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News Walter E. Disney overhaul
- Thread starter Captain Barbossa
- Start date
N&w1218
New Member
Where did you found that photo
Disneyrailfan1996
Active Member
If they do, my guess is it may not be done this year because of the pandemic. Besides, they’d need to move Roy (who I presume is still on display as he was before the resort closed in March) backstage so Walter can make it into Fantasyland station, and moving Roy backstage so Walter can pull into fantasyland then moving Roy back after the test run(s) so he can be displayed during park operating hours is actually a bit of work compared to just doing it when the trains are running. Hypothetically, they could run Walter at Animal Kingdom after hours, but a few problems with that: 1) there’s no water tower, 2) there’s the possibility of animals being Frightened, 3) the fuel powering the Wildlife express is possibly different than Bio-Diesel, 4) there’s probably not enough space to store him at the roundhouse, and 5) how would they get Walter from MK to DAK and vice versa?
EricsBiscuit
Well-Known Member
Roy is not at FL station rn because they’re redoing the track afaik. It’s going to be a while even after the track is all put down most likely before the WDWRR reopens because they have to rehire and retrain a ton of staff.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
Even though it’s not the case, you’re suggesting moving a locomotive to another railroad is easier than moving Roy back to the roundhouse?
Disone
Well-Known Member
Correct. There is no way to get a locomotive from Fantasyland station to The Roundhouse currently. Now from The Roundhouse to Pittsburgh you could put it on a flatbed truck and just drive it. I'm not sure how you would get a flatbed truck to Fantasyland station much less load a locomotive at Fantasyland station to the flatbed truck once assuming the truck could even get there.
Whichever locomotive that was at Fantasyland station at the time (Lilly or Roy) was moved back to the roundhouse when MK shutdown due to the pandemic.
In terms of Walter’s testing, they will do whatever they can in the yard. I know that Lilly did some test runs on the main before she re-entered service, but the majority of her testing took place in the yard.
You can tell this is after the rebuild because you can see the new batteries on the back of the tender that replaced the dynamo.
FTFY.
Disone
Well-Known Member
I honestly cannot see that in this picture. Its small and the resolution leaves something to be desired. Interesting the smoke stack isn't back on Walter yet. How long as he been back? Seems like that would be a quick reassembly.
Not my photo. Taken by a cast member recently. I agree it’s not the greatest photo, but zooming in on the back of the tender it’s still clear enough to see the battery pack on the back of the tender and that it’s taller than the dynamo housing was.
Despite the poor quality of the picture, you can see the battery box on the very back of the tender. But you have to know what you’re looking for in order to see it.
Walter returned on August 27th. Not sure when this picture was taken, but my guess is that it was definitely a good while after his return. Cosmetic work appears to be finished on the tender, and you can see that the builder’s plates are back on the smoke box. I’m sure they’ll get to the smokestack eventually, if they haven’t already. But there’s no rush because the WDWRR isn’t going to be running anytime soon, unfortunately. That, and it’s possible that some of the roundhouse maintenance crew may have been victims of the massive layoffs, which is something else to keep in mind.
Interestingly, I took the shop tour at Strasburg last summer and saw both Walter ( loco + tender) and the tender of the Roger. The Walter’s smokestack was on at the time. The smokestack was also on in your photo from the steam test at Strasburg. Maybe they took it off for transport back to Florida.
Correct, the smokestack was put on for the test fire. And also correct, they leave the smokestack off during transportation.
I see a fence. Some monorail beams and supports. A light pole. Some kind of white truck. Are you referencing the blob just left of the white truck?
montyz81
Well-Known Member
I thought the track gauges were different too.
It’s 3ft narrow gauge, just like the WDWRR.
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
It does look more like standard gauge somehow, I thought the same thing.