Fort Wilderness Train

[fortwilderness]

Hi everyone,

I am just curious if anyone was fortunate enough to ever ride the Fort Wilderness train. I would love to know where it went. Was it round trip or used as transportation through the campground ? Anyone have a clue about where the station/s were located ?

I have an old ticket for the Ft. Wilderness train ride and the price was a whole 50 cents

I would love any info

 

[DVCDAVE]

Hi, I rode it back in the late 1970's during trips we did during college spring break, or after final exams in May. Here is a link to photos.

http://fly.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/photogal.htm

It went in a cricle though the middle of the camground. I don't remember where the staions were located though. But there still are some remnants of track and bridges over the canals that the train used. Most of the track area was converted in to paths for walking, roller blading and riding bikes.

It really was an attraction type ride, and not really used for transporting people. Back then they had trams that were used much like the Chip and Dale buses for moving people. The trams are much like the trams still being used in the parking lots, except brown in color.

 

[Grumpy92]

I have a couple of the original spikes. Stations were located at the front of the campground where the River Country bus stops and the other was at the back where the golf parking for the bus stop at Pioneer hall near 700 loop is. It was a nice train and is missed.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

If you have some time the path that the tracks followed can be located through the entire campground. There are several places where the ties still exist, One is across from the bus stop at the settlement depot. Those tracks go off into the woods and are overgrown to the point where they cannot be walked. I have not been able to figure out where that track eventually lead. The remainder of the old railbed is evidenced by the grade required for the tracks. Sidewalk covers quite a bit of the area where the tracks used to be but if you know what you are looking for you can locate it. Also look at the areas where the tracks crossed the roads, The concrete pads that the cross arms were set on are still there.
My sons and I spent a whole day last June riding our bikes through the campground and mapping the remnants of the railroad. It was a fun project that they still talk about regularly.
If you have any other specific questions feel free to send me an e-mail.

 

[DVCDAVE]

I must confess I didn't always like the train.....

If any one remembers they used to have a pizza bar, with a sing-a-long down at Trails End and Crocket's Tavern in the late evening. Well my buddies and I used to stop there for dinner and beer on our way back after MK closed. Needless to say we drank to much beer, and had to listen to that train chugging by our tent early in the morning. Whooo Whoo !! Chug chug chug chug.....

HAH ! Now I'd love to have it back !

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Great story Dave, I didnt discover Disney magic until I was 32 yrs old. I never had the money as a young adult and my parents were too frugal to take us as kids. I like to see the old pictures in the Disney magazines. Do you know if the book about Walt and his trains has any good pictures of the campground train ? I have seen a couple on Spencers site.

 

[DVCDAVE]

Sorry, I have seen the book, but never read it.

 

[DVCDAVE]

I always wanted to go as a kid too, but my parents were to frugal, like yours. In 1976, my brother was graduating college, and I was entering my 2nd year of college, and decided to make and east coast tour just before the bi-centenial. We each had $300 and decided to drive and end up in D.C. on the 4th of July. Well a few days later we were at the Kenedy Space center, and couldn't find a place to camp. One of us suggested heading over to WDW as they may have camping there.....Ended up at FW, and the magic never faded. It still amazes me how far that money went back then..... Now I have a Disney wife, two Disney boys, 8 and 10.

In spite of the fact we now are DVC members, FW will always be our favorite resort.

 

[shafke]

The train wouldstart at the Settlement Depot ( near where the bus stops are) and then go along the roadway toware the 100/200 loops. A little past to 300 loop it would cross the road and then travel along the river (not sure of path from here, only rode it once). There was a stop at the Outpost parking lot and would then travel back along to other side of the campground. Actually the one time we rode it they were filming on the train. All we were told is don't look in to the camera.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Dave, We also have 2 sons ages 8 and 11. They realize how lucky they when they both have been to WDW at least 10 times. My mother thinks I am crazy. I told her I was making up for lost time.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

From what I can tell the train went right in front of the meadows trading post and then stayed on that side of the road till it got to the parking lot. The loop reconnected just north of the pull off area for unhitching cars. The loop that went east of the meadows crossed the road and then the river right by the bus stop, It continued along the river and crossed it again before coming out south of the playground (the railbed grade is very noticable in that area) I tried to walk that area last June and again in February but it is too overgrown.
The only area that I am unable to map is where tha track head in a southwesterly direction from the settlement depot stop. My guess is that this track either lead to a storage facility for the trains or south down to the group camping area.

 

[tim5055]

I remember riding the train in the 70's when I camped at FW. During my visit last week I made it a point to look for anything remaining.

The cement road cuts seem to be all gone, paved over with ashphalt.

I remember seeing the train bridge by the 1500 loop a few years ago, but it is also gone.

The only thing I can find is the wooden ties and gravel track bed leading into the woods by the 700 loop.

I have photos of this as well as a scan of the 1978 resort map showing the entire train route on my Fort Wilderness Fun Facts and Information web page. Look down neat the bottom for the stem train info as well as map on the very bottom.

 

[disneycampingdad]

The old trestle crossing the draw next to the 1500 loop has indeed disappeared over the past few years, but you can still see ties and rail hardware in the sand to the side of the bus stop. Wish I could have ridden that train!

 

[donaldduck1967]

Recently the Carlwood Pacific historical society ( i hope i got the name right) purchased the remaining trains and cars and have restored them. I have no clue as to what they are going to do with them

 

[campingqueen]

I loved the train. I was told by a cm that a zoo in Cassleberry bought it a long time ago and are using it still today. From what I was told that the engine was underpowered and the narow gage they were afraid that it would tip. They shut it down waiting for the budget to be aproved to fix problems but like all things the cost of the project went up and the money wasn't there. When the zoo bought it they had around 100 volunteers come in and tear it up in one weekend. There is a castmember that still works at FW that use to drive it.

The train was used to transport people from the front to the back to river country. Remember River Country was the first ever water park so you had tons of people coming into the campground.

I personally loved the trams. I remember as a young child riding them for hours sining the Adams family song over and over agin with the cm that was working the mike. This to ended when people complained about getting wet when it rained and drunks climbing on top of it returning from river country.

If you look in the book about Walts trains there is a little info on the trains.

 

[PattnFmly]

I agree about missing the trams. I never got to ride the train, but the trams were cool. And so much quieter than busses. The last time I was in a tent (a few years ago) in Ft. Wilderness the busses kept waking me up. I felt like I was home in the city instead of in the woods. The trams were silent!

 

[DVCDAVE]

A GOOD thread will never die !!!

Well as you can see some one months ago BIGDISNEYDADDY asked if the Walt Disney book on trains had any pictures of the FW Train. At the time I hadn't read the book.

Well, over the summer I happen to come across it in a train and hobby store in our area, and the had it marked down for clearance. I couldn't grab it fast enough to pay for it, and it was a pleasure to read this past summer.

I highly recomend it. Its called Walt Disney's Railroad Story by Michael Broggie (who's father happened to work for Walt Disney, and got Walt interested in the scaled down live steam train hobby). My book happens to be a first edition too.

There is a whole chapter dedicated to the FW train, and why it demised, and what happened to the equipment.

Anyway I don't want to give too much info away and spoil your read but I throughly enjoyed the book, and highly recomend it.

 

[tim5055]

Originally posted by DVCDAVE
A GOOD thread will never die !!!

Well as you can see some one months ago BIGDISNEYDADDY asked if the Walt Disney book on trains had any pictures of the FW Train. At the time I hadn't read the book.

Well, over the summer I happen to come across it in a train and hobby store in our area, and the had it marked down for clearance. I couldn't grab it fast enough to pay for it, and it was a pleasure to read this past summer.

I highly recomend it. Its called Walt Disney's Railroad Story by Michael Broggie (who's father happened to work for Walt Disney, and got Walt interested in the scaled down live steam train hobby). My book happens to be a first edition too.

There is a whole chapter dedicated to the FW train, and why it demised, and what happened to the equipment.

Anyway I don't want to give too much info away and spoil your read but I throughly enjoyed the book, and highly recomend it.

After reading your recomendation for the book I went looking for a copy. Amazon.com had 1 used copy for over $300!

The Carolwood Pacific Historical Society (the society dedicated to preserving the personal railroad legacy of Walt Disney) web site states that both the first and second editions are sold out. A third edition is in the works.

So I guess I wait for the third edition and look around bookstors for a lefover copy.

Thanks for the review.

 

[DVCDAVE]

WOW !!! $300

Hold on, and don't give up. Try doing a internet search using either the title or the author. I'll bet you can do better. If I remember correctly, I think I paid $45 and it was regularly priced $59.00, and that was back in June.

Once I started to read it though I couldn't put it down. Lots of good information, background, and pictures too.

 

[NHMickey]

If you want to see one of the cars all you have to do is go to Pleasure Island.. The train car that you buy your tickets at is one of the old cars from the Ft Wilderness Train....