6 fun facts about the revamped Disneyland Railroad

Steve Liebman July 31, 2017

2 minutes read

Disneyland recently re-started the Disneyland Railroad after being closed for the construction of Star Wars Land, called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Photo by Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort

Mickey Mouse and his pals celebrated the return of the Disneyland Railroad

on July 29, 2017.

On July 29, 2017, the railroad started up again. It goes around the entire park with four stops at Main Street, U.S.A., New Orleans Square, Mickey’s Toontown and Tomorrowland. The redesigned railroad now travels on a new elevated trestle along the north bank of the Rivers of America with new rock work and new views.

The railroad opened when the park did on July 17, 1955.

Here are six fun facts about the Disneyland Railroad from Disney:

1. The Disneyland Railroad features five steam engines along with four open-air cars easily identified by their red steel frames and striped awnings. The cars seat passengers in two different styles. In one style, guests face forward, toward the engine. In the other style, guests face the park. The second style was designed by Walt Disney to allow guests a full view of the sights on the Disneyland tour.

2. Each engine is named after a selection of locomotive legends. The lone exception is the Ward Kimball, named after the Disney Animator who fostered Walt Disney’s passion for the railway.

3. The Fred Gurley, the oldest of any engine was built in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1894 and owned by the Godchaux Sugar Company in Reserve, Louisiana.

4.Whistles on a steam locomotive have a unique sound depending on the whistle’s shape, size, and pressure. At Disneyland, engineers have a tradition of blowing the whistle while pulling into the Main Street Station, alerting the crew to which train is arriving. Some of the engineers have even created a signature whistle.

5. In July 2017, for the first time, the Disneyland Railroad began making a left hand turn on its tour of the park. Previously, the route was circular.

6. Popular on the Disneyland Railroad are two diorama scenes, The Primeval World and Grand Canyon, both were featured in the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. The 306‐foot‐long Grand Canyon Diorama took 300 gallons of paint to create.