News Walter E. Disney overhaul

[beachlover4444]

awesome history and photos. love old trains

 

[articos]

I'm under the impression that the Walter is getting a new boiler, though they could also refurbish the current one like you said. If they're installing a new boiler, I'm assuming that Strasburg will build it seeing how Dixon is out of business? Either way, if they're refurbishing the current boiler, it's not finished, seeing how there aren't any rivets on it yet.

Did the Lilly Belle get a new boiler or did they refurbished the one that she had?

Lilly’s is new.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I'm under the impression that the Walter is getting a new boiler, though they could also refurbish the current one like you said. If they're installing a new boiler, I'm assuming that Strasburg will build it seeing how Dixon is out of business? Either way, if they're refurbishing the current boiler, it's not finished, seeing how there aren't any rivets on it yet.

Did the Lilly Belle get a new boiler or did they refurbished the one that she had?

Lilly got a bunch of new stuff, including the boiler.

@articos any plans for a 5th locomotive for the 50th? One can dream

 

[articos]

Lilly got a bunch of new stuff, including the boiler.

@articos any plans for a 5th locomotive for the 50th? One can dream

In a word: no. Sorry!

 

[EricsBiscuit]

In a word: no. Sorry!

Second steamboat???

 

[Voxel]

That seems like a fun job to me

Yes. It’s a job about passion and can be a lot of fun there’s a great feeling to be able to sit back and say I’ve worked on that engine, I helped restore that system etc. if I lived next to a rail museum I would help restore engines again if I could

 

[Carolwood]

Haha yes. I think that he and I are the only ones on the forums who are "WDWRR railfans".

Perhaps not, check out my name...lol.

 

[Rinx]

Is that #90 at Strasburg?

You bet!

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Lilly got a bunch of new stuff, including the boiler.

@articos any plans for a 5th locomotive for the 50th? One can dream

Nope. No plans for a 5th locomotive. We would have gotten it by now if they had wanted a 5th. There isn't really a need for a 5th locomotive imo. Besides, could you imagine what they would name it? The Robert A. Iger? The Robert A. Chapek? If there ever is a 5th locomotive, I vote for the Oliver M. Johnston.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Nope. No plans for a 5th locomotive. We would have gotten it by now if they had wanted a 5th. There isn't really a need for a 5th locomotive imo. Besides, could you imagine what they would name it? The Robert A. Iger? The Robert A. Chapek? If there ever is a 5th locomotive, I vote for the Oliver M. Johnston.

I'd shorten it to Ollie Johnston but yeah. Anyway it is a pipe dream of mine that they build a 4th ferry, second steamboat, and 5th locomotive.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

@EricsBiscuit Not sure if you’ve ever seen it before, but here’s a picture of the “5th locomotive“ that was purchased but never restored do it being in too bad of condition. Also, the locomotive behind it is the Roy O. Disney.

 

[John park hopper]

@EricsBiscuit Not sure if you’ve ever seen it before, but here’s a picture of the “5th locomotive“ that was purchased but never restored do it being in too bad of condition.

View attachment 279046

Where is this 5th train located now---- on property or has it been scraped? With enough money anything can be restored is it worth it thats another story

 

[Bender123]

Where is this 5th train located now---- on property or has it been scraped? With enough money anything can be restored is it worth it thats another story

It was sold to a broker in the 70s...Its likely long since vanished from being traceable.

 

[Boek68]

In my time at Cedar Point, one of the best days was spent working on the CP&LE Railway. This was back in 2008 and 2009 and at the time there was an engine under a tarp in the back of the engine house. I remember asking what the deal was with that hidden engine, and being the curious cat I am, I peeked under the tarp. Low and behold there emblazoned on the side of the headlamp was the WDW RR symbol.

This was the "Davenport" engine that was destined originally for Great America in Chicago, then sold a private collector, who then traded it to Disneyland, who then sent it to WDW, and eventually made its way to CP.

Since then the engine has finally been refurbished and put to use as the "G.A. Boeckling". It is a beautiful engine with a crazy amusement park backstory.

During its time at WDW it was named after Ward Kimball and was never used (as far as I understand) on the railroad itself. It was however put on display in Epcot?? I am curious as to where and if anybody has any pictures of this display.

Sorry for my side-story rant there. Trust me you are not the only railroad fans on here! Great pics and thanks for the update.

EDIT: Here's an updated photo of the "Davenport" engine. aka Ward Kimball aka G.A. Boeckling. photo credit cpfoodblog

 

[Coaster Lover]

I'm only a few hours away from Strasburg, we've been there twice in the last couple of years for Thomas and other events.

I'm about an hour away (Hanover), it's a great place to visit regardless of if you can see any WDW engines or not! Plus lots of other fun things in nearby Lancaster!

I wonder if they would let me go look at this. Maybe if I called and tried to make specific arrangements?

They do offer a Shop Tour (and for only $19!) I'd think there would be a pretty decent chance that you could see SOMETHING on such a tour (unless they cover the whole engine with a big tent that says "Do Not Look")

That and the train does take you to Paradise which is also pretty close to Intercourse. Actually, I'm sure those were the real reasons

Just don't get lost on your way from Paradise to Intercourse or you may end up in (with?) Blue Ball! But if that does happen, do not fret, just down the road from Intercourse is Bird in Hand... (yeah... the town names around here are... interesting...)

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Where is this 5th train located now---- on property or has it been scraped? With enough money anything can be restored is it worth it thats another story

The 5th locomotive was purchased from the Yucatan, just like the Walter, the Lilly Belle, the Roger, and the Roy. Once the realization occurred that it was beyond restoration, it was sold and later scraped, unfortunately. To be honest, I don't think that it was even shipped to Tampa.

 

[trainplane3]

I'm not so much a big train person anymore, I just like history in general. I did grow up going to Strasburg every summer for a couple years though. It was awesome when they first started doing the "Thomas" days. For little me at least.

Just don't get lost on your way from Paradise to Intercourse or you may end up in (with?) Blue Ball! But if that does happen, do not fret, just down the road from Intercourse is Bird in Hand... (yeah... the town names around here are... interesting...)

PA truly has some great names throughout the state. You really can't go a couple miles without thinking of a innuendo when you see a name.

@Boek68, Cedar Point really has a surprisingly interesting history when it comes to their trains. And it's surprising they have so many for being a "small" park.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedar_Point_&_Lake_Erie_Railroad

The G.A. Boeckling was built in July 1927 by Davenport Locomotive Works as construction number 2081 for N&S Coal Company in Pittsburg, Kansas. It was later sold to the Mackie Clemens Fuel Company in Mulberry, Kansas. In 1977, it was acquired by the Keystone Light Railway Company in Herminie, Pennsylvania. The engine was later restored as a 2-4-4T for Marriott Corporation's Great America amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois. While the engine was delivered to the park in 1980, it was stored behind the park's enginehouse in its shipping crate and never used. Marriott attempted to sell it around 1983 for US$90,000 (equivalent to $221,136 in 2017), but it did not sell and was a part of the sale of the park to Six Flags in May 1984. By 1991, it had been restored for Bill Norred, who was planning a Victorian village in Southern California. Norred traded it to Disney for five of the original 1955 Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad closed coaches (part of the Retlaw 1 passenger train), which had been out of service for nearly twenty years. The engine was too large for Disneyland, and was sent to Walt Disney World where it was named after Ward Kimball. It was placed on display at Epcot before being traded to Cedar Point in 1999 from Walt Disney World for the Maud L., one of the Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad original engines running since 1963. The engine sat in the back of the engine house for years and was finally sent to Knott's Berry Farm In California to be restored in 2010.[11] In late 2011 it returned to Cedar Point and was run in late August that year after being converted to a 2-4-0 with tender engine by the CP&LE RR crews.[12] In 2013 for Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroads 50th Anniversary the "Davenport" (which was its nickname until it got a name) was renamed G.A. Boeckling, after one of Cedar Point's previous owners. Meanwhile, the former Maud L. of the CP&LE RR was restored to service in 2005 at Disneyland, where it operates as the new Ward Kimball, locomotive #5 of the Disneyland Railroad.

On a side-note, I'm ready for Halloweekends...

 

[EricsBiscuit]

@EricsBiscuit Not sure if you’ve ever seen it before, but here’s a picture of the “5th locomotive“ that was purchased but never restored do it being in too bad of condition.

View attachment 279046

There's a story where Roger went to get a photo with it and stuck his hand through the boiler

In my time at Cedar Point, one of the best days was spent working on the CP&LE Railway. This was back in 2008 and 2009 and at the time there was an engine under a tarp in the back of the engine house. I remember asking what the deal was with that hidden engine, and being the curious cat I am, I peeked under the tarp. Low and behold there emblazoned on the side of the headlamp was the WDW RR symbol.

This was the "Davenport" engine that was destined originally for Great America in Chicago, then sold a private collector, who then traded it to Disneyland, who then sent it to WDW, and eventually made its way to CP.

Since then the engine has finally been refurbished and put to use as the "G.A. Boeckling". It is a beautiful engine with a crazy amusement park backstory.

During its time at WDW it was named after Ward Kimball and was never used (as far as I understand) on the railroad itself. It was however put on display in Epcot?? I am curious as to where and if anybody has any pictures of this display.

Sorry for my side-story rant there. Trust me you are not the only railroad fans on here! Great pics and thanks for the update.

EDIT: Here's an updated photo of the "Davenport" engine. aka Ward Kimball aka G.A. Boeckling. photo credit cpfoodblog
View attachment 279068

it was too weak to pull on WDWRR and too heavy for the DLRR so they traded it to cedar fair in the early 2000s. They got DLRR's locomotive 5 Ward Kimball in time for their 50th.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

There's a story where Roger went to get a photo with it and stuck his hand through the boiler

Haha. I guess that tells ya how bad of shape it was in. Also, notice the Roy behind it in the photo.

 

[Ninja Mom]

I'm about an hour away (Hanover), it's a great place to visit regardless of if you can see any WDW engines or not! Plus lots of other fun things in nearby Lancaster!

Ummm, Pretzels! (Hanover)
I'm a Thomas the Tank Engine alumni rider compliments of my son who is now a Freshman in College. Thanks to a family love for trains we've been to Strasburg many times and we took a trip to Steamtown up near Scranton PA https://www.nps.gov/stea/index.htm.

We could not wait for DS to be old enough to take the Behind the Steam Trains Tour. I also recommend Michael Broggie's Book Walt Disney's Railroad Story. https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Broggie/e/B001JRVBOC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1524185374&sr=1-2-ent.
This book makes a great present for the train lover.

Strasburg and Steamtown are really great places to learn about trains. You get to talk to the people that really love them and know how to take care of them. I'm quite certain that the refurbishments that are taking place in Strasburg are going to be top notch. The tradition of excellence that Baldwin locomotives started lives on in Strasburg!

~Ninja Mom