Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad

Coordinates: 22°18′47″N 114°02′38″E / 22.313116°N 114.044027°E / 22.313116; 114.044027

Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad
The attraction poster for the HKDRR
Hong Kong Disneyland
Status Operating
Opening date September 12, 2005
General statistics
Attraction type Railroad attraction
Designer Walt Disney Imagineering
Length 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Vehicle type Train
Vehicles
Duration 20 minutes
No. of tracks Single
Track gauge 3 ft (914 mm)
Sponsor UPS
(2005–present?)

The Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge rail transport attraction in Hong Kong Disneyland,[1] which opened on September 12, 2005, the same day the park opened. Its route is 5,000 feet (1,500 m) long and encircles the majority of the park with stations in the Main Street, U.S.A. and Fantasyland sections.[1]

Ride Experience

Main Street Station is the first station seen upon entering Hong Kong Disneyland in Main Street, U.S.A.. From there, guests can start their journey around the park, with a recorded narration commenting on visited landscapes.

Just right after the train departs Main Street Station, the train travels through Adventureland and the rivers of the Jungle River Cruise. After passing through the jungle, the train arrives in Fantasyland and makes a stop at the Fantasyland Station. Passengers who wish to visit this land may disembark at this station.

After dropping off and picking up passengers, the train then departs Fantasyland Station. Upon departure, passengers are able to see the Fantasy Gardens, Mad Hatter Tea Cups, and the walkway to It's a Small World. The train also travels underneath the queue line of The Golden Mickeys (now Mickey and the Wondrous Book).

The train then leaves Fantasyland and passes through Tomorrowland, where passengers can see Space Mountain and some of the tracks of Autopia (before its closure in June 2016). It also passes through the showbuilding of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, where audio-animatronics of the Little Green Men are seen waving to the passengers (before the Astro Blasters closed on August 31, 2017).

After passing through Tomorrowland, the train finally arrives back at the Main Street Station, bringing the journey around the park to a finish.

During peak traffic periods, the railroad offers only one-way trips where all passengers must disembark at the Fantasyland Station and re-board for the return trip to Main Street, U.S.A. (and vice versa).

Rolling stock

Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad
Locomotive shed
(not open to public)
 Fantasyland
Mystic Point Freight Depot
(display only)
Main Street, U.S.A.
Ferry, metro, and bus transfers
(via short walks outside park)

The Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad operates three 4-4-0 steam-outline locomotives supplied by Severn Lamb, which were named after past Walt Disney Company presidents.[1][2] There are also two sets of train cars, each consisting of five coaches with a total seating capacity of 250 people per train.

Unlike other railroads at Disneyland-style parks, where the trains are powered by actual steam locomotives, Hong Kong Disneyland's trains are powered by steam-outline locomotives, which are diesel locomotives with the outward appearance of steam locomotives.[1] This means that the tenders are the real locomotives that haul the trains, as they contain the prime mover, traction motors, diesel fuel and generators that supply electricity to the rest of the train. This is due to Hong Kong's strict emissions standards, which also served as a cost-effective measure which obviated the need to build new steam locomotives, or the finding and transport to Hong Kong of suitable existing narrow gauge steam locomotives. As a result, in order to mimic the sound of an actual steam locomotive, typical steam audio (chuffing, steam whistle, etc.) are emitted from a set of hidden speakers installed on each locomotive. Despite the fact that they are not steam-powered, Dana Amendola, the author of All Aboard: The Wonderful World of Disney Trains, describes the locomotives as "a representation of the golden age of railroading."[1]

Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad rolling stock details
Number Name Namesake Image Wheel arrangement Date built Builder Serial number Date entered service Notes
1 Walter E. Disney Walt Disney
4-4-0 N/A Severn Lamb N/A 12 Sep 2005 Named after Walt Disney, President from 1923 to 1966.
2 Roy O. Disney Roy O. Disney
4-4-0 N/A Severn Lamb N/A 12 Sep 2005 Named after Roy O. Disney, President from 1966 to 1971.
3 Frank G. Wells Frank Wells
4-4-0 N/A Severn Lamb N/A 12 Sep 2005 Named after Frank Wells, President from 1984 to 1994.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Amendola (2015), pp. 176–181.
  2. ↑ "T-Park Article". Severn Lamb. May 6, 2014. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017.

Bibliography

  • Amendola, Dana (2015), All Aboard: The Wonderful World of Disney Trains (1st ed.), Disney Editions, ISBN 978-1-4231-1714-8
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