[Question] DLRR: Recommended Reading?

[StrikeYerColors]

Hiya folks!

I recently have been itching to expand my knowledge about the Disneyland Railroad and related topics. I visited the Walt Disney Family Museum last winter and really enjoyed some of the accounts about Walt and his backyard railroad, and also I have always enjoyed Steve DeGaetano's articles here on the site.

I am looking to track down copies of both of Steve's books to borrow or buy, and also a copy of Michael Broggie's book. If you have these and can help me out in any way or even point to a library with them on the shelves, that would be awesome.

In the meantime, I would love recommendations for other reading on the topic of the DLRR. I am sure there are some great articles from the old E Ticket magazine to track down? Or anything else. I'm not much interested in too much web reading (hurts my eyes), but if there is an extremely well known DLRR site with in depth research, I would be interested to check it out.

I feel like such a newb! I know next to nothing about steam power and really only know the broad history of the DLRR. But that trains exhibit, plus the Family Museum visit, plus my first ever visit to Fullerton Railroad Days this year really caused me to consider the topic in a more in depth light!

Thanks friends.

[bigcatrik]

Re: DLRR: Recommended Reading?

Coincidentally I was reading Yesterland today about the original configuration of the DL railroad system. Here are three interesting articles -- the train was an E ticket at one time!

Passenger Train at Yesterland
Fantasyland Depot at Yesterland
Tomorrowland Railroad Station at Yesterland

[Steve DeGaetano]

Re: DLRR: Recommended Reading?

The articles I've written here are far more in-depth than my book on the DRR, and may be used to create a much-expanded second edition, so I'd reccommend starting there. My book on the Ward Kimball is still available, and is a pretty good story about that particular engine.

One of the best sites on the net devoted to the DRR can be found here:
http://www.burnsland.com/disneyrailr...wforum.php?f=2

If you can get Issue 19 of The E Ticket, that will give you a great basic understanding of the railroad as well.

You can get an PDF e-version of Broggie's masterwork for only $19.95 here: Walt Disney's Railroad Story - pdf E-Edition - BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS

This is a steal and highly reccommended. It's more of a biography of Walt, and the chapters on the DRR are fairly short, but you really do need to understand the man to see why the DRR is featured so prominently.

I'd avoid the Wikipedia article on the DRR; it often has innaccuracies.

And of course, as your knowledge grows, you can always ask questions here!

[HiddenMickeyBook]

Re: DLRR: Recommended Reading?

I always enjoyed the E Ticket's articles and photos. And Steve is right: any question you can ask in here will be well answered!

[StrikeYerColors]

Re: DLRR: Recommended Reading?

Thanks Steve, and thanks everyone!

I would love to see a 2nd edition of your book that includes the great articles you've done here. I read them all as they came out and they are definitely on the re read list now that I want to retain a general knowledge of the attraction's history. Do you know of any libraries that have a copy of the book?

I found that the Orange public library has two copies of Broggie's book. One is for checkout and one is always there in the local history section, available for reading there. I put the checkout one in reserve so that I can get it for 3 weeks later this month.

When I was at the Family Museum, they had a great selection of E Ticket issues, so on my next trip north I know what to look for.
And the history of the Ward Kimball is going to go on my Christmas list!
Excited to get reading again. Thanks again guys!