Welcome to Once Upon a Train! Your source for the history and lore of Disney trains, events, products... and more!

Latest Episodes

In our first Whistle Stop episode, we "plus up" a 1911 railroad station clock. A fun little project that imagines what might have been made if the Fort Wilderness Railroad never shut down. Special thanks to jstypography.com!
Once Upon a Train Whistle Stop - FWRR Clock
We explore the inspiration, perspiration, and operation of the magnificent Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, was often asked to write a book about her dad. This amazing museum *is* that book, but done better: It lets visitors walk through an inspiring story about the life and work of one of the greatest figures of the 20th century: Walter Elias Disney. Join me as we look at how her idea first took root, earlier exhibitions and iterations, and finally how a century-old Army barracks became the marvelous museum it is today. All told through the perspective of trains, of course! 0:00 Introduction 1:46 Dad's "stuff" 3:55 Exhibitions 8:58 The first Museum 10:24 Presidi-go! 12:08 An ambulatory ambulance 13:38 Trains, trains, trains 16:03 Preservation or restoration 23:33 Miniatures of miniatures 26:56 D23 and me 29:01 "Just" Diane 31:44 From gym to DDM 32:50 Secrets! 35:03 Extra exhibition 35:41 What are you reading this for? Go to the WDFM!
The Walt Disney Family Museum
Our exciting tale continues! Will the trains survive? Or will they become doorstops and paperweights? Have they ever returned to Fort Wilderness? How did the FWRR logo appear on WDW 50th Anniversary products? All this and more in Part 2 of the Fort Wilderness Railroad story. 0:00 Introduction 3:38 Away we go! 8:28 FWRR products 13:15 Memorialized 17:06 There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow!
Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness Railroad Part 2
What was the Campground Railroad? How did this involve Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse? Why is it now gone? All this and more in this episode of Once Upon a Train. We go on an adventure through the rise, demise, and *arise* of the Fort Wilderness Railroad.
Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness Railroad
We've shared insights about Walt's Lilly Belle - now it's time to learn all about the train cars and the railroad that ran around his home on Carolwood Drive. Come explore the history behind the Carolwood Pacific, the products it inspired, and where you can find evidence of it today. We've got a clean stack and clear track, so welcome aboard!
Walt Disney's Carolwood Pacific Railroad
Welcome back! The second half of our Disneyland Railroad story continues our journey from 1956 through today. Along the way, we'll learn how Walt's team found and Disney-fied historic locomotives, see how the Railroad has grown and evolved, and explore special events from the past 69 years. There are several behind-the-scenes moments that you won't want to miss. The stack is clean and the track is clear, so here we go!
Walt Disney's Disneyland Railroad - Part 2
How did Walt Disney's train hobby help revolutionize the concept of family entertainment? How did a major movie studio end up building steam locomotives? How did Disneyland Railroad management learn from early mistakes? Answers to these questions and much, much more in this episode of Once Upon a Train. Join us on a trip through the Disneyland Railroad's origins, its creation, and its successful - if a bit bumpy - first years of operation. We've got a clean stack and clear track, so welcome aboard!
Walt Disney's Disneyland Railroad - Part 1
On this Grand Circle Tour, we travel across the U.S. to visit the Walt Disney World Railroad. Together, we'll learn about its origins, the history of its locomotives, and the people who made it happen. Then, we'll take a rare look at special rededication events over the years, and some products that the WDWRR inspired. We've got a clean stack and clear track. All Aboard!
The Walt Disney World Railroad
In his own words, Walt Disney's favorite part of the Disneyland Railroad was this "combine" coach. Join Once Upon a Train as we reveal how Walt's childhood influenced the creation of this car, see it prominently featured at Disneyland, learn how it was forgotten for almost 40 years, and discover its ultimate restoration and preservation. We've got a clean stack and clear track. All aboard!
Walt Disney's Forgotten Railcar - the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad Combine
This episode of Once Upon a Train is all about the miniature locomotive Walt Disney personally built - the Lilly Belle. We'll explore its history, look at the models it has inspired, and reveal some behind-the-scenes photos that have never been publicly shared until now. We've got a clean stack and clear track. All aboard!
Walt Disney's Lilly Belle
In our first episode of Once Upon a Train, we explore the story of Casey Jr - from children's book to feature film, from theme parks to products. All aboard!
Walt Disney's Casey Jr.
Subscribe