I'm over 65 and don't remember a time when I did not love trains. When I was four and learning to read, my parents gave me a copy of a Disney children's book called "Donald Duck's Toy Train" (I wish I still had it). In it Donald had a live steam 4-4-0 around his home (like Walt). One day chip monks Chip and Dale came across the train sitting unattended and took it for a joy ride. The rest of the story of Donald trying to find it ensues. My point is that I was then fascinated with miniature trains that you could ride, but didn't know of any, other than the ads for Little Engines kits in the back of Popular Mechanics Magazine. Eventually I met someone in the local railroad club with his own live steam railroad (and one of those Little Engines Americans) and became involved in helping him expand it in my teenage years. Live steam has been an important part of my interest in railroads ever since. Thanks, Walt.

1:32 to this very day strongly believe _that_ handcar is the main reason Lionel was not only saved, but also went 180 degrees into making the first/sought-after/mass produced scale New York Central Hudson.

my favorite part of the museum. great informative video

I believe a “G” scale version should be available at Disneyland with electric track and not that plastic set they sell now. I see more of those sets at Goodwill because of the quality.

I highly recommend anyone who is around the Inland Empire in SoCal to visit the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris. Ward Kimball's personal collection is housed there

In the book, it said that the engine derailed and turned onto its side. Steam was coming out and a small girl ran up and stood in the steam getting badly burned. It was no longer fun. That is probably when the stack got broken. The small train that created Disneyland. That is where I saw it in 1998.

This is the video that just so happens to shine as the true and richest regardingization of Walt Disney's love of trains, with Casey Junior being just only the beginning! Keep up the good work! 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃

Nicely done Michael! I look at my Accucraft LB and Walt’s barn shingle plaque every day!

perhaps the damage might have happened when the Lily Bell jumped the track when a guest was driving her who was going a bit too fast. I believe Walt was very upset about the crash because a little girl was hurt by the steam coming out of the boiler

Excellent Video! I had always wondered about the full history of the engine inside Main Street Station today. Many live steam clubs here in the South Bay have a connection with Walt as well. Southern California, as well as the Los Angles Live Steamers both list Walt Disney and Ward Kimball as early members. Irene Lewis, owner of the Little Engines company, was also apparently an acquaintance of Mr. Disney. I have herd from multiple firsthand sources that he apparently liked her apple pies, and she was even invited to the opening day of Disneyland (which she had kept the ticket stub from).

One of my best buddies, Colt Stewart of MA, USA, owns what I believe to be the only operable original Disney American locomotive. The locomotive is named “Mount Nebo”, was professionally painted and detailed by live steam legend Bob Hornsby of TX, and the locomotive runs better than any other 1.5” scale American I’ve ever seen. The Disney shop guys didn’t mess around with those castings, the proportions are perfect! You may find videos if you search the locomotive here on KZfaq.

This was such a wonderful and thoughtful look into a great man's personal joy. I think Walt Disney was both amazing and successful because he was always just a kid at heart. And nothing demonstrates this more than the story of his train hobby. I have always loved trains. And I love people who love trains.

Railroad Supply still offers 1.5" scale castings of the CP 173 not identical to the Lilly bell but pretty close there are quite a few of those locomotives around. Nice little Americans.

Thanks for doing the video. Last year my wife and I stumbled across the Walt Disney Family Museum during a trip to San Francisco. Having grown up in Southern California, I have been going to Disneyland since the late 1960's and was very familiar with Walt's love of trains. I have read several books about Walt's trains and his railroad related adventures with Ward Kimball. I have seen Walt's "barn" is at Griffin Park in the past. I was thrilled to see the Lilly Belle and her train in the museum. The museum is impressive. I was disappointed that I didn't leave myself more time to visit the museum as we had to catch our flight home.

I was lucky to get my Lilly Belle for less than $1000 (due to it initially missing the COA (which I later lost in a move). It’s the highlight of my G scale collection, and I since have added DCC, Bluetooth control, sound, smoke and a flickering firebox. I love it to death!

Excellent video! Glad to hear about Hillcrest's contributions. Thank you!

Thanks for keeping this history alive, Michael! Looking forward to many more fascinating episodes.

Another great show! Thanks for sharing some amazing information and even more so for keeping the Lilly Belle and Walt’s passion alive.

Another great show for me to enjoy!

Great feature on this locomotive! I would love to see a model train store at Disneyland proper that sold the replicas - plus the Lionel hand car redone.

Michael, what a magnificent history. I have been a railroad nut from childhood. I also have been a Disney history nut. The names and reproductions you mentioned made me smile in acknowledgment as I knew them all… separately. It’s great to have a complete overview of how they came together. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Loved the video, just subscribed and look forward to more post. I live about an hour from La Port, IN and was acquainted with the Coats, Kenny, Barbara and their one son Red of HLW. Been to their home 2 different times to ride their "Paradise Railroad"12-inch gauge railroad. Kenny was part of the Hesston Steam Museum and would come down to Wakarusa, IN where Delton Schrock owned the "Come and Dine Restaurant" where Delton had built a 15 " gauge railroad around the grounds. For power we were using Sandley built 4-4-0 #98 steamer. Ken would come to eat, talk about the trains and take a ride. He always told me that I gave him a good train ride. Delton and him talked about making a G gauge set painted to match the train we had w/ passenger car, cattle car, gondola and caboose to sell out of the station and the restaurant. Delton choose not to invest into all the sets that would be needed to make it possible for HLW to do the production, so it never came about.

Ollie Johnston was my Railroading Merit Badge counselor ! He had plans for a Shay to work switchbacks down the embankment in the front of their home. That would have been something!

Walt and C.P. 173 "LILLY BELLE are in "POPULAR MECHANICS; APRIL 1957, Page 85 with a b&w photo of Walt running 173 downhill from on top of the large brick wall towards the photo Left, and pulling 6 freight cars of Gons and cattle cars, and smaller Bobber Caboose, and carrying 4 people of a man and boy, with a mother and daughter.!!! My dad had a large collection of both P.M., and Mechanix Illustrated from the 1950s, and many photos 📸 of the change from steam into new Diesels!! YET, this Main Story was the old GOLETA VALLEY RR in Santa Barbera by the late and GREAT 👍 MR. SEYMOUR JOHNSON, with 4-8-4 Northern 4751, on 7&1/2" guage for the wider guage instead of the REAL SCALE GUAGE OF 7& 1/16th"!! Plus ➕ here in Green Bay Wisconsin at the NATIONAL RAILROAD MUSEUM our live steam club wanted to Restore the large 20TH CENTURY LIMITED J3A STREAMLINER 4-6-4 HUDSON for 12" guage; but in 1990 they got a new manager who was very rude; and suddenly Canceled our volunteers; and other volunteers who were working 💪 on the narrow guage 3' SHZY 5 built in Lima in 1917; and working for the ELY THOMAS LUMBER CO IN WEST VIRGINIA, until bought by Mr. Allen in the 1960s for a private rr, but not consyrucyed; until donated to the NRRM in 1972; sadly stored outside for27 Years, SHAY 5 Suffered bad damage from rust and rot. The 1988 volunteers started the disassembly; but Suddenly canceled in 1990 by that other manager!! But SHAY 5 has been lying in pieces that are scattered haphazardly ; until 2001 when SHAY 5 was loaded on the red flatcar; and parked in the Large MCCORMICK PAVILLION!!!!! OK! TU. MAR.11, 2024A.D.!

It may be noteworthy that Hong Kong Disneyland also has a Lilly Belle on display at their Main Street train station, although I’m not sure how that one came about.

Thank you for this amazing video! I really did enjoy it!

I have an N scale model of the Lilly Belle that was sold by Lowell Smith. However I purchased it on eBay at a reasonable price. It’s a beautiful N scale model. I just wish I had some Carolwood Pacific cars for it to pull. But as you mentioned, all sold out. Now hard to find. They never even released an N scale CPRR Caboose. But I still like the locomotive itself no matter what. I like to take it with me to Disney World. I kinda wish I had the Bachmann HO CPRR set one day.

A very rich person like Walt Disney can make great train models and also a private railroad line

Nice presentation.

I wish Disney would release a limited run of an O scale or even live steam version of Lily Belle. I was once a part of a committee that never got off the ground to look into the feasibility of firing up the original Lily Belle in time for the Disney company's 100th birthday or Walt's 120th birthday.

I saw one of the G scale versions at Accucraft the other day, not sure if it was a live steam version or an electric version. Great video btw.

Mike an absolute stunning video! -Carmine

I'd still like to see a full-scale operational replica of the Central Pacific 173 built someday.

I have the HO scale model!

You should make a video about the Casey Jr. G scale model train that is very rare to come by.

Great video. Do you know the origin of the car that is presented in the game room of the Boulder Ridge resort at Walt Disney World.? The case says it was part of Walt’s Carolwood railroad.

I saw that clear plastic. She must be leaking a bit.

I wish the museum was anywhere but there. Not traveling into such a filthy city

Thank you for the videos. I really enjoyed them and learning so much about Walt Disney. I mentioned to some other train guys about your video and Walt use to sell plans and castings, and the consensus is everyone is in disbelief or surprised. I tried finding some plans but have had no luck or leads. Any idea if there is anything left to build my own?

📔Ho ho ho thanks for the history of Walt Disney's locomotive 🚂🚃🚃 true train story like IT so much and merry MERRY CHRISTMAS 2023 and happy new year 🎊 2024 thanks 👍 🕊️🎄🎄🎄🌛😺🧑‍🏫🇺🇸🦉❤️💚❤️💚❤️💚🎉