The Fort Wilderness Railroad coverage spans two volumes. The main volume contains the story of the railroad, and a companion volume contains four pictorial galleries for your viewing pleasure. The companion has a Photo Gallery, a 3D Gallery, the "Then n Now" Gallery, and finally an Art Gallery. The covers for the two volumes are shown below to the right. 

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Last Update: August 24, 2010
Please send any comments/questions/suggestions/contributions to dleaphart@steelwheelonsteelrail.com.  Thanks!

In the Summer of 2007, I made the plunge to create a book on Walt Disney World Railroads. I, like others, have had a huge interest in Disney and railroads since I was a kid back in the 50's. I've had an interest to combine my Disney, rail, and art interests into a book for some time. What sparked the fire was meeting and talking with Michael Broggie at the National Garden Railway Convention in 2007. My talks with him were very encouraging! He created the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society (CPHS) to celebrate and continue Walt Disney's love of railroading. I have since joined the CPHS, and have enjoyed the benefits of membership in this great society. When you get a chance, please visit www.carolwood.com and see the wonderful efforts by the Michael and all of the members and fans of the Society.

 "...books should appeal to both the railfan and Disney fan..."

The book should appeal to both the railfan and Disney fan. I will touch on Walt Disney's railroading inspiration for the reader's benefit, but Michael Broggie's book goes the long mile on that. (See the end of the web site for a link to the CPHS site in order to purchase a copy of Michael's book.) The Carolwood Pacific Historical Society's Un-Meetings at Walt Disney World have been great sources of information and inspiration. I have been able to spend a lot of time with Michael Broggie, other CPHS members, former Fort Wilderness Railroad cast members, and the WDW RR folks. The most influential former Fort Wilderness Railroad cast members are Vern Conner, Ron Fink, and Dave Martin. Their first hand knowledge of the railroad is tremendous and has really pushed the detail and accuracy of the story. They have been very patient with my constant questions! I had the privilege of talking with Roger Broggie, Jr, who was the shop foreman and project manager for the construction of the locomotives and cars in California. Roger was able to clarify a number of construction items on the trains and has been great mentor. Another wonderful person is Bob Harpur. Bob is the former Disney Imagineer who has contributed to every railroad in all of the Disney parks around the world! He held the enviable position of technical foreman for the Fort Wilderness Railroad from 1973 to 1977! His knowledge and stories have been invaluable in the creation of this story. A key person who has filled in the gaps on the story and corrected many misconceptions about the railroad is Jimmy Graves. Jimmy was intimately involved with everything steam at Walt Disney World since its inception and was the roundhouse foreman for the Fort Wilderness Railroad, from beginning to end! Another key contributor to the book has been someone whom we all know through his website on the Fort Wilderness Railroad. He is David Rose, webmaster of www.fortwildernessrr.com. His help with the the engineering of the railroad has been critical! A tireless historian and railfan has been invaluable with his help and knowledge of the old line. Best of all, he is on the Walt Disney World property most every day. His name is Johnny Chaffin and he is a cast member (engineer and fireman) on the Walt Disney World Railroad in the Magic Kingdom. At this point, I have conversed with and interviewed over 40 fans, guests, and former cast members of the railroad. Each has made first hand contributions to the book, and you will meet them all as you read the upcoming book.

"conversed with and interviewed over 40 fans, guests, and former cast members of the railroad....."

My over-all goal for the book is, like Michael Broggie's efforts, to keep the Walt Disney rail legacy strong. While Disneyland California has had a wealth of coverage, I felt that Walt Disney World's coverage was lagging. So far, over 2500 hours of effort have been expended on the book, which includes research, many trips to Fort Wilderness and the Magic Kingdom, and graphics production. I want these volumes to be the definitive source of information on these railroads, much like the wonderful Disneyland Railroad books by Steve DeGaetano. Steve has been a great source of help and guidance. Please visit the end of this web site for links to Steve's great books. And, much to everyone's interest, Steve is now working on a second edition of his Disneyland Railroad book!

"So far, over 2500 hours of effort have been expended on the book.."

To spark your interest, some of the graphic works are included here for you. Below is a composite of the Fort Wilderness locomotive and rolling stock. To create this composite required over 200 hours of research and computer work. There were no references for all of the details, especially the art work. Key photographs, especially taken by Fort Wilderness fan Dick Frampton, and engineering help by Michael Campbell have allowed me to create a historically accurate rendition of the train.

"...over 200 hours of research and computer work..."

The design and construction of the locomotive by Disney was quite an engineering undertaking, especially the construction of a steam locomotive in the 1970's! With the aid of engineering information from David Rose, Roger Broggie, Jr., and Bob Harpur, I have been able to create a construction composite of the locomotive. In the book, I'll walk through the construction of the locomotive, from the ground up!

A key part of the book's coverage is the right of way for the railroad. Vern Conner, Johnny Chaffin, and I have walked the old roadbed in order to pinpoint it for everyone. Vern has been a terrific guide since he has traveled these ways many, many times! Current aerial photos of the Fort will be presented with overlays of the track, crossings, grounding straps, insulators, and GPS coordinates. With the coverage in the book, anyone interested in finding and walking the old roadbed will have all they need to make the trek. The photos below are from our roadbed tracking adventures as well as the aerial overlay for the Gateway Depot area.

The history of the railroad will be made colorful by presenting "Then n Now" coverage. Photos of the railroad are presented along with a current photo taken from the same spot as the original photographer. Below are a sampling of these "Then n Now" creations.

A lot of effort has been expended to locate photographs of the railroad that have never been published. I have had the best time meeting various folks who enjoyed the railroad over the years and who have been kind in contributing their photos to this great story. I think you will enjoy seeing the railroad like you have never seen it before!