Bidders have a chance to purchase a rare piece of Walt Disney history. An archive of Carolwood Pacific Railroad items is on the auction block. The Carolwood Pacific Railroad was Walt’s personal backyard railroad. It served as the inspiration for the Disneyland Railroad and locomotives at all future Disney theme parks.
Heritage Auctions is offering the lot as part of its The Art of the Disney Theme Park / Disney Storybook Art Collection Signature Auction. The auction runs April 8 – 10. We’ll be showcasing a number of Disney Parks items from the auction in great detail here on the site over the next few weeks.
According to the Heritage Auctions press release, the archive is “comprised of the actual plans for Walt Disney’s Carolwood Pacific Railroad and an original set of cyanotype blueprints for the Lilly Belle steam locomotive.” The Lilly Belle, a 1/8 scale coal-fueled steam engine, provided the power to the Carolwood Pacific.
The Carolwood Pacific Railroad first operated in the backyard of Walt Disney’s Holmby Hills, California home. The Carolwood Pacific ran on a half-mile of 7-1/4″ gauge track. It began operating in 1950, five years before Disneyland opened.
Numerous artifacts are included in the lot.
- Master Backyard Layout, including extensive hand-written notes and “Use this for layout. 6/1/51 Walt”
- Additional blueprints, including locomotive, rolling stock, bridge, and track layout drawings
- Printed plans for Walt Disney’s residence itself and a timber trestle
- A topographical map of Carolwood Drive
In total, the lot is comprised of approximately 60 pieces. No price estimation has been published. The auction includes numerous Disney artifacts, but none tied so closely to Walt Disney himself.
