Casey Jr. Circus Train

Casey Jr. Circus Train
Casey Jr. Circus Train No. 9 at Disneyland, California
Disneyland
Area Fantasyland
Coordinates 33°48′49″N 117°55′09″W / 33.8137°N 117.9193°W / 33.8137; -117.9193
Status Operating
Opening date July 17, 1955
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Name Casey Jr. Le Petit Train du Cirque
Area Fantasyland
Coordinates 48°52′31″N 2°46′30″E / 48.8754°N 2.7751°E / 48.8754; 2.7751
Status Operating
Opening date March 20, 1994
General statistics
Designer WED Enterprises / Walt Disney Imagineering
Theme Dumbo
Vehicle type Train
Duration 3:40 (Disneyland)
Hosted by Ring Master
Manufacturer Arrow Development (Disneyland)
Vekoma (Disneyland Paris)
Must transfer from wheelchair

The Casey Jr. Circus Train is the name of a ridable miniature railroad attraction found at Disneyland and a powered roller coaster attraction found at Disneyland Paris. Based on the train of the same name from the 1941 film Dumbo, it gives passengers a tour of many miniature versions of scenes from Disney animated films. This tour is similar to the one given on the slower paced Storybook Land Canal Boats, but does not incorporate narration.[1] The original attraction was operating during the grand opening of Disneyland on July 17, 1955, but was closed the following day for safety testing and reopened on July 31, 1955.[2]

Casey Jr. Circus Train at Disneyland Paris is designed as a roller coaster for small children through Storybook Land, giving riders good views of the Storybook Land castle and other scenes that are not as visible from the Storybook Land Canal Boats.

The Skyway used to pass over part of the Casey Junior Circus Train track.

The original 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[3] internal combustion-powered railroad version at Disneyland was manufactured by Arrow Development.[4][5] The powered roller coaster version of the ride in Disneyland Paris was manufactured by Vekoma.[6]

Opening

Casey Jr. at Disneyland Paris

About an hour and a half to an hour prior to Disneyland opening time, or its own opening time, cast members will inspect the trainset which laid-over at the station as well as the entire trackage before cold starting the callopie car. They will let the engine warm up for a little bit before taking it on a test run to get it running. If the second trainset is needed, it will back out of the roundhouse via the green switching track before running the rest of the route to the station.

Operation

Trains

Casey Jr. has two train sets: No. 7 and No. 9. They consist of (from front to back) a locomotive resembling Casey, a calliope car, a pink open-top chair car seating 4, a monkey and wild animal cage, another open-top chair car painted blue, and a caboose. The Casey Jr. locomotive however isn't the motive power; the callopie car has an internal combustion engine that pushes the Casey Jr. locomotive and pulls the rolling stock as well as having an air compressor to generate compressed air for the brakes, whistle, etc. (this can be distinguished by the callopie car having black drive wheels instead of the usual blue wheels). To start the train, ride operators use a method where they turn the narration on, release the brakes, blow the whistle twice, apply some throttle then throw the reverser into forwards, after which they slowly increase the throttle to top notch to prevent wheelslip. All of this is done in quick succession to be in sync with the narration.

Route

Casey departs the station and curves parallel to the docks of the Storybook Land Canal Boats attraction. Then it passes the hidden backstage area and climbs up the hill with Casey chanting "I think I can". After it completes the hill, it will curve again this time parallel to the station but separated by the Storybook Land water. Then the train will continue and pass above the water and spiral down, where a block signal will stop it to verify its presence (lately in single-train operations, the trains would just go through the block without stopping). Once it turns green, the train goes into the station with the ringmaster saying it's the end of the lion (really meaning the end of the line). The trains will go slightly slower if both are out. No two trains will ever be out on the line at the same time because one train must be boarding and the other one running, despite having 4 block signals.

Closing

Casey Jr. Circus Train
Roundhouse
(not open to public)
Fantasyland

After the final trip around Storybookland at Disneyland closing time, one trainset will lay over at the station, have its engine switched off, then the ride operators will inspect the tracks one more time before leaving the attraction for the night. If two-train operations are active and aren't needed anymore, then one of the trainsets (typically the one that stayed at the station overnight), will deadhead into the roundhouse. Both trainsets will typically take turns in the roundhouse each night.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "MousePlanet Park Guide - Disneyland Resort - Casey Jr. Circus Train". Retrieved May 16, 2010.
  2. ↑ Broggie (2014), pp. 284–286.
  3. ↑ "The Unknown Engineer of the Disneyland Railroad". MiceChat. June 15, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Arrow Dynamics and The Amusement Park Train". Discover Live Steam. January 3, 2002. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ Gurr, Bob (November 27, 2013). "DESIGN: Those Were The Times – No.23 1955 Arrow Development – Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon". MiceChat. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  6. ↑ RCDB.com - Casey Jr., Le Petit Train du Cirque

Bibliography

  • Broggie, Michael (2014), Walt Disney's Railroad Story: The Small-Scale Fascination That Led to a Full-Scale Kingdom (4th ed.), The Donning Company Publishers, ISBN 978-1-57864-914-3
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