![]() Instead, "Brener discovered to his disappointment that the house wasn’t suitable to live in due to lead pipes, asbestos, and other issues common to construction in the early 1950s," the same newsletter reported much later. At the time, a newsletter from a local Disney-related organization said that "the new owners wish to raise their young children in the home of Walt Disney." In 1998, investor Gabriel Brener bought the home for about $8.5 million. It would be their final home together he died in 1966, and she died in their home in late 1997. They engaged architect James Dolena to build them a 17-room split-level home of about 5,500 square feet. He operated the Carolwood Pacific railroad from the barn.īack in 1949, Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian, bought 5 acres in Los Angeles' tony Holmby Hills neighborhood on Carolwood Drive. Unlike the trains of the Walt Disney World Railroad, which are steam engines, the trains of Eastern Star Railway are diesel-hydraulic locomotives designed to resemble genuine steam engines.The Disneys' original house on Carolwood Drive, right, and Walt Disney's barn workshop in the small valley below, center left. Bob Harpur was once again involved in the process, overseeing the construction of the trains with fellow Imagineer Joel Fritsche. Stylistically, the trains were inspired by the East African Railway System. The trains were built in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England by Severn Lamb, a company that specializes in creating transportation systems and equipment. Three trains run on the Eastern Star Railway, the fictional railroad company that operates the Wildlife Express Train in Animal Kingdom. ![]() 3) carried guests on the “scenic trip around the Magic Kingdom.” The Roy O. 1), the Lilly Belle (No.2), and the Roger E. Today, four locomotives run on the line, but only three were in service that first day. The Walt Disney World Railway was one of the parks opening day attractions. Today, Harpur’s contributions are honored on the Wildlife Express in Animal Kingdom, where locomotive No. Walt, his daughter Sharon, and Broggie toured the Little Engines facility in 1949 and talked with Harpur about the company’s work. He first met Walt Disney and Roger Broggie during his time with Little Engines. Harpur started at the company by working on a lathe. Prior to his work at Disney, Harpur worked with Little Engines, a supplier for the live steam hobby. After their rescue from Merida, Mexico, they were sent to a shipyard in Tampa, Florida for repairs. Only four of the trains entered service, with the fifth too dilapidated for rescue.ĭisney Imagineer Bob Harpur joined the company in 1969 and oversaw the restoration of the Walt Disney World Railroad’s trains. The company purchased five engines and paid $32,750 for them. In 1969, he worked with Disney scouts to locate and purchase the engines that now comprise the Walt Disney World Railroad. In the late 40’s, Broggie helped Walt Disney build a group of miniature trains and installed them in Disney’s backyard. ![]() He worked on numerous projects over the years, with a number relating to Disney trains. Roger Broggie was Walt Disney’s original Imagineer. The trains toted items like sugar cane and ran from Merida, Mexico to towns like Progreso, Motul, Temax, Valladolid, and Sotuta. They were used in Mexico by the United Railways of Yucatan and were known as “toros del fuego” or “fire bulls” by the local Mayans. The trains running on the Walt Disney World Railroad were manufactured between 19 by Baldwin Locomotive Works. ![]() (photo courtesy of Southern Methodist University, Central University Libraries, DeGolyer Library) Let’s take a tour through the history of Walt Disney World Trains. One of its original attractions, The Wildlife Express, is a rickety train running from the African Village of Harambe to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. In 1998, the Walt Disney World resort opened Animal Kingdom Park. The Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad (now simply the Disneyland Railroad) was one of Disneyland’s opening day attractions and the Walt Disney World Railroad opened with the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Over six decades have passed since that grand pronouncement, and trains continue to shape the story of the Disney parks. “I just want it to look like nothing else in the world.” Disney said, “And it should be surrounded by a train.” When Walt Disney began planning his magical kingdom in California he knew that trains would play a central role.
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