Walt Disney’s 2,615-foot backyard railway dated to 1950; after the house came down, one small barn was rescued and relocated

In 1950, Walt Disney built the Carolwood Pacific Railroad at his Holmby Hills home, complete with a working steam locomotive, tunnel and trestle. Beyond Walt Disney's career in animation and film production, his passion for trains was evident in many ways. In 1950, he converted his backyard in Los Angeles, which he had acquired in Holmby Hills, into a model train set with 2,615 feet of rail tracks that encircled his property. It was famously named the Carolwood Pacific railroad, and it included a wooden bridge, a tunnel, and a red barn. According to the Carolwood society, the railway was employed by Disney for his entertainment purposes. Disney used the railway to amuse his family members and friends while spending time away from his studio schedule.A miniature locomotive inside Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn within the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum. (Wikimedia Commons)The house where the family lived had already been torn down. One part of the backyard railway was saved; the little red barn was carefully dismantled, moved to Griffith Park, and reconstructed, allowing visitors to see surviving pieces of Disney's personal history. The Los Angeles Times reported on the barn's relocation and its preservation in 1999.How Disney turned his backyard into a miniature railwayIn 1950, Walt Disney, along with his wife, Lillian moved to their new estate in Holmby Hills at 355 North Carolwood Drive. By this time, Walt had taken up trains as his hobby. It was partially inspired by his fellow animator and friend Ollie Johnston, who shared a common interest in trains. Walt Disney wanted to construct a miniature railway using live steam around his new residence. He christened the train as Carolwood Pacific Railroad after the street in which he resided. This model railway included a 46-foot wooden trestle and a 90-foot tunnel that ran beneath part of Lillian's garden.Lilly Belle was the name of the locomotive, a working steam engine. Disney was actively involved in operating and maintaining the locomotive as he did not consider the railway to be merely ornamental. Some photographs preserved in the Library of Congress, show him working on the locomotive machinery as well as riding in the early 1950s. The structure, designed to resemble the barn Disney remembered from his childhood in Marceline, Missouri, served as both a workshop and a control room. It housed equipment for operating the railway switches and provided Disney with space to work on his locomotive and model railroads.From a personal hobby to an influence on DisneylandThe Carolwood Pacific Railroad served as a personal attraction to Disney's family and friends. Weekends would simply be spent riding the small train and getting a first-hand look at the railroad. The project was also an example of Disney's interest in combining the elements of storytelling, mechanical creation, and entertainment in a tangible form. However, Disney's passion for railways did not confine itself to his own backyard alone. He envisioned Disneyland as a place where visitors could move easily between different attractions, and this idea became an important part of his original plan for the park.Nevertheless, the Carolwood Pacific Railroad stopped operating the railway after an accident involving a young visitor who was burned by steam from the locomotive in 1953. Therefore, Walt Disney devoted himself entirely to the development of Disneyland. The track and other equipment remained on the property for many years, while the red barn became a symbol of the period when he was building his dream.The Carolwood Pacific Railroad Room within the Boulder Ridge Villas. (Wikimedia Commons.)How the red barn found a new home in Griffith ParkThe fate of the barn was uncertain when Disney's family property passed to other ownership. After the death of his wife Lillian in 1997, the Holmby Hills estate was put up for sale. Although the new owners initially wanted to preserve the house, they ultimately decided to tear it down because of its poor condition and asbestos issue. Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, wanted to save the little barn from destruction prior to the redevelopment of the property. She turned to Michael and Sharon Broggie, co-founders of Carolwood Society, who played an important role in the preservation of the building.Transporting the barn as an entire entity would have been impossible; rather, it was taken apart bit by bit and carefully marked so that it could later be reconstructed at its new location. It was necessary for the task to be done with care because there was a desire to preserve as much of the original structure as possible. In July 1999, the reassembled barn was dedicated at the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum in Griffith Park. The barn, which has an area of 832 square feet, was loaned permanently to the railroad club from the Walt Disney Family Educational Foundation. Today, the Carolwood Society takes care of Walt's barn and preserves the railroad history of Disney.The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country. Our coverage includes the White House, Congress, US elections, immigration and visa updates, H-1B, green cards, Social Security, education, jobs, layoffs, the economy, technology and major policy changes. 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