Walt Disney and Trains
Walt Disney and Trains are inseparable, even if you never noticed the connection on your first trip through a Disney park. Walt didn’t just enjoy railroads; he built his life around them, studied them, rode them, and turned them into storytelling machines. That fascination found a physical home in the Carolwood Pacific Railroad at his Holmby Hills backyard, where the 1/8-scale live-steam Lilly Belle helped Walt work through ideas that would later define Disneyland. If you’ve ever felt a quiet thrill when a steam whistle echoes through a Disney park, you’re hearing a piece of Walt’s own joy, carried forward on steel rails and imagination.
Check out Walt Disney’s Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom by Michael Broggie to get a fascinating look into Walt’s life and his love of trains.
Walt Disney’s Railroad Story by Michael Broggie Book Review
It’s still hard to imagine Walt’s first trip around Disneyland on his Disneyland Railroad. It must have been an amazing event to be part of. And Michael Broggie was there to tell the story.
Have you ever had the chance to visit Walt’s Barn in Griffith Park?
Should You buy this Book?
If you want the deeper story behind Walt Disney and Trains, don’t stop at the obvious facts. Follow the thread: the backyard railroad, the friends who shared the hobby, and the way that love of rails became a blueprint for family fun. Pick up Walt Disney’s Railroad Story for the full ride through that history, and if you ever find yourself in Los Angeles, put Walt’s Barn on your list—it opens to the public on the third Sunday of each month and feels like stepping into Walt’s personal “happy place.” 
Now your turn: what’s your favorite Disney train memory—riding the Disneyland Railroad, circling the Magic Kingdom, or spotting a hidden rail detail that made you grin like a kid again? Drop it in the comments and let’s compare notes.
Check out these posts on the Walt Disney World Railroad.
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