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The Grizzly Flats Railroad (GFRR) was a 3-foot (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad owned by Disney animator Ward Kimball at his home in San Gabriel, California. The railroad had 900 feet (274.3 m) of track, and was operated from 1942 to 2006.
Ward, an animator for the Walt Disney Studios and part-time railroad hobbyist, decided to purchase the last remaining passenger coach from Southern Pacific’s narrow gauge railroad. About the same time, a railfan friend suggested the Kimballs should have an engine to go with their “new” 1881 coach.
We’ll highlight the incredible Grizzly Flats Railroad that Ward and Betty Kimball built in the 1930’s and discover how it is being preserved for future generations today. Finally, we’ll reveal how Kimball was directly responsible for rekindling Walt Disney’s love of railroading, and how this led to Disneyland and the modern theme park ...
Feb 4, 2015 · The railroad is the foundation of the park, and it was Ward Kimball’s passion for such that re-sparked Walt’s love for it. The Grizzly Flats became famous over the decades as the country’s first private full size backyard railroad.
A full-size steam locomotive, which Kimball ran on his private 3-acre (1.2 ha) backyard railroad known as Grizzly Flats Railroad in San Gabriel, California, bears some of his original artwork on the headlamp and cab, and is on permanent display at the museum.
YearTitleCredits1934Animator1934Animator1934Animator1934AnimatorMay 12, 2007 · The Grizzly Flats Railroad’s steam engines traveled for 70 years along a 500-foot-long stretch of rails next to the San Gabriel home of Betty and Ward Kimball. Along the way, the Kimballs’ picturesque narrow-gauge line helped inspire Walt Disney to build the famous passenger train system that circles Disneyland.
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May 12, 2007 · Ward Kimball, an animator who worked on Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Dumbo,” “Fantasia,” “Pinocchio” and “The Three Caballeros,” died in 2002 at age 88. By then, he had already...
