What are the names of the train engines at Disneyland?

Disneyland has five train engines working the Disneyland Railroad (DLRR) on its lazy loop around the park. The railroad at Walt Disney World is logically enough called the WDWRR: I'll let you figure out the acronym. :-)

The Disneyland Railroad opened in July 1955, opening day for the original Disney park, and the Disneyworld Railroad opened in 1971 in the Magic Kingdom (Unlike Disneyland, Disneyworld is broken into separate parks, of which the Magic Kingdom is but one. The others of note are Epcot, Disney Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom).

The five engines on the Disneyland RR are the C. K. Holliday, the E. P. Ripley, the Fred Gurley, the Ernest S. Marsh and the newest train, the Ward Kimball.

I know what you're asking right now: who the heck are these people who had engines named after them? Let's have a look:

C. K. Holliday

Namesake: Cyrus Kurtz Holliday (1826 – 1900)
Founder of the Atchison & Topeka Railroad (forerunner of the Santa Fe Railroad, established in 1859)
Color: Red cab / Red Wheels

E.P. Ripley

Namesake: Edward Payson Ripley (1845 – 1920)
First president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (1895)
Color: Green cab / Red Wheels

Fred Gurley

Namesake: Fred G. Gurley (1889-1976)
President of the Santa Fe Railway from 1944-1957
Color: Green cab / Red Wheels

Ernest S. Marsh

Namesake: Ernest S. Marsh (1903-1975)
President of the Santa Fe Railway from 1957-1966
Color: Red cab / Red Wheels

Ward Kimball

Namesake: Ward Kimball (1914 – 2002)
Legendary Disney animator, Imagineer and railroad enthusiast who actively shared Walt Disney's love of trains and railroading
Color: Red cab / Red Wheels

Why all these references to people involved with the Santa Fe? Simple: when Walt Disney first tried to find sponsors to help offset the cost of building the original Disneyland Railroad, the Santa Fe was the only company that came forward. Indeed, the Disneyland Railroad was originally known as the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad.

A great piece of trivia for those who are nutty about this stuff: The new Ward Kimball locomotive's headlight features a gold leaf silhouette of Kimball's creation, Jiminy Cricket, based on a drawing of the character Kimball made shortly before his death. It's not a "hidden Mickey" but it's still worth trying to spot if you're at Disneyland.

And since we're talking about trivia, here's something else to think about: The costumes for the conductors are based on 1930's New Orleans police uniforms.

Not only that, the trains use regulation whistle signals if you pay attention next time you're at one of the parks:

• one short toot for attention,
• two shorts when ready to leave the station,
• four long toots to indicate train in distress,
• two long, one short, one long for approching a station, and
• one long, one short, two longs for leaving a station.

You can learn more about the DLRR and WDWRR by popping over to Wikipedia too, surprisingly enough: Disneyland Railroad and Disneyworld Railroad.

As for me, well, yes, I do really happen to like Disneyworld and rarely go without at least a short ride on the railroad there. :-)