Grizzly Flats Railroad
Encyclopedia
San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
, owned by Disney animator Ward Kimball
Ward Kimball
Ward Walrath Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as Disney's Nine Old Men.-Career:...
. It was the first full-sized backyard railroad
Backyard railroad
A backyard railroad is a privately owned, outdoor railroad, most often in miniature, but large enough for one or several persons to ride on. The rail gauge can be anything from to or more. Smaller backyard or outdoor railroads that cannot be ridden are called garden railroads.Hundreds, even...
in the United States and was operated from 1942 to 2006.
History
In 1938, Ward Kimball, a life-long railroad fan, decided to purchase the last remaining passenger coach from the Carson and Colorado RailroadCarson and Colorado Railroad
The Carson and Colorado Railway was a U.S. narrow gauge railroad that ran from Mound House, Nevada, to Keeler, California below the Cerro Gordo Mines. It was incorporated on May 10, 1880 as the Carson and Colorado Railroad, and construction on the railroad began on May 31, 1880. A track gauge of ...
. The intention was to use the coach to house the Kimball's growing collection of railroadiana and model trains, but this plan was quickly changed. When the Kimballs learned that the Nevada Central Railroad
Nevada Central Railroad
The Nevada Central Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad, completed in 1880 between Battle Mountain and Austin, Nevada. The railroad was constructed to connect Austin, the center of a rich silver mining area, with the transcontinental railroad at Battle Mountain.However, by the time that the line...
had a vintage 1881 Baldwin 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
steam locomotive for sale (the "Sidney Dillon"), arrangements were made to purchase it. The old coach would then be used for its original purpose, as a passenger car.
The dilapidated railroad equipment was soon resting on a short section of track among the Kimball's orange trees. Ward and Betty decided to name their new empire the "Grizzly Flats Railroad", and heralded it as the "Scenic Wonder of the West". Friends and family helped to restore the locomotive to look like a flashy 1860s locomotive. Ward renamed it "Emma Nevada", after a famous opera star of the late 1800s. Coach #5 was colorfully painted and its Carson & Colorado letterboard was changed to "Grizzly Flats Railroad". This work took place on weekends through 1942, at which point, the "Emma Nevada" was first fired-up. The following years saw addition of a cattle car, a caboose and a Baldwin 0-4-2T plantation locomotive that once ran in Hawaii, which the Kimballs named "Chloe" after their youngest daughter. Ward ceased steaming the "Emma Nevada" in 1951 when it developed boiler problems (it only ran again once in 1985, during a race with Tom Scherman's "Iron Man"). In 1956, Kimball began to run the newly-restored "Chloe". The neighbors were probably relieved, as the wood-burning "Chloe" produced cleaner smoke in smaller quantities than the larger coal-burning "Emma Nevada." Over the years, Ward added the Grizzly Flats Depot (a set piece built for the 1949 Disney film, "So Dear to My Heart
So Dear to My Heart
So Dear to My Heart is a 1948 feature film produced by Walt Disney, released in Chicago on November 29, 1948 and nationwide on January 19, 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. Like 1946's Song of the South, the film combines animation and live action...
", and given to Kimball by Disney) and some other out-buildings to house his burgeoning toy train and railroadiana collection.
Shots of Ward on the railroad, and a few shots of the railroad itself can be seen in the "I Love Toy Trains" series by TM productions.
Influences
Kimball shared his hobby with his boss Walt DisneyWalt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
and fellow animator Ollie Johnston
Ollie Johnston
Oliver Martin Johnston, Jr. was an American motion picture animator. He was one of Disney's Nine Old Men, and the last surviving at the time of his death. He was recognized by The Walt Disney Company with its Disney Legend Award in 1989...
, who owned a miniature ride-on railroad. Disney decided he wanted to have a backyard railroad, as well. His train was built at the Walt Disney Studio in 1949 under supervision of Roger E. Broggie
Roger E. Broggie
Roger E. Broggie was an American mechanical engineer who worked with Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Company.-Early life:...
, and the track was laid at his home in Holmby Hills on Carolwood Drive. Walt called it Carolwood Pacific Railroad
Carolwood Pacific Railroad
The Carolwood Pacific Railroad was a live steam backyard railroad, built by the American animated film producer and animator, Walt Disney in the backyard of his home in California, USA....
and named his locomotive "Lilly Belle" after his wife Lillian. Kimball's narrow-gauge railroad and Disney's own one-eighth scale railroad inspired Walt to design a railroad surrounding the amusement park he was developing, which became known as Disneyland. The "Disneyland Railroad
Disneyland Railroad
The Disneyland Railroad , originally the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a narrow gauge railroad at Disneyland, Anaheim, California, United States, that was inaugurated on the park's live television preview on July 17, 1955. This live steam railway was constructed for $240,000; each of the...
" initially had two locomotives and two sets of cars that were built at the studio between 1954 and 1955. One of the Disneyland locomotives, "C.K. Holliday", was modeled closely after the "Lilly Belle", but was built to a larger five-eighths scale, and ran on 3-foot narrow gauge track, like Ward Kimball's railroad.
The end of the railroad
In the 1990s, Ward donated the "Emma Nevada", Coach #5 and most of the rolling stock to the Orange Empire Railroad Museum (OERM). The OERM has since restored the "Emma Nevada", allowing it to operate again. The "Chloe", two small gondolas and a sightseeing car remained at home so the family could continue giving train rides at their occasional steam-ups. Ward died in 2002, but the family continued to operate the train until 2006. Since then, the "Chloe" and its cars were relocated to OERM. Ward's toy trains and railroadiana collection were sold at auction. The Grizzly Flats Depot was acquired by animator John LasseterJohn Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering....
and relocated to his property. The tracks are gone, but the memories remain.