- Joined
- Jul 22, 2006
In addition to my family and loved ones, there are a few things in my life that I'm very passionate about. First, I'm an absolute fanatic about anything Disney. I'm also very much into my photography and model trains.
We live near the coast where houses can't have basements, so I haven't had an actual train platform since my youth. I do have an extensive collection of "O" gauge trains, though, that I display on shelves in my den.
On my most recent trip to WDW, I noticed that The Art of Disney store has added a lot of Disney Railroad artwork. I was instantly hooked, and my wallet was out before I'd even consciously realized I'd reached for it. I picked up a limited edition, signed giclee of the WDW Railroad poster that's displayed in the tunnel under the Main Street Railroad Station, a wooden version of the poster that appears in Frontierland, and a tin WDW Railroad logo.
My plan is to dedicate a section of a wall in my den to the WDW Railroad, and frame some of the photos I've taken myself of the Disney trains. OMG -- three of the things I love most coming together in a single collection: Disney, trains, and my photography.
I thought to myself that what would make this collection complete would be models of the actual WDW trains. Well that certainly turned out to be easier said than done.
The only trains to be found in Disney World are toys -- and they really look like toys. I wouldn't want them displayed next to my other trains in the room. Google and EBay searches weren't getting me anywhere, either. I found several threads talking about a "G" scale engine being sold by Disney, the "Ward Kimball," but couldn't find it on any of their web sites. It must have been limited edition and sold out quickly, because the price for the ones on EBay have jumped from Disney's price of $500 to $1000. Also, it wasn't a WDW train, it was modeled after a Disneyland train.
I also came across forum discussions by people who were buying other model trains and modifying them to look like the WDW trains. Wow, that's way beyond my abilities. I tried model building when I was younger and wound up with messes covered in giant globs of model glue.
Finally, I came across an EBay auction for a "Vintage" Bachmann HO set that has the "Walter E. Disney" and three WDWRR passenger cars. It was a small fortune, but I purchased it. (I really wish I could have found an "O" gauge to match the rest of my trains, or even a "G" gauge which would have had more details.) Apparently, beggers can't be choosers, though, and I've found the one and only model of a WDW train that exists. Funny, I can't even find any reference to this particular train set via Google. It's as if this EBay auction is the only reference to it anywhere. Is this particular train older than the internet? Maybe it's rare enough that I shouldn't feel guilty over what I paid for it.
It appears that LGB currently has licensing rights to Disney railroad products. Everything I find, though, is either Disneyland or Walt Disney's Carolwood Pacific. Why no love for WDWRR? Come on, Disney. Big boys like toys, too. I know there'd be demand for WDW train products. Bring 'em on!
In the meantime until Disney comes to their senses and markets something new, if anyone can point me to any sources for WDWRR models (operating trains or simply models), I'd be very appreciative.
We live near the coast where houses can't have basements, so I haven't had an actual train platform since my youth. I do have an extensive collection of "O" gauge trains, though, that I display on shelves in my den.
On my most recent trip to WDW, I noticed that The Art of Disney store has added a lot of Disney Railroad artwork. I was instantly hooked, and my wallet was out before I'd even consciously realized I'd reached for it. I picked up a limited edition, signed giclee of the WDW Railroad poster that's displayed in the tunnel under the Main Street Railroad Station, a wooden version of the poster that appears in Frontierland, and a tin WDW Railroad logo.
My plan is to dedicate a section of a wall in my den to the WDW Railroad, and frame some of the photos I've taken myself of the Disney trains. OMG -- three of the things I love most coming together in a single collection: Disney, trains, and my photography.
I thought to myself that what would make this collection complete would be models of the actual WDW trains. Well that certainly turned out to be easier said than done.
The only trains to be found in Disney World are toys -- and they really look like toys. I wouldn't want them displayed next to my other trains in the room. Google and EBay searches weren't getting me anywhere, either. I found several threads talking about a "G" scale engine being sold by Disney, the "Ward Kimball," but couldn't find it on any of their web sites. It must have been limited edition and sold out quickly, because the price for the ones on EBay have jumped from Disney's price of $500 to $1000. Also, it wasn't a WDW train, it was modeled after a Disneyland train.
I also came across forum discussions by people who were buying other model trains and modifying them to look like the WDW trains. Wow, that's way beyond my abilities. I tried model building when I was younger and wound up with messes covered in giant globs of model glue.
Finally, I came across an EBay auction for a "Vintage" Bachmann HO set that has the "Walter E. Disney" and three WDWRR passenger cars. It was a small fortune, but I purchased it. (I really wish I could have found an "O" gauge to match the rest of my trains, or even a "G" gauge which would have had more details.) Apparently, beggers can't be choosers, though, and I've found the one and only model of a WDW train that exists. Funny, I can't even find any reference to this particular train set via Google. It's as if this EBay auction is the only reference to it anywhere. Is this particular train older than the internet? Maybe it's rare enough that I shouldn't feel guilty over what I paid for it.
It appears that LGB currently has licensing rights to Disney railroad products. Everything I find, though, is either Disneyland or Walt Disney's Carolwood Pacific. Why no love for WDWRR? Come on, Disney. Big boys like toys, too. I know there'd be demand for WDW train products. Bring 'em on!
In the meantime until Disney comes to their senses and markets something new, if anyone can point me to any sources for WDWRR models (operating trains or simply models), I'd be very appreciative.