A Week Of Adventures & More – Day 2

Walt’s Barn, now part of the displays at the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum.

The adventures of Sunday happened to coincide with Father’s Day for 2026.

And starting the day with a connection to Walt Disney seemed just the thing. A short drive to Griffith Park found us at the home of the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum. Seeing how Walt was such a pioneer influence on the miniature railroad hobby, having the barn from his Carolwood Pacific Railroad located here is very appropriate.

While the barn was inspired by Walt’s childhood time in Marceline, Missouri, it was something of a sanctuary at the family home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood. It offered a place where he could tinker on the equipment of the railroad as well as something of a showplace to demonstrate the operations to visitors. Visitors who ran the gamut from other hobbyists to artists including Salvador Dali to actors such as Kirk Douglas. Even family members such as son-in law, Ron Miller were known to have taken a spin at the throttle of the Lilly Belle locomotive for a trip through the Yensid Valley through the backyard.

After Lillian passed away, the home was sold, arrangements were made to preserve the barn. It was carefully disassembled and moved for display at its current location with the support of the Walt Disney Family Foundation, and the creation of the Carolwood Foundation, insuring ongoing care.

Diane Disney Miller, with the caboose of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. Today it’s on display with much of the original train from the railroad, including the Lilly Belle steam locomotive, in Gallery Nine at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

Today the barn houses a great collection of items that tell much of the story of Walt’s railroad story. Another part of that story is also on display here, in the presence of the combination baggage car and coach car from 1955’s Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad. Said to be Walt’s favorite car, it harkened back to a summer job Walt once had selling snacks and souvenirs aboard trains of the Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad combine car, displayed next to Walt’s Barn.

Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad combine 101 in service at the Santa Margarita Ranch for a special reunion event with its coaches in 2011. Photo by Steve Hinkle.

Also a railroad hobbyist at the Disney Studio was animator Ollie Johnston. He not only had a full-sized narrow gauge steam railroad, but also had his own backyard railroad. The restored station from that railroad is displayed next to the combine car.

The restored station of Ollie Johnston’s Flintridge and La Canada.

It turned out to be a wonderful afternoon with plenty of folks we had not seen in a while including all of the Walt’s Barn volunteers as well as Disney Legend Bob Gurr! Not to mention a visit from Toy Story’s Pizza Planet Truck.

With things winding down, we headed off to a late lunch at another classic dining spot with an animation history. Burbank’s Coral Cafe. Sharp-eyed viewers of the documentary film, “Floyd Norman: An Animated Life” will recall this as a regular meeting spot for folks from the industry. A cast of real characters, if you will! Leo and I were joined by good friends Michelle and Noe Valladolid for a hearty meal.

All in all, a great second day of our week long adventures!