NOTE: The photos that original accompanied this post have been removed due to legal issues. Hopefully at some point they will return. In the meantime, just use your imagination!
Today's post starts out with a June 1955 pre-Park opening photo of the E.P. Ripley and the C.K. Holliday (aka Engine #2 and Engine #1, respectively) inside of the Roundhouse, receiving a little finishing work in order to get them ready for their first Grand Circle Tour.
Zooming in for a better look at the workers who I believe are Joe Diaz and Hurley Cox:
On Saturday, June 18, 1955, both locomotives were ready to be tested for the very first time. On this historic day, Walt was naturally right on hand. The E.P. Ripley was the first engine tested, and this photo is definitely of the Ripley; whether it's Walt inside the cab or not is difficult to tell.
Can you imagine the thrill that Walt must have felt to have his first engine circle around the park? After all, a train was what it was all about:
“…I just want it to look like nothing else in the world. And it should be surrounded by a train.”
On that day, Walt Disney got his wish.
See more vintage & current Disneyland Railroad photos on my main website.
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