Two Crossings: Walt Disney and the C&Sng, part 2

The second connection between Walt Disney and the C&S narrow gauge is less direct. Disneyland’s dramatic success after its opening in 1955 spawned numerous copycat parks across the country. One such park was Magic Mountain constructed in Golden, Colorado. It too was designed as a mock-up town with a narrow gauge railroad ride. The owners sought out equipment from Bob Richardson whose Narrow Gauge Museum had recently relocated from Alamosa to Golden and been rechristened the Colorado Railroad Museum. Richardson, and his new partner Cornelius Hauck, were in need of funds to construct their new property and so decided to sell several pieces of narrow gauge equipment to the park in 1959, including C&S refrigerator car 1116 and boxcar 8308, along with a Rio Grande gondola, Rio Grande Southern caboose, and RGS engine 42. Both C&S cars had gone to the RGS in 1937. Bob had acquired them for his museum upon the abandonment of that railroad.

The Magic Mountain train, 1959 Otto Perry photo, Denver Public Library Special Collections OP-12571

The Magic Mountain story is a sad one. First the park tore the two C&S cars down to the frames and constructed open-air rider tops on them. Next, the park declared bankruptcy less than a year after its opening. The cars were then moved around with the rest of the train for display at various spots in Colorado and finally returned to the park, now reopened as a largely shopping-focused attraction called Heritage Square, and used for stationary food-service (first, one could eat inside the cars, and later they were converted to walk-up food stands). 

1116 or 8303 as a foodstand being moved to the Loop
Stephen Peck photo

In the early 1990s, the Ashbys of the Georgetown Loop, a reconstructed C&S engineering marvel, purchased both cars in order to return them to rail service on the tourist line. Loop crews completed 1116’s restoration, but not 8308’s. Following a change of operator on the line in 2004 the two spent time at the Colorado Railroad Museum (returning to CRM after nearly a half century of absence), but 1116 later returned to the Loop and is today the only piece of Colorado & Southern narrow gauge equipment in regular revenue service.

C&S refrigerator car 1116 on the Georgetown Loop today

C&S 8308 remains at CRM as a flatcar with the body of C&S boxcar 8310 sitting on top of it.

8308 at CRM today with the body of 8310 on top

The worth of this second Disney-C&S connection is bit debatable. C&S 1116 and 8308 were both already saved by Richardson and their time at Magic Mountain destroyed most of the cars’ bodies. Had they stayed at CRM they would have remained historically sound. It is what is, but we at least have the pleasure today of being able to ride on one C&S car at the Loop. 

On the other hand, it is fun to note that Walt Disney can tip his hat, at least partially (ok, very very partially), to the C&S narrow gauge-as presented at the Chicago RR Fair-for inspiration for his wildly successful railroad-connected park design. Dreams have to start somewhere, and engine 9 and cars 13, 76, and 911 can say they had a small hand in inspiring a Magic Kingdom.

C&S No. 9 on display today in Breckenridge