All Aboard the Muzeo Express!

I was recently notified of a VERY cool exhibit at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim titled “Muzeo Express.” Mandy, the Exhibitions Coordinator, sent me this information AND a number of photos to let you see a sample of what is on display.

Fans of Walt Disney’s love of railroading are in for a number of exclusive treats from bygone days. This year’s exhibition features magical holiday model train layouts created by the Train Collectors Association and the Toy Train Operating Society.

Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, CA, joins Muzeo for the first time with beloved Disney animator Ward Kimball’s full-sized red handcar from his narrow gauge backyard railroad and an entire room filled with fascinating railroad memorabilia. The cherished collection from Walt Disney’s Carolwood Barn in Griffith Park will amaze and delight railfans as will the art of Ward Kimball, Eyvind Earle, and Floyd Norman. This year, in addition to artifacts from Carolwood, we have an extra special treat in store for nostalgia buffs. Come see for yourself!



This photo is a view of a section from our partnership with the Carolwood Foundation in Griffith Park. Shown are a Lionel Mickey and Minnie handcar, scale models of Walt's Carolwood Barn, the Lilly Belle and her caboose, and a scale model of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland.



This is one of our train layouts by TTOS (You Train Operating Society) volunteer Steve Eastman depicting Radiator Springs in O-gauge.



Here’s a view of a section from our partnership with the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, CA. Shown are photographs of Ward and Betty Kimball, a Christmas card by Ward Kimball, and scale models of the Emma Nevada and Chloe. Both full-size trains are on display in Perris.



Last, but definitely not least, is the handcar that Ward Kimball salvaged for his Grizzly Flats Railroad at home, and in the background, a view of the recently refurbished Saguaro Forest Mine Train Car from the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland ride at Disneyland in 1955.

Details about this exhibit can be found on the back of the exhibit rack card, shown here:



This is a definite don’t miss, so make sure you get there before January 26, 2020 when the exhibit ends!

See more Disneyland Railroad photos at my main website.

All Hail the Combine!

I had the pleasure of attending an event at Walt's Barn in Griffith Park on Saturday. Although the focus was on a new display celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Disneyland Railroad, I was most excited to finally see the Combine in person. For those not familiar with what a combine is, it's a combination (thus the name) passenger and freight coach.



The one on display near the Barn gave many years of faithful service to Disneyland guests.



And it looks brand-spanking new!





It was such a treat to be able to board this historic coach.



The section for freight:



To put things in perspective, here are a few vintage 1950's images showing the Combine in service at Disneyland:







January 1961:



August 1962:



September 1965:



Undated 1960's:



For more information about visiting Walt's Barn and the Carolwood Foundation, be sure to visit their website.

More Walt's Barn photos at my main website.

Storybook Land Restoration

This image came from a batch of December 1982 slides and features the pink Cinderella Castle that towers over the Storybook Land attraction in Fantasyland. Because of its height and color, guests' eyes are naturally drawn to it, which often causes them to miss the charming village located below. Let's zoom in to fix that. Be sure you take note of the garden hose left out and the pumpkin on the left-hand side of the image; is it turning into a carriage or reverting back to its pumpkin state?



Fantasyland was completely overhauled for its May 1983 upgrade. According to Animation Director Rob Fendler, the village in my photo is not the original one that was constructed in 1956. Constructed of marine plywood and polyurethane resin, those structures were replaced with exact copies built to take advantage of modern fabrication techniques that would help them weather the elements better.

Here's a shot from March 1960 of the same area:



Zooming in, you can see that Imagineers decided to paint the roofs a cool gray rather than keep the original warm brown color scheme:



A June 1960 view:





One guest in December 1961 must have really liked this area; they took 3 shots while passing by. I am including a number of detailed views for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!









Once again the pumpkin stands out:



This grainy December 1980 image is the last one in my collection that shows the original structures:





If you're wondering what happened to the original, here's a photo of what remains:



From the now defunct Small Worlds of Walt website comes the backstory:

At 57 years old, the village today is nearly unsalvageable, but it still retains so much amazing detail that it begs to be restored as a piece of Walt Disney’s history and a tribute to his love of miniatures. The Carolwood Foundation is now embarking on this careful restoration, preserving as much of the wood structure as possible and rebuilding new sections that have been destroyed or have gone missing altogether. Once completed, the village will become an entirely new exhibit at Walt’s Barn in Griffith Park, entitled “The Small Worlds of Walt.” The exhibit will educate visitors about scale models and explore the different miniatures, large and small, that Walt wanted to put into his park. Whether its Main Street, Sleeping Beauty Castle, The Disneyland Railroad, Storybook Land or the Carolwood Barn, they are all The Small Worlds of Walt. The Carolwood Foundation needs your help to bring these beloved miniatures back to life. Our hope is that the Disney fan community can come together to fund the restoration and the construction of the exhibit so that these priceless pieces of history can be enjoyed up close for generations to come.

Here's a photo of Rob Fendler lavishing care and detail on the restoration of the original model:



See more vintage & current Disneyland Storybook Land photos on my Storybook Land web page.