identification - seen going north on I-95 steam engine

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

any clues folks?

bouncing question from NS yahoo group (original norfolk southern)

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:26 pm

One of the Disney mockups, I bet...

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:28 pm

It is one of the Disney Animal Kingdom Wildlife Express locomotives (diesel).

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 7:58 pm

Can't be too sure, but Busch Gardens also has/had similar "British look" replica locos in its Virginia park a while back....

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:27 pm

Well, kids, it doesn't get any clearer than this...

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/ ... ess-train/

Mystery solved.

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

It appears the Animal Kingdom answer is accurate.

AMD 4, the Busch Garden engines in Williamsburg and Tampa do have a foreign look, but they're actual steam locos, and the easiest spotting difference is that they have tenders, rather than being tank locos. They're also kept up pretty well, while the A.K. locos are intentionally made to look ratty. This loco looked this rusty and grimy the day it went into service. I also seem to recall they have a bicycle strapped to them? (Decoration)

Meanwhile, anyone know where this one was going and why?

Howard P. · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:34 am

"I also seem to recall they have a bicycle strapped to them? (Decoration)"

That's so LaBiche can get back to Paris.

Howard P.
Rive-Reine, CT

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

The Disney page referenced seems to show a random image depending on when you visit. Yesterday it was a shot of the engine in the station (at least for my browser), today it shows the train on a curve, with a bicycle on the running board as well as luggage on the roof of the coaches.

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:29 pm

I wonder how Walt would feel, as a train lover, to see a diesel masquerading as a steam engine at one of his parks... ;)

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

bigjim4life wrote:

I wonder how Walt would feel, as a train lover, to see a diesel masquerading as a steam engine at one of his parks... ;)

I'm guessing the response would not be good.

When you read the history of the Disney Parks, you find out just how much influence his interest in trains and his 1-1/2" scale backyard railroad had on the whole thing.

Texas Chaz · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:35 pm

You would think that with Disney's cubic yards of money they could have built or restored one of the many interesting locomotives from the South African Railways, and they could have built it authentically, instead of cheapening the whole thing with a diesel outline. I can remember being pretty disappointed when I was at Animal Kingdom and realized it was a fake.

Maybe they thought the noise made by a real steam locomotive would frighten the animals or something...who knows. Now the locomotives in Hong Kong, I'm sure Walt would be really disappointed to see those in one of his parks. I seem to remember reading something about steam being outlawed for use in transportation there, so there may have been no way around it.

- Chaz Robitaille

p51 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:07 pm

Just an FYI, there's an excellent forum on Disney RR stuff here: http://www.burnsland.com/disneyrailroads/

crij · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:15 am **Posts:** 585

Chaz,

The Animal Kingdom is a distance from the Magical Kingdom, they probably went with the masquerade for 3 reasons.
1. Easier to train someone to operate and maintain a diesel locomotive than a steamer.
2. Didn't want to have to make and staff a second steam shop or transport the steamers across the park for maintenance.
3. Diesel is quieter to operate in the close proximity to the animals, as you postulated.

Rich C.

superheater · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:54 pm **Posts:** 2608

any clues folks?

Well, somebody was likely using a cell phone camera while driving. The constabulary might not approve.

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

I think is was the Big Thunder Mine RR (or a predecessor) at the original Magic Kingdom (i.e. Anaheim) that used a battery-powered mine locomotve disguised as the tender for a dummy steam locomotive. On the other hand, one day at Tomorrowland, I saw the engine crew making some adjustments with a Crescent wrench and a pair of Channellock pliers--leaving no doubt that this was a real steam engine.