When a Trip to Walt Disney World Is About the Trains and Not the Mouse Bob Fallier
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EDITION u Be sure to No visit our 65 online store carolwood.com/store u WINTER 2016 the official newsletter of the carolwood society When a trip to Walt Disney World is about the Trains and not the Mouse Bob Fallier I n mid-September my wife Diane and I headed off to Disney World again for the IN THIS ISSUE annual Carolwood Historical Society “UnMeeting.” What is the Carolwood Historical Society, and what is an UnMeeting you might ask? PLATFORM 1 Well as you may know, it didn’t really start with when A trip to walt disney a mouse. In fact, it began with a rabbit. Oswald WORLD IS ABOUT THE TRAINS the Lucky Rabbit. Unfortunately Walt Disney lost AND NOT A MOUSE the ownership rights to Oswald to a New York u firm. Despondent over the unexpected loss of PLATFORM 2 Oswald, he and his wife Lillian rode the train back WELCOME BOARD to California. TWO LONg AND ONE short Walt began to draw Mortimer. Lillian didn’t u particularly like the name and suggested PLATFORM 3 “Mickey” instead. The rest of course is history, PICTURES FROM THE as most know it. By the time they were back in UNMEETINg California, Mickey Mouse had been born. But it u is fair to say, that it really did start with a train. PLATFORM 4 Trains were a pastime and a passion for Walt when A trip to walt disney Disney long before Disneyland opened in July The Roy O. Disney locomotive shown before she was WORLD - CONTINUED 1955. In fact, several years earlier Walt Disney rebuilt. Original photo on Display at the Main Street Station, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World. PICTURES FROM THE had his Carolwood Pacific Railroad running UNMEETINg around his property in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, Dry Dock Co., Florida, they were fully restored u California. He named the railroad the Carolwood and returned to full operation as you see them PLATFORM 5 Pacific because he lived on Carolwood Drive, today. The four Baldwin engines were rebuilt and THE MAIL CAR and his first 1/8th scale live steam engine was converted to burn oil instead of coal, but the u named “Lilly Belle” after his wife Lillian. fifth, a Pittsburg Locomotive & Car Works engine, PLATFORM 6 was deemed to have too many problems and Among the many people who were part of the BOARD OF gOVERNORS later sold. Named after Walter’s older brother expanded Disney family in those pre-Disneyland DISNEY COLLECTIBLES Roy, the Baldwin 4-4-0 is scarlet red and green, days, was Roger Broggie. Master machinist, gOINg UP FOR AUCTION with bright gold trim and white rimmed wheels. inventor, and Disney Legend. In fact one of the This year celebrates the 100th birthday of that Walt DISNEY’S steam engines that circumnavigates Walt Disney engine and on hand for the special event was “OUT OF SCALE” World bears his name. Other engines running at Roy P. Disney, grandson of Roy O. Disney. u WDW are Lilly Belle, Walter E. Disney, and Roy PLATFORM 7 O. Disney. It is the last of these about which the Before the park opened to the general public VIEW FROM THE CUPOLA UnMeeting was focused this year. on Friday morning, Society members met at u the Main Street Station and took the first train PLATFORM 8 A “Century of Service” Celebration… around the park, stopping before arriving at walt’S BARN the Fantasyland station and then backing into location AND HOURS The “Roy O. Disney” was found in Mexico in 1969 the (rectangular) roundhouse, leaving our car by Roger Broggie (then VP & general manager) Carolwood EVENT and the engine outside to bask in the early and Earl Vilmer, along with four other steam CALENDAR 2016/2017 morning sun. engines that had been left to rust. Arranging to ship them back to the Tampa Ship Repair & Continued on Platform 3 t PLATFORM 1 WINTER 2016 welcome aboard T he Carolwood Pacific Historical Society is enriched by its many wonderful members. New and renewing members since April, 2016 are: William Foster, Birmingham, AL Robert Fallier, Hollis, NH William Lenharth, Durham, NH David Eastham, Canyon Country, CA James and Cynthia Lipsit, Jupiter, FL Rodney Harrison, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada Ellen Petrokiewicz, Orlando, FL Jennifer and Jerry Lundy, Norwalk, CA Robert Pierce, Evansville, IN Herb Heid, Kissimmee, FL Marilyn and Barbara Dupaquier, Salem, OR Leroy and Corene Johnson, San Bruno, CA Gia and Dylan Byran and Stephanie Sinopoli, Burien, WA Richard Mynderup, Reedley, CA Kenneth and Sally Fletcher, La Verne, CA Ralph Dunham, Celebration, FL Walter C. and Vanessa Cook, Redlands, CA Dwight Morgan, Pasadena, CA Thomas Sjolander, Simmerbolle, Denmark Robert Schall, Orlando, FL Benson Myers, Kaysville, UT Wesley Tyler, Easton, CT John Whitlock, Queensland, Australia Kimberly and Roger LeBrun, Camarillo, CA John Garcia, Bellevue, WA Joe Sandor, Clermont, FL John and Katie Abbott, Jr., Melbourne, FL Christopher and Roseann DelGandio, Somerset, NJ Peter Olson, Jenks, OK Claude and Carol McGuire, Addison, IL James VanOstenbridge, Norristown, PA Charles and Maryann Giblin, Hazlet, NJ Debra Venhousen, Elkhorn, WI Karen and Edmar Matern, Oakdale, CA Barbara Bloethner, North Barrington, IL happy rails John Michael Jr., Olympia, WA Kurt Wyrsch, Reno, NV Sandra Hann, Orlando, FL Phillip Freer, Cincinnati, OH Michael Forrester, Kennesaw, GA Les and Judy Smout, Clearwater, FL Ron Ferguson, Goleta, CA James VanOstenbridge, Norristown, PA Mike Westby, Happy Valley, CA Jesse Zacharias, Modesto, CA Kenneth Stewart, Clermont, FL Patti Squier, Palmyra, NY Joseph Criscuolo, Celebration, FL Roy P. Disney, Toluca Lake, CA John and Jennifer Germaine, Berea, OH Leon Beaumont, Granada Hills, CA Daniel, Sandi and Cameron Butcher, Cleveland, TN Jason Messer, Stockton, CA Leo Girace, Windermere, FL Shawn Carrera, San Leandro, CA Steven and Debby Jacobs, Winfield, IL Brian Peterson, Saint Paul, MN Leo Girace, Windermere, FL Derek Dubasik, North Las Vegas, NC Carmine Crudele, Plantation, FL Randall Boyce, Westland, MI Tyler and Stevie Lantkow, Calgary, AB, Canada Michael DeAngeles, Albertson, NY Kelly Craig, Monroe Township, NJ George Reiser, Windermere, FL Doug Shaffer, Monticello, IN Michael and Colleen Attardi, Windermer, FL Augie Perry, Prescott, AZ Robinson Thrower, Reno, NV Randy Bachmann, Carol Stream, IL VIEW FROM THE CAB “TWO LONG, ONE SHORT”. The whistle signal used when approaching a switch. On approach the fireman announces “LINED UP,” indicating the points of the switch are set for the train to travel through to a main or spur line. The engineer confirms that by observing the paddle signal post. I traveled through a switch when planning the Roy O Disney Celebration held this past September. The previous run held in February 2016 was a rough ride, many red signals, spinning wheels and low steam pressure. However, this time we had a different consist. A very special passenger, Mr. Roy Patrick Disney. Using knowledge of the route less traveled, high pressure, good tractive effort and a great crew allowed us to travel through that switch and bring our special cargo into BY JOE BOPP, ENGINEER the station. WALT DISNEY WORLD RAILROAD It was my honor to be a small part of such a large event. Rail On, Joe PLATFORM 2 When a trip to Walt Disney World is The Carolwood Society was started by Michael and Sharon about the Trains and not the Mouse Broggie in an effort to preserve Walt’s private railroad and to keep the steam trains rolling as Walt would have wanted. continueD from platform 1 The only requirement for membership: When in a Disney park, Ride the Trains. Continued from Platform 1 Our 4-4-0 refreshments manufactured by the Publix Locomotive Works The ribbon cutting with Sharon Broggie looking on from the cab as Roy and Michael make the cut. Holding the ribbon are a Disney Ambassador Caitlin Busscher, Dan Cockerell, VP Magic Kingdom, and Joe Bopp (WDW railroad engineer holding the microphone) We celebrated the event with the roundhouse crew, engineers, firemen, managers, executives, and Carolwood Society members from across the country. The early morning event was a celebration of not only the engines birthday, but recognition of the men recruited 40+ years ago to restore it. And it was a celebration of the hard work that has kept steam alive and well at all the Disney parks. Copy of the original art, signed by Rick Lynch (artist), Joe Bopp, Michael Broggie and Roy Disney Why an “UnMeeting?” As Sharon and Michael would say, “We’ve all attended enough boring meeting in our careers.” So they created the annual “UnMeeting”. gathering in the “Carolwood Room” at the Wilderness Lodge, this is a time to get together, talk, have munchies, and whatever fun things happen to come up. Later at Disney University, the Society members took part in a lively discussion between Michael and Roy. Continued on Platform 4 t PLATFORM 3 WINTER 2016 BOB fallier u MEMBER SINCE 2014 Continued from Platform 3 This year included a presentation by three gentlemen, all much younger than most of us, who have been extremely influential in the hands-on restoration of steam engines across the United States. These included Joe Darby, who among other accomplishments spent two years as a volunteer at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum assisting in the restoration of ex-Southern Railway 4501. Also presenting was Jason Sobczynski who has been passionately involved with historic railway preservation since 1992. He has contributed heavily to the restoration of 12 steam locomotives in the US. He acted as Co-Project Manager of the Southern 4501 and as primary contractor of operation and maintenance on NKP 765. Joe Bopp and several members before taking the first train to the birthday celebration And then we played a bit of Railroad Trivia.