Theme park trains
- Thread starter TrainNut
- Start date
Next, across the way in California Adventures, we walked through some stores and out the doors and realized we had been inside of some silver passenger cars labeled as the California Zephyr and pulled by a shortened Western Pacific F unit. Yes, it was a static display but very well done.
Attachments
Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
And of course not to be missed in Knottsberry Farm was the engine maintenance shed, Galloping Goose, and the engines of the Calico Mine ride. I 'bout got in trouble for taking the picture of the maintenace shed as I stepped over the yellow line. I also wanted to ride on the Galloping Goose till I noticed that they did a mock holdup every time 'round. Count me out for that.
Attachments
Train Nut, is it a semi-minirature F7A? OR is it full size? (I know it's not one of WP's final four, THAT's for sure!)
What's the real with all the RGS stuff at knotts? Are they original pieces of equipment? That looks neat!
What's the real with all the RGS stuff at knotts? Are they original pieces of equipment? That looks neat!
The F7A is a full size train and has if I remember corectly 3 or 4 passanger cars converted into food shops. It is pretty cool to walk through knowing that this thing once rode the rails. They have tons of history of the train on the walls in the shops. You can walk throuh the cars to.
Yep, it's a full size train 'cept the F unit looked "shortened" to me.MilesWestern said:
As far as the equipment at Knotts... you got me. The people I encountered there knew nothing about the equipment and I was told the guys to talk to about that were not there or were working where I was not allowed to go. All of my searches on the internet have also come up with nothing. Anyone else know anything about the Knotts equipment?
Well, I still have not found anything about the Knotts trains but I did dig up something on the engines of Disneyland....
Engine #1: CK Holiday
Named For: Cyrus Kurtz Holliday (1826-1900)
Founder of the Atchision & Topeka Railroad (Santa Fe's predecessor) in 1859.
Inservice At Disneyland: 7/15/55
Engine #2: EP Ripley
Named For: Edward Payso Ripley (1845-1920)
First President of the reorganized Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1895.
Inservice At Disneyland: 7/15/55
Engine#3: Fred Gurley
Built by the Bladwin Locomotive Works in August 1894, Engine #3 was purchased by Walt Disney from the Godchaux Sugar Company in Louisiana. In 1957, the locomotive, originally used to haul sugar cane from plantations to shipping docks in New Orleans, was brought to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Studio designers restored, refurbished and renamed the train after the chairman of the board of the Santa Fe Railroad, Fred Gurley. Since 1958, the Fred Gurley has served as one of four locomotives on the Disneyland Railroad.
Inservice At Disneyland: 3/28/58
Engine #4: Ernest S. March
Originally built 1925 for Raritan River Sand Company
Named For: Ernest S. Marsh (1903-1975)
President of the Santa Fe Railway from 1957-1966, strong advocate of the Santa Fe and Disneyland relationship.
Inservice At Disneyland: 7/25/59
Engine #1: CK Holiday
Named For: Cyrus Kurtz Holliday (1826-1900)
Founder of the Atchision & Topeka Railroad (Santa Fe's predecessor) in 1859.
Inservice At Disneyland: 7/15/55
Engine #2: EP Ripley
Named For: Edward Payso Ripley (1845-1920)
First President of the reorganized Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1895.
Inservice At Disneyland: 7/15/55
Engine#3: Fred Gurley
Built by the Bladwin Locomotive Works in August 1894, Engine #3 was purchased by Walt Disney from the Godchaux Sugar Company in Louisiana. In 1957, the locomotive, originally used to haul sugar cane from plantations to shipping docks in New Orleans, was brought to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Studio designers restored, refurbished and renamed the train after the chairman of the board of the Santa Fe Railroad, Fred Gurley. Since 1958, the Fred Gurley has served as one of four locomotives on the Disneyland Railroad.
Inservice At Disneyland: 3/28/58
Engine #4: Ernest S. March
Originally built 1925 for Raritan River Sand Company
Named For: Ernest S. Marsh (1903-1975)
President of the Santa Fe Railway from 1957-1966, strong advocate of the Santa Fe and Disneyland relationship.
Inservice At Disneyland: 7/25/59
When the D&RGW dropped narrow gauge in the mid50's, Walter Knott bought a bunch of their surplus equipment and track to make the railroad at Knott's Berry Farm. He may have also bought a surplus RGS Galloping goose. The Ghost town at Knotts is actually buildings taken apart at Bodie and shipped down to Knotts to be reassembled there. That was before Bodie became a state park and it is now illegal to remove anything from the town I think.
By the way, TrainNut did you get down to San Diego while you were here, or was your stay just in Los Angeles? If anybody does get to Los Angeles, don't miss Travel Town in Griffith Park at the junction of the 5 & 134 freeways. They have a bunch of old prototype railroad equipment that you can explore there including a bunch of small steamers from various western railroads.
By the way, TrainNut did you get down to San Diego while you were here, or was your stay just in Los Angeles? If anybody does get to Los Angeles, don't miss Travel Town in Griffith Park at the junction of the 5 & 134 freeways. They have a bunch of old prototype railroad equipment that you can explore there including a bunch of small steamers from various western railroads.
My wife is trying really hard to convince me we don't have enough space in our yard for one of those. 
Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
The CZ cars at Disney's California Adventure as well as the car body of the FP-7 were all made from scratch by Disney's "Imagineers". These guys should be working for us up in Portola! The nose of the F unit from the cab doors forward is from an ex-CNW F-7, but other than that, the rest is all made to fit by Disney.
FABULOUS job, I spent over an hour (much to the chagrin of my nieces and nephew) pouring over all the details of the train when there. I took a bunch of photos too and the guys in Portola were also very impressed. They NAILED the look and feel of the California Zephyr. The only thing "off" was the over sized winodws which were a necessity for the display to be used as shops.
FABULOUS job, I spent over an hour (much to the chagrin of my nieces and nephew) pouring over all the details of the train when there. I took a bunch of photos too and the guys in Portola were also very impressed. They NAILED the look and feel of the California Zephyr. The only thing "off" was the over sized winodws which were a necessity for the display to be used as shops.
U rock man
Thanks to the gabilizilionththingyygofurr;kkrhsklrghdl;hkjdflhghdhgbosdhusdvhruhgui power!sign1 :thumb: 
Thanks to the gabilizilionththingyygofurr;kkrhsklrghdl;hkjdflhghdhgbosdhusdvhruhgui power!sign1 :thumb: