The Disneyland Railroad (along with the Disneyland Monorail and the Disneyland Viewliner) was privately owned by Walt when Disneyland first opened. The company that operated them was RETLAW (Walter, spelled backwards.) It wasn’t until the mid-1980’s that the Disney Company took control of RETLAW’s operations in the park.

The Disneyland Railroad consists of five locomotives: #1 E. P. Ripley (1955), #2 C. K. Holliday (1955), #3 Fred Gurley (1894), #4 Ernest S. Marsh (1925) and #5 Ward Kimball (1902). All engines are real steam locomotives that burn atomized liquid fuel in the firebox to boil water that is fed from the tenders. Some guests think the engines are just props and adding water from the water towers is just for show – but they’re the real thing!

There are four stations: Main Street Station, New Orleans Square Station (formerly Frontierland Station), Toontown Depot and Tomorrowland Station.

Listen to an early Disneyland Railroad narration spiel:

Items of interest:

• Tim LaGaly’s 2006 NFFC talk on restoring the Lilly Belle VIP car
  In 2006, at the National Fantasy Fan Club convention (known as NFFC until 2009, when they changed their name to the ‘Disneyana Fan Club’,) Tim LaGaly gave this presentation of the work he and his crew did to restore the long-neglected Disneyland Lilly Belle VIP coach. Car #106 ‘Grand Canyon’ was originally part of the Retlaw1 ...
• A new era…
  The history and heritage of Disneyland will always be special to those who love what Walt Disney created. As a new era dawns over Disneyland, the park is being changed more than fans have ever seen in 60 years. The Star Wars Land expansion caused the demolition and removal of many historic buildings on property, ...
• 1961 Disneyland recreated…
• An Emperor at Disneyland
  Emperor of Japan Michinomiya Hirohito (1926-1989) is primarily known to America for surrendering to allied forces during World War II in August 1945. 30 years later on October 8, 1975 he and his wife, Japanese Empress Dowager Nagako, visited Disneyland during a trip to the United States. The couple were the first high-profile guests to ride in ...
• #4 Ernest S. Marsh
  The Disneyland Railroad #4 Ernest S. Marsh was named after Ernest Marsh, president of the Santa Fe Railway from 1957 to 1967. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on January 10, 1903. In 1918 he went to work for Santa Fe and worked his way through the ranks to replace Fred Gurley as President on ...
• Walt and the CP #173
  The photo on the right IS Walt Disney, but he’s NOT posing next to his miniature live steam engine CP #173 Lilly Belle – it’s actually a composite photo of the miniature and a full-size image of Walt. This synthesized photo was created by a MAPO employee who combined Roger Broggie’s photo of Walt ...
• Lilly Belle 2
  This engine, Lilly Belle 2, was going to be the 2nd locomotive at Walt Disney’s “Carolwood Pacific Railroad“. Walt’s CPRR was a 1/8th scale miniature live steam railroad that Walt built around his home in Holmby Hills. The engine was started in 1950 by Roger Broggie and was conceived as a 4-6-0 (two pilot/front wheels ...
• Happy Anniversary #5 Ward Kimball and Lilly Belle
  On February 15, 2006 at 7:30am at Disneyland, the newest engine to the Disneyland Railroad was dedicated as #5 Ward Kimball. On the same day the Lilly Belle VIP parlor car was re-dedicated after being off the line for many years. In attendance was Betty Kimball, the wife of the new locomotive’s namesake, Ward Kimball. At ...
• Walt Disney’s Kalamazoo hand car
  Here’s the Kalamazoo handcar at Fullerton Railroad Days in 2012. Walt Disney on the Kalamazoo handcar in front of the #2 E. P. Ripley
• Salvador and Walt
  Although this isn’t even NEAR Walt’s apartment, Walt’s Carolwood Pacific Railroad may have been the start of Disneyland. Here we see Salvador Dali with Walt Disney admiring the #173 Lilly Belle miniature live-steam locomotive. It has been said that Walt’s love of trains, and people’s interest in coming to his Carolwood Drive home to see ...
• Disneyland opening day attractions…
  This is the list of opening day attractions, according to “The Story of Disneyland” The Story of Disneyland 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Exhibit Autopia Canal Boats of the World (Storybook Land Canal Boats) Casey Jr. Circus Train Disneyland Street Railway Dumbo the Flying Elephant Explorer’s Boat Ride (Jungle Cruise) King Arthur Carrousel Mad Tea Party Main Street Cinema Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Penny Arcade and Shooting Gallery Peter ...
• J.F.K. at Disneyland
  Here’s an October 1959 photo of John F. Kennedy‘s only visit to Disneyland. He was the the Senator of Massachusetts at the time and was here with the President of Guinea, Ahmed Sékou Touré.
• Tomorrow with Tom Snyder – Ward Kimball at Grizzly Flats
  Ward Kimball shows Tom Snyder his collection of toy trains, train related memorabilia and his full-size steam locomotives and rolling stock at his “Grizzly Flats Railroad“… Tomorrow with Tom Snyder – Ward Kimball at Grizzly Flats
• Order of the Red Handkerchief
  On May 28, 1960 the ‘Rainbow Caverns Mine Train’ reopened after an expansion to the area and the attraction was renamed the ‘Mine Train through Nature’s Wonderland’. During the rehab, the green trains were repainted to the familiar yellow that we recognize in photos today. The ride operators that opened the original attraction on July 2, ...

A Grand Circle Tour on the Disneyland Railroad – September 4, 1990 – 6:30a

The Disneyland Railroad (originally the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad) is narrow gauge (36″ between the rails) and operates five live steam locomotives.

Locomotives:

#1 C. K. Holliday

Named after Cyrus Kurtz Holliday (1826-1900) who founded the Atchison & Topeka Railroad in 1859.

#2 E. P. Ripley

Named after Edward Payson Ripley (1845-1920), the first president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1895.

#3 Fred Gurley

Named after Fred G. Gurley (1889-1976), President of the Santa Fe Railway from 1944-1957 – who approved the relationship between Santa Fe and Disneyland.

#4 Ernest S. Marsh

Named after Ernest S. Marsh (1903-1975), president of the Santa Fe Railway from 1957-1966 and a strong advocate of the Santa Fe and Disneyland relationship.

#5 Ward Kimball

Named after Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney’s animators. This engine was called the “Maud L” when it was at the Cedar Point Amusement Park.

Extraboard

The below info is not specifically about the Disneyland Railroad, but other significant railroad connected to Disneyland…

#173 Lilly Belle

Walt’s first locomotive was named after Walt’s wife, Lillian. Visit Walt Disney’s Barn in Burbank to learn more about the Carolwood Pacific Railroad.

Disneyland Viewliner (Viewliner Train of Tomorrow)

Sadly, this railroad was dismantled in 1959, after just 2 years in operation, to make way for the Matterhorn, the Submarine Voyage, and the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System. The two six-unit trains went around Tomorrowland and Fantasyland on a figure-8 track, and they looked a bit like car on tracks. They were powered by gasoline engines, and were named the “Tomorrowland Viewliner” and the “Fantasyland Viewliner.” Each consist was permanently connected, so they cars could not be swapped or exchanged. The Tomorrowland consist was named for the planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The Fantasyland consist was named for Disney characters: Pinocchio, Tinkerbelle, Bambi, Cinderella, and Alice.