I like how they didn't even need to make the train sentient, nor give it a song. But they did anyway because Ward Kimball and Walt Disney were railfans, and you can tell he was designed by railfans.
I'm a former Disneyland Cast Member and I used to operate Casey Jr., my FAVORITE attraction to operate and they didn't teach us any history of this often overlooked little attraction, so this video is wonderful! Something fun to share is that even though Casey Jr. No 9 and Casey Jr. No 7 look just about identical, they have what I'd say are very different personalities. I loved number 7 because it felt "lighter" and a little faster and I swear the seat was more comfortable, and Casey Jr. No 9 was clunkier and "heavier" and felt a bit more unpredictable in operation. I still love collecting Casey Jr. items and I'll never forget what us Fantasyland Cast call "our special boys."
Thanks for sharing your experience! I love learning stories like this. As it happens, my son and his wife were both ride operators in Fantasyland Attractions. I’ll ask them if they have any observations like yours. Also, even though they were meant to be mechanically identical, engines 1 and 2 of the DRR each have their own unique characteristics. I’ve heard engineers share their perspectives on which is “better”.
OMG!!! Casey Junior the Circus Train is my favorite Disney train character, and I love him. my other favorite train character that's not from Disney is Thomas the Tank Engine, I love the video you made. it's just a perfect way to start a video series. Sure, it would be a fitting to first make a video featuring walt's love of trains as many people have done that many times before, but since you decided to open up with a video regarding a Disney train character, you just made my day, Because I never thought anyone would be doing such a little doccumentary regarding Casey Junior, but when you opened up, I just couldn't resist watching this, to be honest I saw your video on the Walt Disney World Railroad first, but I didn't mind, I love trains. BTW I love the title you did on your channel, it suits it perfect. I'm looking forward for more videos regarding more history of trains at Disney. Until then, Happy Railroading!!! 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃
And I'm sorry for forgetting to correct the hom to him when I was talking about Casey Junior. I ment to correct that. (Hom - Him) There, it's all done. Good Day. 🚂🚃🚃🚃@@onceuponatrain
Oh my goodness to say that it is a surprise to see the creator of my dream G scale locomotive put out a video on my favorite cartoon locomotive that would be an understatement! 😂 The video was absolutely a great recap on the history of Casey, I remember having the opportunity to buy one of those accucraft Casey jr's for less then $500 when I was a kid, never got to get it and I haven't seen it under $1000 since then such a rare model. One day I will own a piece of your work!
What I would LOVE is if they made a movie accurate model of Casey, with all his wheels, his visible face like at the end of the movie (Maybe an option to have both faces), and his black & red livery.
Now this was a very fantastic video! I love some of the photos of Casey Jr as well as some new information! And I absolutely am very surprised that you were a part of the development of the accucraft Casey Jr! I've yearned to one day own it! I make my own Casey Jr videos and I'm trying to develop a series on my channel about Casey Jr. Casey Jr has been a constant inspiration and joy in my life since I was a baby. He's the first character I ever drew and practiced on. And the very reason I pursue animation as a passion is because one day, I wanna get to tell his story.
Thank you! I'm delighted to learn that you want to be an animator. Casey Jr. is an under-utilized character in the Disney pantheon. There are plenty of stories to be told about him and his adventures. Please let me know when you launch your CJ channel; I'll be your first subscriber.
I do wish that Disney would consider releasing such items for fans & enthusiasts in limited numbers on an annual basis. Sure this might mean some scalper types might purchase multiple units then sell them on eBay at inflated prices, but there could be a way around this too. If Disney opened a waiting list for each years limited stock (the way Aston Martin do especially during a Bond car release) then ordinary buyers might stand a chance of purchasing these items when they can afford it. Not everyone has the money to buy limited number items when they’re initially released but would consider purchasing them in their own time when they can afford them (especially in tougher economic times). Just my thoughts as someone who collects various Disney items (including trains, monorails, Disneyland/world dioramas) over longer stretches of time. It would also help if they were in scale so fans could build their own mini Disney Parks.
I've worked with the Walt Disney Company for more than 25 years now and have made many great friends there along the way. It is important to note that Disney is a business and that merchandise decisions are based on economics as well as guest interests and wants. Accucraft made a fantastic prototype of Disneyland's C. K. Holliday engine and tender back in 2003. The Park was interested, but concerned that it would be too high a price for most guests and they would only commit to a low number of units. That, in turn, drove the wholesale price up as there were fewer units over which to amortize the development and tooling costs. This would make the retail price even higher. I stopped the product from going forward because it would have been far too expensive and far too limited. My general guidance is that a product must be well made, well designed, desirable, and affordable to most people in the hobby. If we can't fit that criteria, then I don't pursue it. Essentially, if it's something that I'd really want and I really can't justify the cost myself, then I don't want to put anyone else in that frustrating position.
That's a good question. I went back to my photo archive and couldn't find conclusive proof. I then consulted the truly excellent davelandweb.com. Casey had the pilot wheels and side rods until at least 1988. There's a photo of one of the units from the 50th anniversary in 2005 and it had lost the pilot wheels, but still had the main rod. As to "why", it's clear that the pilot wheels were directly attached to the pilot in 1955. Now, the pilot is significantly higher than the track and the wheels would have floated in air. I suspect that they raised the pilot because of the occasional abrasion it might suffer on the hills, or as a safety precaution. The side rods may have been removed simply as a matter of reducing maintenance. I hope someone who knows the answers reads this thread and replies.
