In June, 2005, Disneyland guests were treated to something not seen at the Park in over 40 years - a new steam locomotive, resplendent in red enamel and polished brass, began operating on the Park's main line to the delight of Disneyland Railroad fans everywhere. Built in 1902 and slated for a life of toil in the Louisiana sugar cane fields, the real-life "Little Engine That Could" now delights guests at Walt Disney's Original Magic Kingdom. The new locomotive, christened Ward Kimball after the famous Disney animator and rail fan may have been new to Disneyland, but its history spans more than a century. In his new book, Steve takes us along on a touching ride through time as he recounts the history of the little Baldwin first known as Maud L. That tiny plantation teakettle eventually became Disneyland Railroad No. 5, the first new Disneyland Railroad engine added to the fleet since 1959.
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This book makes a highly effective companion to Steve's first outing, Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad. That first book is a monster 300 pages of the whole history of the railroad and all its locomotives and rolling stock. This second book focuses just on Engine #5, and it's an exhaustive history. But you know what? It's not exhausting to read. You'll come away with a sense of how desperately those who care really want to honor and continue Walt's legacy. Well, Ward Kimball's legacy and love of trains, too. But you'll also see how precarious the dream is sometimes; this engine and its needed refurbishment almost didn't happen. Fans will be delighted by the numerous and gorgeous photographs of the engine, often in various states of disassembly, while being rebuilt. There are even a few backstage photos of Disneyland in here, and a blowdown at the Roundhouse. But for some reason I was equally impressed with the documentation and photos of the locomotive going back to its birth. Steve has lovingly assembled details here that rival a doctoral dissertation this is some real research and not a snow job in the slightest. Through this book, you'll experience the trepidation of obtaining and refitting the train, the anxiety of steaming it up, and the joy of puffing it around the Disneyland berm. This book belongs on your bookshelf, and at $29, it's very hard to think it anything but a bargain. I wish such detailed books and photos were available for every attraction at Disneyland. --Kevin Yee, MiceAge.com
About the Author
Steve DeGaetano grew up with the trains of the Disneyland Railroad. His first book, "Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad!" is widely considered the authoritative text on the subject of Disneyland's historic trains. Through his friendship with Paul Boschan, the boilermaker charged with rebuilding the Ward Kimball, Steve was able to witness and document the restoration first-hand. Steve lives with his wife alice and two boys, Chris and Johnny, in North Carolina.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
From Plantation to Theme Park - Locomotive No. 5, the Ward Kimball,
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This review is from: From Plantation to Theme Park: The Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5, the Ward Kimball (Hardcover)
Being in the Theme Park business we understand the importance of the association that steam trains have with theme parks. Almost every park in the world has their own, and as we conduct business within this industry, we always knew that sooner or later, acquiring a steam train would come up in discussion with clients.
However, until now...this seemed like a somewhat elusive item to procure, especially when you consider that acquiring a steam train is not like buying eggs at your local grocery. Most are relics that date back a hundred years or more... However this book not only details the "creation" (or more precisely the re-creation) of an additional steam train for Disneyland, it also helps to erase a lot of questions about trains... where to get them... and how to get an older one reconditioned like new, and who to talk with about that. Methods and procedures, people and places, are presented in such a way that we are now a lot more comfortable about this daunting task. This book has all the details, and at least for our company... provided some peace-of-mind, by providing the information we needed about steam trains. For non-industry readers we think you will love the step-by-step story of how 'Locomotive No. 5, the Ward Kimball' came to be. There's enough Disney History to keep it interesting, and because the train has actually been built and is running at the park... you'll already have a lot of the backstory when you next visit Disneyland and climb aboard for a ride!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Addition to the Disney Fleet,
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This review is from: From Plantation to Theme Park: The Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5, the Ward Kimball (Hardcover)
This latest book as an addition to the previous Disneyland Railroad book, now covering exclusively the Ward Kimball engine, is just as thorough and fabulous to read as the previous edition. I love hearing the stories of Walt and his staff and their love of trains. I especially enjoyed hearing more about the personal life of Ward and how he acquired his own engines and built a train line on his own Southern California property back in the 40's. In reading these stories I am touched by how much fun Walt and his staff seemed to have in creating all the fabulous toys we now enjoy!
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