Changes at the Depot

The above image shows one of my favorite Disneyland structures, the Frontierland Depot, circa July 1959. The below June 1963 image shows what guests saw once they exited the Depot and stood on the platform waiting for the train.



By September 1964, the Depot was moved across the tracks, becoming inaccessible to guests.



August 1966 marked the debut of New Orleans Square, and the scenery around the Depot reflected the addition. None of the buildings you see were accessible to guests, but they sure did add to the immersive experience of feeling like you were in New Orleans.



On the second floor balcony of The New Orleans Trading Company building, you can see this trio of flags representing France, The United States, and Spain. These flags spoke to New Orleans being founded by French Colonists in 1718, transferred to Spain in 1763, and finally becoming part of the U.S. with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.



In this July 1968 shot, the flags are gone. What happened?



The flag holder is still there, as is the rest of the decor.



August 1971, the flag holder is still empty:



November 1978:



A little more decor/clutter on the balcony (how about that birdcage?) and some maturing landscaping, but the flags do not appear to have returned.



Flash forward to January 2006 (yes, I do have gaps in my collection!) and holder is not only empty, but you can see the cascading rust trail on the light pink paint:



A miracle occurred at some point between the previous photo and this January 2007 shot; the flags returned! Barrels must have been on sale, as there are plenty to be found now at the Trading Company.



May 2007:



May 2011:



An evening shot from October 2011 for variety:





Sadly, by March 2012 they had been removed again.



Just the holder, some rust stains, and those durn barrels.



June 2013:



May 2015, which is the last shot I took of this area before my final visit in December 2016:



No flags.



If anyone has background info on the flag removal, let me know! Just another detail at Disneyland that I’m sure has gone unnoticed by most over the years.

See more Disneyland Railroad Frontierland Depot photos at my main website.

Disneyland Opening Day Celebration!

On the anniversary of Disneyland’s Opening Day (July 17, 1955), I will post an assortment of shots from one of my favorite attractions: the Disneyland Railroad. The above Genuine FauxD© shot shows the time lapse tower from Opening Day as well as an assortment of highly collectible (at least today they are) vintage cars! Walt Disney’s oft told quote made before the Park was completed was this:

I just want it to look like nothing else in the world, and it should be surrounded by a train.



This 1956 image captures the joy of Disneyland. The E.P. Ripley is waiting at the Main Street, U.S.A. Train Station and in front, the little boy is proudly displaying his souvenir for the day, a pennant with Tinkerbell!



I was one of those Park nerds who would arrive WAAAAAAAY before opening, just to see the train pull up, see the smoke, and hear the whistle toot, letting guests know of its impending Grand Circle Tour around the Park. I would do my best to hustle through the turnstiles to board that first train and at least take it as far as the Frontierland/New Orleans Depot. Below is another 1956 gem:



See any hats or souvenirs you’d be interested in purchasing from The Disneyland News stand?



An undated 1950’s Genuine FauxD© shot of the Main Street Station:



A closeup of the Colorado Rockies passenger car, complete with summer bunting:



While on the topic of Walt quotes, according to Ward Kimball, Walt made this statement about the design/comfort of the cattle cars that were part of the original Disneyland Railroad fleet:

I want all the people inside those cars to feel the way the cows feel, looking out through the slats on a real cattle train!



Mission accomplished! These passengers look more like prisoners than Park guests in this 1956 shot:



A contemporary view from July 2008:



While I can’t say for sure when my next visit to the Park will be, I can guarantee you that this is the first thing I will be looking for upon arrival!



See more Disneyland Railroad photos at my main website.

All Aboard! Disneyland, July 1960

Two consecutive images that were dated July 1960 show a family getting ready to board the cars of the Disneyland Railroad at the Main Street station. A detailed view shows the Disneyland Hotel sign in the background, a ticket book in the woman’s hand (gasp! tickets!), and a brochure/guidebook held by the boy with a crew cut.



This appears to be the guidebook he is holding, which makes me think the date was written/stamped incorrectly or that this roll of slide film sat in the camera for awhile.



The next slide shows how many people had visited Disneyland at this time:



Based on this image commemorating the 10 millionth Disneyland Railroad passenger from August 1960, that would mean 4 million people went to Disneyland in one month to bump the attendance number up to 22,000,000. I know the Park was popular, but I kind of doubt it was THAT popular!



Most likely the two shots I have were from late 1958/early 1959 instead. They’re still fabulous, so there!

See more Disneyland Railroad Main Street Station photos at my main website.

Maybe Martin Monday

These two vintage Disneyland images were undated, but the guidebook held by the little boy in the first shot narrows it down to 1956/1957.



I just love little clues like that!



A second detailed view shows the E.P. Ripley as it leaves the Main Street Train Station for another Grand Circle Tour:



This second consecutively shot was the reason I bought these two slides. No, not because of the cool retro sunglasses this lady is wearing…



No, not because of the vintage Disneyland leaflet she is holding (is there ANYTHING less than $3 at the Park anymore?!?)…



The reason: the possibility that this little boy selling the Guidebooks could be actor/writer/musician/comedian Steve Martin.



It’s blurry…it doesn’t show his face, so there’s no way to confirm it. But there’s also a possibility that it is. Thus, Maybe Martin Monday.

See more Disneyland Railroad photos at my main website.

Disneyland Railroad: Frontierland Depot, 1970s

It’s hard to pick between the Main Street Train Station and the Frontierland/New Orleans Square depot; I love ’em both! Today we will spend some time at the latter, starting with this June 1971 shot of the E.P. Ripley. If my collection only had the corresponding shot that this little boy is snapping!



Moving ahead to August 1977, the Ernest S. Marsh rides overhead on the wooden trestle:



Back to the Depot and more August 1977 images. I remember the first time I took the Grand Circle tour in this caboose; boy was it hot in there!



A great shot of the Depot itself:



The Disneyland Railroad crew is just about the friendliest!



I am so glad this photographer loved the DLRR as much as I do.



The Ernest S. Marsh pulling into the Depot…



and then exiting:



Followed by #3, the Fred Gurley:



…which just happens to be pulling the Lilly Belle V.I.P. car:



A closer look before we exit the 70s:



See more Disneyland Frontierland Depot photos at my main website.