Disneyrewind - June 23, 2005 Disneyland Railroad dedicates engine #5 "Ward Kimball"

Disneyrewind - June 23, 2005 Disneyland Railroad dedicates engine #5 "Ward Kimball"

The Disneyland Railroad #5 Ward Kimball has had a busy life.  She was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1902 as an 0-4-4. Weighing in at 15 tons empty she is propelled by 4 30" driving wheels via 2 9x14 pistons.  She was originally purchased by the Laurel Valley Plantation in Thibodaux Louisiana for use as a sugar cane hauler. Retired in 1926, #5 sat until 1961 when Mr. Aruthur LaSalle purchased all of the Plantations railroad equipment.  LaSalle soon after aquiring her sold her to George Roose, one of the owners of Cedar point Amusement park in Sandusky Ohio. She was restored and converted to a 2-4-4T and ran at Cedar Point until being retired in 1992 as "Maud L".

Meanwhile, in 1995 Bill Norred traded his 1927 2-4-4T Davenport locomotive to Disneyland for five retired clerestory-roofed "Retlaw One" coaches. Being too large for Disneylands Railroad, The Davenport was sent to Walt Disney World and put into service as the #5 Ward Kimball. She was decided to be too small for the Walt Disney World Railroad and was never really used.

In 1999 Walt Disney World traded the 1927 Davenport for Cedar Points 1902 Baldwin, "Maud L".  Maud was sent to Boschan Boiler and Restorations of Carson California in 2004 to be restored. "Maud L" went into service on June 25, 2005 on the Disneyland railroad as the #5 Ward Kimball.