 2: E.P. Ripley, a 4-4-0 built in the Walt Disney Studio in 1954; went into service at Disneyland on Opening Day, 1955. Named for Edward Payson Ripley, an early president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) after its 1895 reorganization.

• 3: Fred Gurley, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1894, went into service at Disneyland March 28, 1958. The locomotive, named for the then-current chairman of the ATSF, Fred G. Gurley, is the oldest single piece of railroad equipment in use at any Disney theme park. The 2-4-4T tank locomotive, used in Louisiana to transport sugar cane, was purchased in working condition for US$1300; nevertheless, more than $35,000 was spent on its restoration. A commemorative brass plaque celebrating the Gurley's centennial was mounted in the cab in 1994. In 2008, the Fred Gurley was featured as a static display at the Fullerton Railroad Days. Though the oldest engine, crew members say that this is the easiest to operate.

Inside the cab of Engine #1, the C.K. Holliday

• 4: Ernest S. Marsh, a 2-4-0 originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works as a 0-4-0 saddle-tank in 1925; went into service at Disneyland July 25, 1959. Named for the Santa Fe's then-current president, the Marsh originally served the Raritan River Sand Company in New Jersey. During shipment from New Jersey to California, the locomotive was misrouted and ended up in a rail yard outside Pittsburgh. Disney placed a call to personal friend Marsh who personally oversaw the rerouting and rapid shipment of the locomotive to its final destination. It is said by crew members that this is the most difficult locomotive to operate.

• 5: Ward Kimball, a 2-4-4, serial number 20925, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1902 for the Laurel Valley Plantation of Louisiana and later received in trade from Cedar Point Amusement Park as the inoperative Maud L in 1999. Cedar Point added a lead truck during its service there, making it a 2-4-4T. Restoration was begun by Boschan Boiler and Restorations of Carson in 2004 and the unit went into permanent service on June 25, 2005, as part of the park's fiftieth anniversary celebration. The Kimball makes a break from tradition. The new locomotive's headlight features a gold leaf silhouette of Jiminy Cricket, a Ward Kimball creation. The silhouette is based on a drawing of the character Kimball made shortly before his death.

"Lilly Belle"]] miniature live steam locomotive on display at Disneyland Main Street Station in 1993, before its replacement by a replica. Disney's railroad hobby was the inspiration for the Disneyland Railroad.

Operation

The railroad operates daily, taking its first passengers at the park's opening, year-round. The trains do not operate during special events, such as Grad Nite. A round trip on the DLRR is usually 20 minutes.

Crew

Each train is manned by four Disney "cast members", two conductors, an engineer, and a fireman. The engineer is charged with operation of the locomotive and the fireman is responsible for maintaining the fire as well as water level in the boiler.

The conductors are responsible for the operation and safety of each station and the trains. Duties as station attendants involve passenger counts, answering questions and assisting passengers. While on the train the conductor runs the spiel box and makes safety announcements. Trains cannot move without approval from the conductor. The conductors work in rotation.

Opening

Early in the morning the first crew arrives at the enginehouse to get the first train ready to depart. The maintenance crew will mark on the board which trains are to be used and the order they are to be removed from the roundhouse.

The first crew will prep and take out the first train listed. Safety and readiness checks are performed by the conductor as the enginemen prepare the locomotive for a day of operation, known as hostling. The conductor, who is in charge of the train and its motion, inspects the track and arrangement of the switches in the yard outside of the roundhouse to ensure safe passage out of the roundhouse to the park.

Once the boiler has reached working pressure and the engineers are ready to go, they will signal using the forward motion whistle (two short whistles). After a reply from the conductor's buzzer (two short buzzes) recognizing the whistle signal, the train will proceed into the park.

In the morning, the roundhouse operating engineers will test the safety systems on the train. The main tests include intentionally popping the safety valves. The safety valves are set to release excess steam to avoid going above the boiler's maximum working pressure. After the first train is on the line the second is not far behind. As this is going on, other conductors arrive at the stations in the park and prepare for the trains' arrival.

In Service

When the park opens, the first train departs from Main Street Station. The second will be just behind. Typically, three trains are used daily, with a fourth sometimes coming out on busy days later in the morning.

Each lap around Disneyland should be completed in approximately 20 minutes. This timing is established and maintained by the first train. The second and third trains keep up with the first train as much as possible. The goal is to have the first train at Main Street Station on the hour and at :20 and :40 past. If a trains falls behind, it needs to catch up (or drop behind a lap) to get the first train to the top of the hour. This is necessary to meet the park's scheduled closing procedures.

Block Signals

The railroad used to feature block signals along the line to let the engineers and conductor know the position of the trains on the system. The block signals on the DLRR used to resemble a typical traffic light with two lights that are green and red. Today, colored lights in the cab near the engineer tell the crew of the status of the track ahead. On the main line there are ten blocks. Four are the stations, including some length of track before the station. The other blocks are spread between stations.

The lights typically change in this order in both directions: Green <--> Yellow/Green <--> Red <--> Yellow/Red

In a four-train operation the conductors will not allow the train to proceed on a yellow/green signal. This keeps the trains spaced for more consistent service in the stations and prevents the train from having to stop in between stations. In a three train operation conductors can move trains on the yellow/green signal. The reason for this is because there will almost always be a train in the second block ahead.

Whistles

The whistles' and horns' primary purpose was communication. On the DLRR, engineers use the whistle to communicate while the conductor uses the same patterns with a button which activates a buzzer in the cab of the locomotive. While the train is operated as a team, the conductor has the final say in the operation of the train: he is in command. At stations, the conductor signals it is safe for the train to move by calling "All aboard!" Engineers will acknowledge by signaling with two short whistles. The common whistles on the DLRR are:

• One Short - Attention
• Two Short – Forward Movement
• Three Short – Reverse Movement
• One Long, One Short – Approaching Station
• One Long, Two Short – Crew spotted along track. (Also used as a general greeting)
• Two Long, One Short, One Long – Public Crossing ahead (with bell)
• Two Long, One Short – Meeting Point (Junction)
• One Long – Stop Immediately or Emergency stop.
• Four Long – Train in distress.

The train bell is rung upon the train's arrival towards a station as well as on the approach to a crossing. As with the whistle, the bell being rung is an official and mandatory signaling sequence. This system is also used at the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Closing

At park closing, the conductors announce the departure of the last train, also known as the "Sweeper Train". All guests can ride until the train arrives back at Main Street station. Once back at Main Street the conductors walk the length of the train to ensure that there are no passengers remaining and any items left behind are unloaded to the station attendants and brought to lost and found. The procedure is the same for all trains.

After the train is cleared for departure, the conductor will signal the engineers with the forward movement signal. Then the train departs for the switch past It's a Small World. Once a train passes the switch it stops. One of the conductors will jump off the train and throw the switch to allow the train to back to the roundhouse.

At this point the engineer relies on the conductor to guide the train to back towards the Roundhouse. This continues until the train is backed completely into the roundhouse. Another conductor will throw the switch back to allow another train to leave if one or more remain, otherwise the switch is left where it is.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Disneyland Railroad

• Disneyland Viewliner
• List of current Disneyland attractions
• List of heritage railways
• Walt Disney World Railroad
• Carolwood Pacific Railroad

References

External links

• The Carolwood Pacific Historical Society (CPHS) rededication of Engine #3, the Roger E. Broggie
• "Hidden Mickey's Secrets of the Magic Kingdom Railroad" webpage
• "History of: the Disneyland Railroad" webpage
• The "Magic Behind the Steam Trains Tour" webpage
• "The Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad" website
• DRR 5 is alive - The story behind locomotive number 5.

An aerial view of Disneyland in 1956. The entire DLRR "Circle Route" is clearly visible.

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