A three-foot gauge 2-4-4T that belonged to Disney for a time, with the name Ward Kimball. Was traded and ended up at Cedar Point in Ohio. Presently said to be stored.

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ryarger@rypn.org

> A three-foot gauge 2-4-4T that belonged to
> Disney for a time, with the name Ward
> Kimball. Was traded and ended up at Cedar
> Point in Ohio. Presently said to be stored.

I can confirm that it was indeed inside the engine house at the CP&LE as of May '02, and I have no reason to believe it has gone anywhere since. It was taken in trade for Baldwin 2-4-4T "Maude L", which was considered too light for the park's operation, but is a real cutie, and was one of the two original engines on the railroad - "Albert" being the other.

Albert has fallen on shamefully hard times, and has been relagated to static display sans jacket, and with hardwood cab rotting, out on the Frontier Trail. Given parent company CedarFair's lack of willingness to sell an engine outright at a reasonable price for preservation, I am not optomistic about saving the former St. John Plantation #3 long term.

Rumors abound about the possible end of the park railroad - they keep getting squeezed by new coasters. They are down to only three operable engines - the two Vulcans and the former Carbon Limestone Porter - and two train sets. At one point rumor has it the FRA was considering taking juridiction over the railroad because they haul over 2 million passengers a season. If this were to happen I'm sure it would be the end of the operation - there is no way the park would spend the money to bring the railroad up to federal specs. They run with link and pin couplers and steam jam brakes on the engines only for goodness sakes! But they have done so safely for going on 40 years.

pww57@hotmail.com

I visited Cedar Point in June, 2003 and can also confirm that the Ward Kimball is still in the engine house. Albert, although still on display outside, has received some work. The rotting cab has been replaced and the boiler, sans jacket, has been painted, as were many other parts.

Initially, Albert was displayed in front
of an ex C&O caboose which was on 3' gauge trucks. Today the locomotive is displayed with a tender as the caboose now sits
largely out of view, obscured in a storage yard.

Also of note is the fact that Albert is displayed with the tender from the 2-4-0 Jenny
K (The Jenny K is out of service and stored under a tarp). Albert's tender frame is in the bone yard while the tank is being run with engine #22.

Although it might not be practical to buy the locomotive itself, the park does sell a marble model of it for $18.95. It is made by MMC and is in the "Trains Gone By" collection.


Picture of Albert from June, 2003

piersa2001@yahoo.com