Disneyland Railroad

I have many G gauge locomotives, passenger cars and freight cars representing the Disneyland Railroad.  The LGB CK Holliday Mogul (22184) and white and red passenger cars (33805, 33803, 33801) along with the WF Cody Mogul (22185) with its yellow and green passenger cars (33807, 33808) and one blue and red passenger car (33806) depicts the Disneyland Paris Railroad. I have included the manufactures model# which may prove useful later to determine value.

I kept all the boxes that came with most of my trains in the attic.  Production of  these LGB trains ceased in 2006 and there are no plans to ever make them again.  They are almost impossible to find on the secondary market and are highly sought by collectors.

WF Cody

Just before Christmas, Jim Kruger added a Phoenix sound system and some custom station announcements to the WF Cody.

CK Holliday

LGB also sold a starter set with the Fred Gurley Forney locomotive and Holiday (side facing) passenger cars (72350). I added the red LGB Lilly Belle parlor car (33804) to the end of the consist.  The set also came with a circle of track and transformer.

Fred Gurley

Additional LGB freight and passenger cars, also extremely hard to find, are the Duck Tours open sightseeing car (33250), Finding Nemo aquarium action car (94192), Dumbo animated car(94168) and the Mickey (44358) and Donald Duck (44357) boxcars.  I've added a couple of LGB vehicle transports carrying 1:24 scale automobiles driven by various Disney characters but these were put together by myself and not sold together as shown in the photo. I've also replaced the axle containing the drive gear for the Nemo and Dumbo cars to reduce drag.

The last LGB Disney train I own is the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad starter set (92315). This came with oval track and power supply.  It is composed of a small Porter locomotive and two open passenger cars (similar to cars on the actual ride at Disneyland).

Hartland Locomotive Works also manufactured several Disney locomotives such as the Ward Kimball Forney, the Ernest S. Marsh 2-4-0, and the Lilly Belle 4-4-0 which ran in Walt Disney's back yard as part of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. I was lucky to obtain the entire CPRR consist when I purchased the Lilly Belle locomotive as these have been out of production since the 50th Anniversary of  Disneyland in 2005 and only a limited number were made.

 

I bought this framed photo on eBay. The seller got it from a Disney Studios executive.
 Walt Disney was a genius! Disneyland cost $17 million to build in 1955, about $116 million in today's dollars.
The park was just an excuse for Walt to have fun running his trains.

Engines #1 and #2 of the Disneyland Railroad were custom built for me by Dennis Flores, a very talented train modeler who also has a passionate love for the Disneyland Railroad.

My most cherished possession is the EP Ripley and RETLAW1 passenger car consist that Dennis kitbashed from an old Hartland Locomotive Works 4-4-0 locomotive.  I found the engine sitting on a shelf in the BridgeMasters warehouse.  It must have been stored in someones wet basement for years because the box was full of mold and stunk to high heaven.  He painstakingly disassembled the locomotive and completely rebuilt it using hi-resolution photos I recorded of the actual engine during my visits to the Park. EP Ripley Conversion

Dennis modeled the EP Ripley and the CK Holiday in their current color scheme. The RETLAW (that's Walter spelled backwards) passenger cars were built from Bachmann Jackson Sharp cars to look like the original 6-car consist that pulled into Main St Station on opening day so they have the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad letterboard. Passenger cars in 1955

From Passenger Train at Yesterland, "The only car from the old, yellow Passenger Train that’s still at Disneyland is the former Grand Canyon, now the Lilly Belle. The car is no longer yellow. After a thorough (and much needed) restoration completed in February 2006, the Lilly Belle once again looks great." Dennis has done an incredible job of recreating the majestic parlor car.

You'll notice a model of Walt's CPRR caboose on display inside the Lilly Belle as it existed in 2006.  It is now residing in the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.  Early this year my Lilly Belle model was on loan to the museum to be part of an exhibit. Dennis was kind enough to refurbish the interior before returning the car to make it historically accurate. See the Davelandweb.com photo below.

 
It would be difficult to pinpoint my favorite Disneyland Railroad engine but by far the prettiest has got to be the CK Holliday.  Dennis went all out when he built this one from a Hartland Locomotive Works Jupiter (the historic Central Pacific engine that completed the Transcontinental Railroad).  He improved his modeling skills immensely from the EP Ripley project. CK Holliday conversion.

I had a lot of fun taking some of Dennis's masterpieces to the Park for the enjoyment of the cast members (I take Grandkids to Disneyland too),

Video Footage of all my Disneyland Railroad models

My intention is for each of the Grandkids to inherit one of the Disneyland Railroad locomotives described above. The EP Ripley and RETLAW1 consist should go to Logan since he already has a backyard layout to run it. TJ would probably appreciate the Fred Gurley starter set with the additional two Holiday cars I've added and the LGB Lilly Belle car. I'm hoping Cassian will like the Ward Kimball locomotive.  It is already in a display case and also contains a scale model of  Walt's Kalamazoo handcar.  The Ernest S Marsh should go to Margaret along with a display case of  Walt's Lilly Belle locomotive in G scale, HO scale and N scale.  It contains a Lilly Belle locomotive that wasn't built to any standard model railroad scale but inside the cab is mounted a nice pocket watch. My other Lilly Belle locomotive pulling the Carolwood Pacific Railroad freight cars should go to William.  I know he will enjoy watching it go 'round 'n 'round as he sings. "ding, ding, ding, ding, ding"! So that leaves the custom built CK Holliday locomotive and Lilly Belle presidential car.  I bet my Best Buddy Jennifer would like it since she rode behind it on almost every Disneyland visit while she was growing up. She was also with me during my one and only ride inside the Lilly Belle car with Sharyl and Margaret. That was the trip where the conductor allowed me to wear his hat and I felt the magic flow through me!  I wonder if Margaret  still has her Lilly Belle souvenir train ticket?

I have an O scale Lionel 35th Anniversary locomotive in a display case that I'd like to see go to Angela someday. I'm hoping that my son (in-law), Tim would like the display case protecting an N scale model of the CK Holliday and EP Ripley parked in front of Main Street Station as they appeared in 1955.  Notice the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad graphic painted on the tenders? The station is part of the Olszerski Studios art collection. 

My trustee, Sharyl will decide what will happen to the rest of my trains but these are the ones that mean the most to me that I would like to see kept in the family.