|
The Walt Disney World Railroad is probably the best known and most
traveled theme park railway in the world. The 1.5 mile loop circles the
Magic Kingdom for a 20 minute round trip with stops at Main Street,
Frontierland and Toon Town stations.
Currently the
Toon Town station is closed as Mickey's Toon Town is being transformed
into a part of Fantasyland, but it is still a stop for the trains as a
place to take on water.
The line features a unique swing bridge to span the waterway allow boats
from the Rivers of America to access the dry-dock on Bay Lake.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of the park's most
visible and photographed features is the station at Main Street U.S.A,
which guests have to pass under as they enter the park. The station is
an elaborate Victorian style structure with lavish period details to
create the turn of the century feeling of Main Street. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frontierland station was originally
a small station midway between Adventureland and Frontierland, located
at approximately the same level as the surrounding pathways. With the
addition of Splash Mountain, the original station was removed and the
new Frontierland Station was built into the facade of Splash Mountain.
The new station features a raised platform above the queue area for the
Splash Mountain flume. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Named for Walt Disney, this 4-6-0 ten wheeler
was built in 1925 by Baldwin. The engine is the twin to #3 "Roger
Broggie" and originally ran on the originally ran on the Yucatan
peninsula before coming to Orlando in 1969 where it was restored and
converted to oil burning for the park. The train for the Walter E.
Disney is typically the red 100 series coaches.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Named for Walt
Disney's wife Lillian, the engine is a 2-6-0 mogul built by Baldwin in
1928 (the same year that Mickey Mouse made his debut). Lilly Belle
has been retired from day to day passenger service due to frame issues
and has been made the show train. The green 200 series coaches
designed for use with the Lilly Belle are used most mornings for the
opening ceremonies since the 3 center coaches have open sides on the
left side of the train, allowing the characters to get off the train on
the non-platform side. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Named for the Imagineer who
worked with Walt Disney on his backyard live steam railway, and helped
acquire the engines for Walt Disney World as well as being one of the
chief designers of EPCOT. The engine is a 4-6-0 Baldwin built in 1925
which originally ran on the Yucatan peninsula before coming to Orlando
in 1969 where it was restored and converted to oil burning for the park.
The Roger Broggie typically runs with the yellow 300 series coaches.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Named for Walt Disney's brother who
oversaw construction of Walt Disney World after Walt's death, it is the
oldest of the WDW engines built in 1916 and is a 4-4-0. The engine was
not ready for the park's opening day in 1971 and was not ready to run
until December when it was named after Roy. Like the other engines it
originally ran on the Yucatan peninsula before coming to Orlando in 1969
where it was rebuilt and converted to oil burning for use in the Magic
Kingdom. The Roy O. Disney typically runs with the blue 400 series
coaches. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of the short lived
attractions of Walt Disney World in the early 1970's was the Fort
Wilderness Rail Road. The small engines and trains circled Fort
Wilderness as a means of transportation for campers. The engines proved
too small and light and the line was removed in the late 1970's.
Two of the cars now serve as ticket booths for Pleasure Island. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Wildlife Express is part of the
fictional Eastern Star Railway, running from Lusaka to Nairobi and
Kisangani. There are three diesel-hydraulic, steam outline locomotives,
custom built for the park by Severn Lamb in 1997. They have a wheel
configuration of 2-4-2, and their numbers are 2594, 4982 and 174. The
railway is built to a gauge of 3' 4". There are two sets of 5 coaches
forming the passenger rolling stock. These sets include a series of bins
on the top of the train that simulate cargo that passengers are taking
with them. One set of coaches has these bins green and the other red.
This is away for easy identification between trains.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Harambe Station is located inside the theme park's African section
and is where guests board to go to the remote Conservation Station. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The second station is at the Conservation Station which is the far
outpost of the park with the animal care center and petting zoo. |
|
|
|
|
|
The train features a minimum of scenery with the cars facing outward
along the track. Aside from backstage animal care facilities, there are
a couple of huts along the wooded tracks. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2594 is the red locomotive. Some of the great details of this engine
are the builder's plate from Beyer Peacock, the premier builder of
locomotives for the United Kingdom and the colonies around the world
that were part of the British Empire. Also the name "Baba Harpoor"
on the engine is a nod to Bob Harpur who was instrumental in the
restoration of Walt Disney World's four steam engines for the Magic
Kingdom. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4982 is the green locomotive with the bicycle attached to the running
board in front of the pannier tanks. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|