Re: Steam Era Draws to a Close at WDW?

Walt Disney would most definitely NOT approve. This is the guy who went to the trouble to build 3/4 scale live steam 4-4-0's scaled down from his own scratchbuilt live steam loco. A steam outline loco like they have at the WDW Animal Kingdom just would not do. They look fine, sure. They sure don't sound or smell the same though. Sitting at the depot, the steam loco makes all sorts of noises and the sight of the fire light flickering off the ballast at night, etc. I have no doubt my early trips to WDW and later Disneyland fueled my interest in steam locomotives and railroading in general. The steam outline locos just sound like a bus sitting there in the depot. Finances? I'm sure Walt could have built a steam outline loco in 1955 cheaper than he built his pair of 4-4-0's, but that would NOT have been as good, so he went with the real thing. Glad I did the backstage tour at WDW last summer! Traveling to Anaheim this summer and plan on lots of time on the DRR before someone decides to do the same there.