 
Wait time: Usually less
than 10 minutes*
Although some may argue is all started with a Mouse, Disneyland and the
ideas that started it actually all began with a train, namely Walt Disney's love
for trains and miniatures. In the earliest sketches for Disneyland back in the
late 1940's, the park was centrally located around the ideas of a train.
The Disneyland Railroad stops in the following lands; Main Street USA,
New Orleans Square, Mickey's Toontown and Tomorrowland. The entire
trip around the Magic Kingdom, with stops, takes about 20 minutes. You'll travel
past such attractions as Splash Mountain, It's a Small World, The
Autopia, and you'll see some animals originally used for the Mine Train
Thru Nature's Wonderland, with a dramatic ending through the Grand Canyon
Diorama and the Primeval World.
Your
adventure begins in the Main Street Station (photo, right). Inside, you'll see
some interesting items. Just inside the station in a large glass enclosure, is
Walt's proud Lilly Belle. Named after his wife, Lillian, this engine,
tender and boxcar circled his home in on Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills, hence
the name "The Carolwood Pacific". A replica of the Lily Belle is also on
display at Tokyo Disneyland. These trains would later become the inspiration for
the trains that travel through Disneyland today.
 Walt
Disney, along with train enthusiast and animator Ward Kimball were extremely
interested in trains. Walt's love of trains dates back to when he and and his
brother, Roy Disney, worked for the Santa Fe railroad as "news butchers" during
the summers of their youth. Ward's love of trains also stemmed from his
childhood. A memorable trip from Minneapolis to Kansas City which included a
tour of the locomotive's cab and a chance to ring the bell were the beginnings
of Ward's love for trains.
Ward Kimball built a railroad in his backyard, the "Grizzly Flats Railroad",
(which, at the time, was the first full-scale privately owned backyard steam
railroad). Kimball was also able to obtain the set pieces from the train station
used in the early Disney flim, "So Dear to My Heart", and rebuilt this
station for his own railroad.
In the summer of 1948, Walt and Ward attended the Chicago Railroad Fair. The
Fair was celebrating it's 100th year and so many rare and unique exhibits made
the trip very memorable for the both of them. Ward was able to get to know Walt
probably better than anyone on the staff. The next year, Walt and Lillian
purchased their home in Holmby Hills. The large home, located at 355 Carolwood
Drive, would become the home of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, Walt's own
miniature steam railroad.
The railroad consisted of 2,615 feet of track with 11 switches, a large trestle
and a huge 90-foot tunnel running under Lillian Disney's flowerbeds. The large
tunnel with it's unique s-shape would become the inspiration for later dark
rides and attractions at Disneyland.
The Disneyland Railroad serves at the outer boundary to Disneyland and has
always been well represented in the early drawings and concepts for Disneyland.
Harper Goff, who did many of these original sketches (and was also an avid rail
fan), along with Marvin Davis, Bill Cottrell and Dick Irvine presented their
ideas to Walt and Herb Ryman, on that historic weekend in September 1953. The
remainder of that weekend would be spent drawing the large aerial view of
Disneyland that is displayed in the Main Street Opera house as part of the '50
Magical Years' exhibit. This large sketch was then taken to New York to present
to would-be investors and bankers by Roy O. Disney.
 During
the building of Disneyland, Walt asked Kimball if he could use his station from
'So Dear to My Heart'. Kimball protested; Ward wasn't about to give up
the station he had put so much of his time and money into. The station set
pieces had proved to be quite fragile and required a lot of work (and expense).
Walt conceded, and instead rebuilt the station using the original plans from the
film. When you visit New Orleans Square, the station on the other side of
the tracks (which is no longer used), was once the Frontierland Train Station,
and is the station that Walt rebuilt. When The Haunted Mansion and
surrounding areas were under construction, the station was moved and the current
covered platform was assembled.
As you continue to look through the Main Street Station, you'll also catch a
sight of a small aerial map (pre-DCA and Indy) of Disneyland. (photo, left)
Small lights show the relative positions of the trains in the park at any given
moment (see photo, left)
From Main
Street Station, you'll pass the jungles of Adventureland, and make a stop
in New Orleans Square, you'll then continue to Mickey's Toontown,
then
Tomorrowland, then into the Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval
World. The Primeval World is comprised of pieces built for the Ford
Magic Skyway, an attraction that Disney designed and built for the 1964 World's
Fair. The remainder of the attraction was dismantled and is the only attraction
from the Fair that did not return to Disneyland.
There is a new narration to the Disneyland Railroad, but for many years
previous, the train narration was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft, who's other
vocal work includes The Pirates of the Caribbean, the
Haunted Mansion and The Enchanted Tiki Room, among others.
Photos on this page courtesy of
Stephen Maniscalco
* = The Main Street station is a national landmark and therefore has no handicap
access. You must board the Railroad from the New Orleans Square Station,
Tomorrowland or Toontown station.
Photos by Brett 'DaddyB' Garrett
Photos may
not be used without permission.
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