Park Trains at Disneyland - 2011
by Joe Thompson

Disneyland - 2011

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 - introducing the DCA Red Cars
2013 - a truncated trip
Disneyland Books
Return to Park Trains and Tourist Trains

2011

We paid a visit to Disneyland in July, 2011. The temperature never topped 90F, but the humidity made it feel hotter.

This is the tenth consecutive year that I written about our visit to Disneyland. It was interesting to go back and review my previous postings. I had a new camera, my first SLR in many years, so I took many still photos. I didn't get many videos this year.

We had a nice room on the 7th floor of the Adventure Tower of the Disneyland Hotel. We were on the Marina side, with an excellent view of the construction site.

Our room had a good view of the new swimming pools being built. Already open new pools are just visible to the left. Note that the walkway behind the Fantasy Tower (the one with the lobby) is fenced off. July, 2011.

Note the fences behind the sorcerer's hat. They closed off this route between Downtown Disney and the Marina. July, 2011.

Windows being replaced and balconies being removed on the Fantasy Tower. July, 2011.

Workers opened a gate to let a truck back in, so I was able to get a shot of the construction elevator on the Fantasy Tower. The Adventure Tower is visible in the background. July, 2011.

The windows on the Marina side of each tower were covered and a sign like this told people that the door were for emergency use only. July, 2011.

The doors on the Marina sides of all the buildings except the Frontier Tower were closed. We had to go outside and go around to pass from building to building. My family was not happy about this. The day we arrived, someone was handing out sheets of paper, which turned out to be from a lawyer, who wanted to help people sue Disney for not warning them that all this construction was going on.

Signs helped guests find their way around the construction detours. Trad'r Sam's is a new tiki bar near the Frontier Tower. It shares its name with a famous old bar at 26th and Geary in San Francisco. July, 2011.

We saw Disneyland Railroad locomotives 1, 2, 3, and 5. We did not see 4 (Ernest S Marsh). They ran four trains parts of some days.

Number 1 (CK Holliday) is one of Disneyland's original locomotives, a 4-4-0, built in 1955 by Disney's WED Enterprises in the Burbank studios.

Locomotive #1, CK Holliday, waits at Toontown Station. July, 2011.

Locomotive #1, CK Holliday, crosses the Critter Country Trestle. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Another view of Locomotive #1, CK Holliday, as it crosses the Critter Country Trestle. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Locomotive #1, CK Holliday, arrives at New Orleans Square Station. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Locomotive #1, CK Holliday, arrives at Tomorrowland Station at night. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Number 2 (EP Ripley) is one of Disneyland's original locomotives, a 4-4-0, built in 1955 by Disney's WED Enterprises in the Burbank studios.

Locomotive #2, E P Ripley, waits at Toontown Station one evening. Seen from a Small World boat. July, 2011.

Locomotive #2, E P Ripley, at the Main Street Depot. July, 2011.

Waiting on a train at the Main Street Depot. July, 2011.

Looking through the Main Street Depot. July, 2011.

Locomotive #3, Fred Gurley, crosses the Critter Country Trestle. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Number 3 (Fred Gurley) is a Baldwin locomotive, built in 1895 as an 0-4-4 and converted by Disney to a 2-4-4T in 1958.

Locomotive #3, Fred Gurley, rolling into New Orleans Square Station. July, 2011.

The New Orleans Square Station water tank and tunnel portal. July, 2011.

The New Orleans Square Station. July, 2011.

The freight shed next to New Orleans Square Station is used as a break room. July, 2011.

A light fixture in New Orleans Square Station. July, 2011.

Locomotive #3, Fred Gurley, arrives at Tomorrowland Station at night. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

This display, including fire buckets and a famous Santa Fe poster, is visible when riding from New Orleans Square Station to Toontown. July, 2011.

Ward Kimball, who passed away in 2002, was a Disney animator and railfan. He designed the gold Jiminy Crickets on the sides of the headlight. Number 5, a 2-4-4T, was built by Baldwin in 1902 as an 0-4-4T for a plantation railroad in Louisiana. This was Disneyland's first new locomotive since 1959. Disney acquired Number 5 in a trade with Cedar Point, an amusement park in Ohio, where it had operated as Number 1, the Maud L, from 1963 to the early 1990's. Cedar Point had added the leading pony truck. In return for Maud L, Cedar Point received the first Ward Kimball, a Davenport 2-4-4T which Disney had intended to operate on the Disneyland Railroad, but which proved to be too heavy for the bridge at Critter Country. The locomotive went to Walt Disney World in Florida, where it proved to be too light (!). The new Ward Kimball sat in storage until 2004, when restoration began at Boschan Boiler & Restorations.

Locomotive #5, Ward Kimball, at the Main Street Depot. July, 2011.

Locomotive #5, Ward Kimball, arrives at the Main Street Depot. July, 2011.

Orva waits with horse car 3 at the Plaza. July, 2011.

We saw and rode behind horse car Numbers 1 and 3. On busy days, the conductors walked in alongside the cars to clear oblivious guests from the tracks.

Orva leaves the Plaza with horse car 3. July, 2011.

Brother, a shire horse, waits at the depot with horse car 1. July, 2011.

Brother's cast member badge. July, 2011.

Eddie, a Clydesdale horse, waits at the Plaza with horse car 1. July, 2011.

A profile view of Eddie. July, 2011.

Eddie walks down Main Street. The conductor walks alongside to move unwary pedestrians. July, 2011.

Another view of Eddie walking down Main Street. July, 2011.

After reaching the Depot, Eddie switched to the other end of the car and headed back to the barn. July, 2011.

On his way back to the barn, Eddie takes the curve in front of the Firehouse. July, 2011.

Eddie pulls his car through the gate between the Firehouse and the Emporium. July, 2011.

The family was disappointed that the Matterhorn Bobsleds were down for track replacement and other refurbishments. This project also affected monorail service. July, 2011.

Monorails Orange and Blue were operating while we were there, but rarely both at the same time. Most of the time, only one monorail was in service, and they frequently did not start running until 10am. This led to big lines and slow service. We suspect that much of this was caused by the Matterhorn project. They probably did not want to energize the rail while people were working a few feet away on the mountain.

When trains finally showed up at Downtown Disney, sometimes only 30 people could get on because of people who were riding all the way around. Things would have been better if the trains ran as one-way trips to and from the park.

Monorail Blue arrives at Downtown Disney Station. July, 2011.

Monorail Blue at Downtown Disney Station. July, 2011.

Monorail Blue arrives at Tomorrowland Station at night. July, 2011.

Monorail Blue at Tomorrowland Station at night. July, 2011.

The monorail pool slide is just visible in this early-morning shot from our hotel room. July, 2011.

The double decker bus turns onto Main Street. July, 2011.

A ride on the firetruck. July, 2011.

My family managed to ride every ride in the park, except for the kids' rides in Toontown and the Haunted Mansion.

Once each trip, I like to have Mickey Mouse pancakes at the River Belle Terrace. July, 2011.

Casey Jr arrives at the station. July, 2011.

The Casey Jr locomotive at the station. The engineer has a tight fit. July, 2011.

The Casey Jr Circus Train crosses a bridge above the Storybook Canal Boats. July, 2011.

The Casey Jr Circus Train seen from the Storybook Canal Boats queue. July, 2011.

The Casey Jr Circus Train at the station, seen from a Storybook Canal Boat. July, 2011.

Timothy Mouse stands atop the Dumbo ride. July, 2011.

Alice in Wonderland with safety rails on the leaves and ugly panels and tarps covering the frames that support the rails. July, 2011.

A figure on the bridge into Adventureland, next to the Tiki Room. July, 2011.

Another figure on the bridge into Adventureland, next to the Tiki Room. July, 2011.

Mark Twain approaches the landing. I like the reflection in the water. July, 2011.

A life preserver on the Mark Twain. July, 2011.

The Mark Twain's stern wheel. July, 2011.

Mark Twain leaves the landing. (Adobe Flash is required. Some browsers will require two clicks to start the video.)

Mickey Mouse, as Steamboat Willy, pilots the Mark Twain during Fantasmic. July, 2011.

The Mark Twain passes by during Fantasmic. July, 2011.

This large sign at the Plaza lists wait times and operating statuses for various attractions. The worst wait was 70 minutes that afternoon for the the new and improved Star Tours. July, 2011.

C-3PO stands in the queue area of the new and improved Star Tours. July, 2011.

The big ballyhoo this year was about the new and improved Star Tours. The ride had closed for renovation last year while we were at Disneyland. This year it had long lines at all hours. The queue area was enjoyable. It included the old pilot. I liked the random element. We saw all the various openings, middles, and conclusions.

A banner in Downtown Disney advertises the new and improved Star Tours. July, 2011.

Another banner in Downtown Disney advertises the new and improved Star Tours. July, 2011.

A third banner in Downtown Disney advertises the new and improved Star Tours. July, 2011.

The blue clamshell Mutoscope. I didn't get to watch any Mutoscopes this year. July, 2011.

The red clamshell Mutoscope. It was showing a Chaplin movie. July, 2011.

Disney's California adventure is changing its theme to reflect Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, so they are eliminating many features, like the Golden Gate Bridge.

When we arrived, the Golden Gate Bridge was still in place, carrying the monorail over the entrance to Disney's California Adventure (DCA). July, 2011.

The nose of the California Zephyr locomotive at DCA was still there when we visited, but in August was shipped off to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola. It apparently was the nose of an actual locomotive. July, 2011.

The Golden Gate Bridge was still visible through the windows of Engine Ears Toys in DCA. July, 2011.

This little locomotive was part of the display at Engine Ears Toys in DCA. July, 2011.

A crane removes the upper part of the tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. The cables are already gone. July, 2011.

The Golden Gate Bridge without the tops of the towers or the cables. The ticket booths were inspired by those at the famous Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. July, 2011.