Famous Railfans?

[Aa3rt]

After making my post last night, I happened to stumble across a show on PBS about old barns. While normally I probably wouldn't have given this show a second glance, one of the barns featured had originally been on the Disney estate.

It turns out that Walt Disney was born in Chicago but that his family moved to Missouri (not Kansas as I originally thought) when Walt was four years of age.

The barn in Griffith Park is a copy of the barn that was on the Disney farm in Missouri, with extra windows added. This barn had been the workshop that Walt used as the headquarters for his 1/8" scale live-steam miniature railroad. It is now open to the public one weekend a month and is in Griffith Park near the miniature railway that still transports visitors. (Incidentally the only Disney attraction in the world with no admission fee.)

The curator of the museum said that his father had been in the employ of Mr. Disney and that he would go to the Disney estate on weekends to assist running the railroad. Lots of people would attend these weekend operating sessions. The curator included an impressive list of celebrities who had an interest in the railroad. Reportedly Walt was growing concerned about the popularity of the railroad due to the growing crowds. Then in 1950 he made a trip to London and purchased a British 4-6-0 steamer (I believe that it was modeled after a Great Western prototype.) that was larger than the 1/8" scale locomotives and rolling stock already in his collection. The purchase of this larger locomotive coupled with the need for a larger area to run trains is supposedly the impetus that gave Walt the idea for Disneyland.

An aside-I remember reading that Ray Kroc (of McDonald's fame) had served with Walt Disney in the US Ambulance Corps during WW1. Mr. Kroc reportedly stated that they thought Mr. Disney "would never amount to anything" as he spent all of his time drawing pictures of animals.

The railroads at Disneyland are 5/8' scale (running on 3 foot gauge tracks). I remember growing up in the early 1960's-watching "The Wonderful World of Disney" was a Sunday staple and seeing Walt giving updates or "progress reports" on the construction of Disneyland.

[steamal]

MikeB-here are some that come readily to my mind.

Walt Disney and Ward Kimball. IIRC, Mr. Kimball was an animator for Disney Studios and had a huge collection of vintage toy trains as well as a 3-foot gauge steamer (the 2-6-0 Emma Nevada from the Nevada Central) running on his property.

For more on Ward Kimball, check out this link:

http://www.oerm.org/pages/GF.htm

I've seen photos of Mr. Disney at the Chicago Railroad Fair, held in the late 1940's, inspecting the equipment on display. I believe that it was Mr. Disney's interest in railroads that was instrumental in the train rides being an integral part of Disneyland in southern California.

For more on Walt Disney's interest in railroads, follow this link:

http://waltstoytrains.railfan.net/home1.htm

While not necessarily railfans, Frank Sinatra and Roy Campanella (former Brooklyn Dodgers catcher, until his career was cut short by a tragic auto accident) were well known Lionel collectors. In fact, Joe D. narrated a television show titled "Tales of the Red Caboose", basically a Lionel advertising program, on New York television in the early 1950's.

O. Winston Link, professional photographer by trade, made himself and the Norfolk and Western famous with his photos of the end of steam on that railroad. (See the thread already devoted to him.)

Sportswriter Stan Fischler has also written a couple of volumes on the New York City subways.

Rogers E. M. Whitaker, noted writer for the New York Times, and later the New Yorker magazine, wrote many articles on rail travel under the nom de plume E. M. Frimbo. He is quoted as having said "I became a sports writer...so that someone would have to pay me to go by train to universities in the eastern part of the United States and report on their winter sports". He is credited with having travelled over 2 million miles by train. His book, "All Aboard with E. M. Frimbo-World's Greatest Railroad Buff" is a classic and worth searching out.

Michael Palin, of Monty Python's Flying Circus fame, called himself a "trainspotter" and narrated a couple of programs on PBS involving travel. My favorite, from 20+ years ago was of his travels in England in the "Great Railway Journeys of the World" series.

The late singer Johnny Cash also had an interest in railroads-he had a variety show on television in the late 1960's that always included a segment with railroads. I can still remember the song that started out "Come along and ride this train..."

The late "Boxcar Willie" was another country singer with roots in railroading and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the "Singing Brakeman", Jimmie Rodgers who spent a stint with the Southern Railroad before eventually finding fame in the music industry.[Jimmie Rodgers was the first country star.]

A couple of others who came to mind after my first post...

Ellis D. Atwood of Edaville fame.

F. Nelson Blount who started the "Steamtown" collection.

Fred Rogers of "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" fame.

[I never knew Mr. Rogers was a railfan.]

Joshua Lionel Cowen-while most wouldn't know who Joshua Cowen is, mention "Lionel" and you usually immediately think of model trains.

[BMT]

While not necessarily railfans, Frank Sinatra and Roy Campanella (former Brooklyn Dodgers catcher, until his career was cut short by a tragic auto accident) were well known Lionel collectors. In fact, Joe D. narrated a television show titled "Tales of the Red Caboose", basically a Lionel advertising program, on New York television in the early 1950's.

How can we forget about the Chairman of the Board?! Since Frank S. has been brought up I should mention that I was once told that Frank had visited FAO Schwarz in NYC and was so impressed with the Lionel layout that was there that he requested a duplicate be built in the basement of his house. This might have been in the '50s, not sure.

However, I am also aware that Ol' Blue Eyes had a 10-car set of brass NYCTA subway cars made exclusively for himself. The story goes that Frank was impatient with the craftsman and only accepted the first five cars. The other five he did not take, and over the years ended up in the hands of a noted subway train model collector (they were displayed at a train show in NJ a couple of years ago). I would assume that Frank's set remains in the Sinatra estate. BTW, the cars were beautifully hand-crafted O-gauge models of the famed R-1/9 subway cars (currently being produced by MTH).

[2nd trick op]

It might also be noted that the boyhood home of Walt and Roy Disney was Marcelline, Mo, which was a Santa Fe division point until the late 1980's.

[David Benton]

Speaking of famous Railroad .net contributors , Whats happened to Crazy Nip ??? . I don't know if Rod Stewart is famous in The states , but he will feature in model railroader magazine .

[Aa3rt]

Another entertainment figure who died in recent years (and whose name escapes me at the moment) recently had his Lionel collection auctioned off on Ebay.

Almost 3 years after making this post it occurred to me that the person I was trying to remember was Mel Torme. By doing a Google search on "Mel Torme" and "Lionel Trains" I managed to stumble across this list of well known people who are identified as model railroaders:

http://boldts.net/TrainsCelebs.shtml

[jhdeasy]

The late Admiral Isaac C. Kidd Jr. USN (former Commander in Chief, US Atlantic Fleet and NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic) was a railroad enthusiast and model railroader. When I worked for his son (Captain Isaac C. Kidd III USNR) at the Naval Audit Service, circa 1991, he told me that his father would take a small model railroad layout, that folded up into a suitcase, with him when he went to sea. I know Admiral Kidd and W. Graham Claytor were friends; they had both been junior surface warfare officers in WWII and later in life Claytor (when SECNAV) was KIdd's boss (when CINCLANTFLT/SACLANT). His son told me he remembered some rides with his dad in railroad business cars (ATSF / SP / UP ?) when they lived in San Diego, maybe in the 1960s.

[IC&E6565]

Actor Kevin Costner is reported to own a steam engine.

Patrick Stewart of "Star Trek - Next Generation" fame is reported to be a rail-fan

Singer Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin is reported to be a rail-fan.

[GSC]

No one mentioned Ross Rowland. As far as the general public is concerned, he is known for establishing the American Freedom Train in 1976. We "enthusiasts" know of quite a few of his other endeavors.

Edgar T. Meade wrote several books on narrow gauge railroads around the world.

[steamal]

Actor Kevin Costner is reported to own a steam engine.

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Are we talking model-train size (HO gauge, for instance,) the size of the John Bull, or the size of #1218?

[jscola30]

Mandy Patainkan.

[3rdrail]

The late Tom Snyder was a fan and ran a Lionel layout.

[steamal]

The late Tom Snyder was a fan and ran a Lionel layout.

Really? I never knew! Now I wish I had known!

[3rdrail]

Yes, he was a big buff and had a good sized layout. Here he is talking with Mandy Patinkin about their layouts. Mandy continues to be a big buff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RTcaJmoYLI

[Kamen Rider]

Rod Stewart has been quoted as rather being in Model Railroader than on the cover of Rolling Stone. He's got atleast two layouts; one in his LA home of the NYC and PRR in the 1940's, and one in his home near London of the East Coast Main.