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Pumped Up (continued)

While the Disney team may have failed in their handcar-racing attempts, they nonetheless continue to take pride in their genuine railroad handcar. It is meticulously maintained, and was given a complete rehab for her very public display at Fullerton in 2007.


Proud Disney cast members happily display their handcar. Little has changed about the car over the years; the black rectangular end pieces on the support under the push bar were originally yellow, and the wheels once sported red pinstriping on their spokes. Photo courtesy Sam Towler.

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Sometimes it seems as if things at Disneyland never change. Certainly this seems so of the handcar--a fixture of the main entrance since the Park's very earliest days. However, all may not be as it seems. In preparing this article, I became aware of changes to the handcar--changes that are nearly imperceptible. Here for the first time we will examine these changes. Note, for example, the two photos below:

The four pedestals that support the car's platform, just below the builder's plate, are shaped differently. The main black and white photo was shot in the 1950s or early 1960s, while the color photo inset is from a couple years ago (Courtesy Sam Towler).

It also appears the four main frame members, which run the length of the car and which extend beyond the car's ends (where they are used as handles to lift the car on and off the tracks) have been replaced as well. Note the differences in these two photos (inset shot courtesy Sam Towler):

According to sources, the old undercarriage was replaced when the handcar underwent its last rehab, as it was in quite bad shape. While at one time the handcar was covered after hours with a waterproof tarp, this practice had been abandoned in recent years.

While there have been numerous collectibles memorializing just about all aspects of the Disneyland railroad--from pins depicting the stations and rolling stock to models of the locomotives to apparel--the demure handcar has so far been neglected. This is set to change in 2009, however.

I am informed that Accucraft, a builder of large-scale model trains, has just completed the engineering sample for a perfect scale model of the Disneyland Kalamazoo handcar, which will be precisely detailed and will actually function, just like the original. Fabricated in brass and featuring an accurate paint job, the model should be available through the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society sometime this year. The handcar, the smallest piece of rolling stock in the Disneyland "fleet," will finally have her day in the sun!


Photo courtesy Matt Walker.

The Disneyland Railroad Kalamazoo handcar has been a fixture at Disneyland since nearly the beginning. Like many things at Disneyland, it is unique to the California Park, a detail closely associated with Walt Disney himself. You may not have given the contraption a second thought, but the next time you ride the trains of the Disneyland Railroad, try to catch a glimpse of the handcar. It's just another detail Walt Disney wanted you to enjoy.


Steve DeGaetano is author of Welcome Aboard the Disneyland Railroad! Steve's latest book, the history of Disneyland's newest locomotive, the Ward Kimball, is now available. You can read more about From Plantation to Theme Park, the Story of Disneyland Railroad Locomotive No. 5, the Ward Kimball, and place an order for it, by using this link.

Steve DeGaetano may be e-mailed at [email protected] - Please keep in mind he may not be able to respond to each note personally.

© 2009 Steve DeGaetano


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