Santa Fe & Disneyland R.R.
This oil-burning steam locomotive #2546 was built in 1911 at the ALCo’s Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was known as the Consolidation type 2-8-0 and after 1875 it was the most popular railroad engine type in the country, for almost 50 years. It weighs over 1,000 tons, and the oil tender behind weighs about the same. The locomotive had a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Not so fast these days, but fast enough in the late 1800s.
Steam engine #2546 was given to the City of Marceline by Santa Fe and placed in Ripley Square on December 20, 1955.
On a visit to Marceline in 1956, Walt Disney waved to the crowd in Ripley Square from the cab of our steam engine, with his brother Roy standing between the engine and oil tender. Painted on the side, “A.T.& S.F” stands for Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. It was Walt’s idea to paint Santa Fe & Disneyland R.R. on the side. When Disneyland first opened, the Disneyland Railroad attraction was sponsored by the Santa Fe Railroad, so the attraction was originally named the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad. Disneyland doesn’t need the sponsorship anymore, so the “Santa Fe” has been removed from the name, but we still have it proudly painted on the side of our engine here.
Walt's love for trains is well documented, that interested started during his time in Marceline. Trains were and still are an integrated part of everyday life here in Marceline.
It was because the of the Santa Fe Railroad, needing a division point along this part of the tracks, that Marceline was founded. In 1888, a depot was built and a town was established. In the early days, the new town grew fast, coal mines operated to fuel the steam engines and a lake was dammed to supply water for the steam engines.
An average of 70 trains come through everyday. The Gracia Street Bridge is a great place to view the passing trains.