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Disneyland Railroad

The Disneyland Railroad (DRR), originally the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a narrow gauge railroad located at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, United States, that was inaugurated on that theme park's opening day, July 17, 1955. This live steam railway was constructed at a cost of US$240,000 and each of the original four locomotives cost in excess of $40,000. Riders can still 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 the first thing visitors see upon entering Disneyland.

Layout

Laid to gauge, the most common narrow gauge used in North America, the train's track runs in a continuous loop around the park, which has subsequently 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 was disconnected and now is only used to display a narrow gauge Kalamazoo handcar, while the passing track at Frontierland was removed completely. Walt Disney dictated that a minimum of 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 wig-wag 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 as a gift to Disneyland. They operate with automotive windshield wiper motors.

Including stops, the train takes 20 minutes to circle the park.

There are also Disneyland Railroads at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. Disneyland Resort Paris has four trains, the C.K. Holliday, George Washington, W.F. Cody and the Eureka. Each of them measuring 73 meters long and weighing in at 75 tonnes. They take 20 minutes to tour Park Disneyland and are based at the Roundhouse backstage behind the Indiana Jones attraction.

Rail cars

Passenger seating in the early passenger train consisted of forward-facing seats in the several railcars. The freight train initially had seats only in the caboose--most of the other passengers being required to stand in the open gondola and cattle cars. These cars eventually had seats facing the right side of the train installed. A third set of cars debuting in 1958 with the addition of the Grand Canyon diorama needed also featured seats facing forward. In 1965 and 1966, new cars were added with featured seats that faced toward the right side of the train. The Disneyland Railroad used to pull freight trains for show only, but this ended in 1969.

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--except for 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. In 2006, Disney added the first new steam engine in 47 years, the Ward Kimball, named after a legendary Disney animator.

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, a love he shared with Disney animators Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston. 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 a number of major railroads for corporate sponsorship of the attraction in 1953; the Santa Fe was the only company to respond.

The train originally consisted solely of 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 also models of classic "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 the fact that the Santa Fe wished 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 provided inside the cars at various points throughout the trip around the park once featured the late voice actor Jack Wagner, and later, Thurl Ravenscroft.

The E.P. Ripley was displayed at the annual Fullerton Railroad Days in 2006 in Fullerton, California. This was the first time any of the locomotives has been displayed at a public event off-site. 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.

The Grand Canyon/Primeval World diorama

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 more than 80,000 labor hours to construct. The main theme of Ferde Grofe's "On The Trail" 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 imminent New Orleans Square expansion, including buildings for Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. The northern edge of the track was moved further 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.

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 after the late Ward Kimball, one of Disney's Nine Old Men and an avid railroad preservationist.

The attraction reopened on March 17, 2005. It was the railroad's longest closure in park history.

Stations, route and tour

The 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop originally only stopped at Main Street, USA and Frontierland, but expanded to stops at Fantasyland (now Mickey's Toontown) 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.

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 can 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 Ward Kimball's 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 that can be heard 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 Station, 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 the possibility of offending Native Americans. The train then passes behind several areas off-limits to guests, through a tunnel in the berm, and into Toontown Depot.

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 a few backstage areas, such as parts of the parade route and mechanical stations. The trains then pass Autopia before entering Tomorrowland Station, which features a simple, somewhat futuristic aesthetic that preserves 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 can get a quick glimpse of the Innoventions building. They then pass into another berm tunnel, entering the Grand Canyon diorama building shortly thereafter, followed by the Primeval World diorama. After a brief stretch of track along the berm, the train reenters Main Street Station. this video shows the entire route from the point of view of the onboard guests

Locomotives

As of 2007, all the Disneyland Railroad steam engines have been converted to burn bio-diesel. Bio-diesel is less polluting (though more expensive) than the 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.

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.

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. Named for the famous Disney animator, the Kimball makes a slight break from tradition as well. 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.

Operation

The railroad operates daily, taking its first passengers at 8 a.m., year-round. A round trip on the DLR takes around 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. A crew consists of 4 individuals: the engineer (charged with operation of the locomotive), the fireman (charged with operation of the boiler to provide the steam for the locomotive to operate), and two conductors (charged with management and safe operation of the train and its passengers). 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 at all times, will inspect the track and arrangement of the switches in the yard outside of the roundhouse to ensure the train will have safe passage out of the roundhouse all the way 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 (2 short whistles). After a reply from the conductor's buzzer (2 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 maintain the boiler's maximum certified 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 the trains fall behind, they will need to catch up or drop behind a lap to get the first train to the top of the hour. This is necessary to facilitate proper closing procedures on the park's schedule.

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 of them are the stations which include some length of track before the station. The other blocks are spread out with one between each station.

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

As with any railroad, the whistles heard are all warning/signaling devices. Many guests are unaware that whistles/horns' primary purpose was in fact communication. On the DLRR, engineers use the whistle to communicate while the conductor uses the same patterns with a button which activates a bell 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 the stations, the conductor will signal it's safe for the train to move by calling "All aboard!" Engineers will acknowledge that they can proceed by signaling with 2 short whistles. The common whistles on the DLRR are listed below:

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.
Two Long, One Short – Meeting Point (Junction)
One Long – Stop Immediately / Emergent stop.
Four Long – Train in distress.

The train bell is rung upon the train's arrival towards a station. As with the whistle, the bell being rung is an official and mandatory signaling sequence. This method 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. The conductor jumps off and throws 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. The fireman will jump off the train to throw the switch back to allow another train to leave if one remains, otherwise the switch is left where it is. This continues until the train is backed completely into the roundhouse.

References

Duke, Donald (1997). Santa Fe: The Railroad Gateway to the American West, Volume One. Golden West Books.
(1979). Disneyland: The First Quarter Century. Walt Disney Productions.
(2000). Guide to Tourist Railroad and Museums. Kalmbach Publishing.
Trahan, Kendra D. (2004). Disneyland Detective: An INDEPENDENT Guide to Discovering Disney's Legend, Lore, and Magic!. PermaGrin Publishing.
DeGaetano, Steve M. (2004). Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! The Complete Disneyland Railroad Reference Guide. Steam Passages Publications.