Disneyland Resort Donates California Zephyr to Western Pacific Railroad Museum

New gallery planned to showcase historic train 

Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 9, 2011 – The Disneyland Resort donated the California Zephyr train previously located in Disney California Adventure park to Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, Calif. Plans for a gallery dedicated to sharing the legacy of the California Zephyr are underway.

The DCA Zephyr, wearing the image of Western Pacific locomotive 804-A, departs the Disney California Adventure Park early on Friday, August 5, 2011. -Disney photo

The train and related artifacts, which were part of the entrance to the theme park, arrived at their new home August 6 and will become part of the museum’s Zephyr Project collection.

The DCA Zephyr floats through the air as the WPRM crew unloads it on Saturday, August 6. -FRRS photo

“Walt Disney’s love of trains made this donation perfectly fitting,” said Disneyland Resort President George A. Kalogridis. “The expansion of Disney California Adventure park provided the opportunity for us to make this meaningful donation and we are thrilled the train will offer museum visitors and train enthusiasts an immersive experience, much like it did here.”

Visitors to the museum will learn about the history of the famous 1950s passenger train through the donated artifacts, while the recreated locomotive will offer the chance to experience what it was like for engineers to guide the stainless steel Zephyr trains through California’s Feather River Canyon.

The cab once operated as a real locomotive. It is an authentic rendition of the Western Pacific Railroad – one of the three railroads that operated the California Zephyr between Chicago and San Francisco from 1949 to 1970. It wears the same number as the last locomotive to lead a westbound California Zephyr into Oakland, Calif. on March 20, 1970. The California Zephyr is one of the most celebrated “name trains” of the 1950s and 60s.

Video provided by Disney.

Link to Disney Parks blog: http://tinyurl.com/DCAZephyr

The FRRS wishes to extend its deepest gratitude to everyone at Disney who made this possible, and to the FRRS members who volunteered their time and effort to this project.

Plans are in progress to create a historic exhibit with the DCA Zephyr as its centerpiece.  Donations for this are being accepted (http://tinyurl.com/ZephyrDonations) for this future exhibit.