Horse-Drawn Streetcar Book Well Underway...

[DavidLeaphart]

Hi Folks,

For those interested, I'm well into the next book, the Main Street streetcar. It will cover Main Street USA, and how it relates to the "real" Main Streets of America. Also covered will be how streetcars pulled by horses appeared at the turn-of-the-century. The operation of the streetcar at WDW will then be covered along with the engineering behind the car. Research on the book has enabled me to really get to know the horses at their home at Fort Wilderness and to help the cast members with their care and prep. What fun!

I have some info on the web site for this Part 2. The book should be ready by the summer.

David

[Steve DeGaetano]

Well, I'm definitely looking forward to reading about this charming but very underrated attraction!

Bob Gurr could tell you about the design of the seats--which he later used for the seats on the DRR Excursion cars--and presumably for the WDW RR train cars as well!

[DavidLeaphart]

Hey Steve,

Thanks for your note!! I've had some folks say "Huh? the streetcar?" I say yes...it is steel wheel on steel rail!

And the on-going joke, of course, I get from Disney cast members is this is their "hay" burner and the WDW RR is their "oil" burner! Fun stuff. And, an added bonus, how many "locomotives" eat out of your hand?

It will be a fun book, and I agree the streetcar is bypassed by a lot of folks rushing down Main Street to their loss.

Thanks for your note on Bob. He was a big help on the Fort Wilderness Railroad books. I'll definitely drop him a note!

David

[TFN5459]

Hey Steve,

Thanks for your note!! I've had some folks say "Huh? the streetcar?" I say yes...it is steel wheel on steel rail!

And the on-going joke, of course, I get from Disney cast members is this is their "hay" burner and the WDW RR is their "oil" burner! Fun stuff. And, an added bonus, how many "locomotives" eat out of your hand?

It will be a fun book, and I agree the streetcar is bypassed by a lot of folks rushing down Main Street to their loss.

Thanks for your note on Bob. He was a big help on the Fort Wilderness Railroad books. I'll definitely drop him a note!

David

Reminds me a lot of John Allen's G&D engine 13, a stegosarus. This will be an interesting book as the main street vehicles are sadly overlooked when it comes to attractions. I'm looking forward to it.

[Roy]

...I'm well into the next book...It will cover...how streetcars pulled by horses appeared at the turn-of-the-century...

Very interesting. I wouldn't expect there were many horsecars left, by the turn of the century. Especially, on Main Streets.

[Roy]

Thinking about the cars appearance, I rewatched A Trip Down Market Street (1906). I knew California law was changed in the 1890s to require glass-enclosed ends, and indeed, all trolleys and grips seen had the later fronts. Just before the end of the line at the Embarcadero, you see some double-ended horse cars. They all retained their open sills, so were apparently exempted.

[IDMT129]

You could "hand feed" a steamer. I would not want my bare hand near the firebox to do it, but it could be done. Both "horses" need watered and fed to work properly, the difference is you can lead a train to water and force it to drink.

An engine does not run from a hose at bath time, does not mind if you ride another engine, does not make fun of the other engines in the barn, and can't get pregnant by another engine. They are however cost prohibitive for private ownership, and require special roads to operate on.

[Fire Geek]

This will be an interesting book as the main street vehicles are sadly overlooked when it comes to attractions.

I rode in the tricked-out fire engine on Main Street and had a great conversation with the driver about how honored it must be to drive the same engine that Walt used to drive while he patrolled the Park in the mornings before it opened. He told me the last photo of Walt taken in public before he died was in that vehicle. There is a painting of it hanging in the Opera House. It also shows Mickey with 5 fingers!

http://flickr.com/gp/teamdeakyne/3229g1

http://flickr.com/gp/teamdeakyne/bm79Ja

[tractor]

I walked into a barn a few years ago and found a few of the LA Railway street cars

[Roy]

I walked into a barn a few years ago and found a few of the LA Railway street cars

Are we talking horsecars?