Additions in the late 1950s Disneyland Railroad

the drr s retlaw 1 train in july 1955

shortly after disneyland railroad opened, a, b, , c tickets introduced in disneyland admission rides, , c tickets, highest-ranked tickets, required ride drr. these tickets joined higher-ranked d ticket in 1956, , d tickets point forward needed gain access drr.

one of first additions drr occurred in march 1956 when new covered shelters built on each end of frontierland station s depot building. shelters added after drr s track on western edge of route, , depot building standing next it, moved outwards.

also during 1956, fantasyland depot, new station medieval theme , consisting of covered platform no station building, created drr in fantasyland section. time new station added, drr s system of having 1 train assigned single station , using sidings pass trains stopped @ stations abandoned , replaced current system each train stops @ every station along railroad s route. fantasyland depot removed july 1966 when s small world attraction, built 1964 new york world s fair, installed.

by 1957, drr becoming overwhelmed ever-increasing crowds; disney determined third train needed. instead of having locomotive built scratch pull train, disney believed costs saved purchasing , restoring already-existing narrow-gauge steam locomotive, , job of finding 1 given roger broggie. assistance of gerald best, suitable locomotive found in louisiana; had been built baldwin locomotive works in 1894, had been used switcher @ sugar cane mill in louisiana owned godchaux sugar company, , used lafourche, raceland & longport railway in louisiana. after purchase, locomotive delivered walt disney studios machine shop restoration work began, included installing new boiler built dixon boiler works , having firebox reconfigured burn diesel oil fuel generate steam. locomotive became drr s no. 3 locomotive , went service on march 28, 1958, @ cost after restoration of more $37,000. joining no. 3 locomotive when went service 5 new open-air narragansett-style excursion cars front-facing bench seating collectively referred disneyland employees excursion train, designed bob gurr , built @ walt disney studios.

on march 31, 1958, no. 3 locomotive participated in inauguration ceremony drr s grand canyon diorama, features foreground several lifelike animals , background painted artist delmer j. yoakum on single piece of seamless canvas measuring 306 feet (93.3 m) long 34 feet (10.4 m) high. located inside tunnel on drr s route, diorama claimed disneyland longest in world, , during inauguration blessed chief nevangnewa, 96-year-old hopi chief. diorama cost on $367,000 , took 80,000 labor hours construct.

the addition of grand canyon diorama in 1958 prompted changes retlaw 2 freight train pulled drr s no. 1 locomotive, involved adding side-facing bench seating pointed towards disneyland , red-and-white striped awnings on of cattle cars , gondolas. walls on cattle cars facing park removed allow better views of diorama. same year, third gondola same modifications other gondolas added, , fourth gondola same attributes added in 1959. brought total number of freight cars in train set, referred disneyland employees holiday red, eight. prior these modifications, cattle cars , gondolas of train set had no seating, requiring passengers stand duration of ride. despite safety concerns voiced ward kimball related lack of seats on these train cars, walt disney, purpose of authenticity, had insisted there no seats on them; wanted passengers feel cattle on actual cattle train.

in 1958, new station in tomorrowland section built drr. tomorrowland station, consisting of covered platform no station building, constructed in april 1958 futuristic theme, updated in 1998 part of redevelopment of tomorrowland section.

around same time no. 3 locomotive placed service in 1958, roger broggie decided fourth locomotive needed drr. after walt disney concurred, broggie once again began searching narrow-gauge steam locomotive purchase , restore. broggie found advertisement in rail magazine offering suitable locomotive sale in new jersey, , after contacting seller, broggie passed on information gerald best research locomotive. best able determine locomotive had been built baldwin locomotive works in 1925, had been used pull tourist trains on pine creek railroad in new jersey, , had been used raritan river sand company in new jersey. after purchase, locomotive delivered walt disney studios machine shop restoration work began, included installing new boiler built dixon boiler works , adding new tender built fleming metal fabricators designed hold diesel fuel. locomotive became drr s no. 4 locomotive , went service on july 25, 1959, @ cost after restoration of more $57,000. 1959 year in e tickets arrived, , attractions deemed best in park required them, including drr.