A photo copy of a Disney-written article in my possession--unfortunately one
whose title is obscured by a post-it fax transmittal memo--further describes the
work: "Claret velvet drapes were hung at the windows…and four beveled mirrors
were set above the windows. Rimming the car, at ceiling level, are twelve
stained-glass panels," finally replacing the fiberglass of an earlier era.
In this photo one can see the colorful skylights in the clerestory,
a well as the
complex stenciling applied to the ceiling panels. Photo by Matt
Walker.
The article continues: "A Victorian settee and side chairs were added after
buying them at auction…Marble-topped tables are used to conceal the lighting
controls and various switches. Victorian bric-a-brac and old Disney family
pictures hang on the walls." The Preliminary Notes tells us that
"collages of railroad passes and memorabilia of Walt’s miniature railroad system
and the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad [were installed]. Early photos of Walt
and his family in gold leaf frames are on the walls of the car."
The centerpiece
of the displays was the little yellow 1/8th scale caboose from Walt’s backyard
railroad, the Carolwood Pacific. Nearby a guestbook with custom stationary could
be signed by passengers of the car.
A page from the Lilly Belle’s guest book.
A large gold-framed mirror was installed where the two windows on the left
side had been paneled over, flanked on each side by brass wall lamps, and in
front of the mirror was a larger marble table. Interestingly, the curtains were
hung only on the car’s left-side windows and end windows; the windows on the
park-facing side of the car were left un-obscured by drapery, to allow for
better Park and diorama viewing. The brass plaques that had warned passengers
not to stand on the platform were removed and new custom-cast brass plates,
which used an actual antique railroad pattern for the border, and bearing the
car’s new name, Lilly Belle, were installed on the car doors. The
37.75-foot-long car could comfortably seat about 15 people.
Originally, the Lilly Belle nameplates were made of brass,
but because they often
"disappeared," brass-plated fiberglass plates were
eventually substituted.
The "steering wheel" on the right is really a brake
wheel, which actually functions.
Turning it sets the car’s brakes, like a
parking brake. Photo by Matt Walker
Rumors--unsubstantiated at this writing--allude to a stained glass window
installed in the rear door, making use of the same colors that appear in the
clerestory skylights, depicting Mickey Mouse. Out on the observation deck, a
steamer trunk without a bottom was used to cover the 12-volt batteries that were
used to supply power to the car, and on the railing was hung a new drumhead,
bearing the words: Disneyland Railroad--Holiday.
From the beginning, the car was a hit. It was virtually unrecognizable as
being from Retlaw 1; the only indication being that she kept her original
number, 106. The first VIP guests on board the car, according to Broggie, were
Japanese Emperor Hirohito and his wife, who were on an official visit to the
United States in honor of the Bicentennial in September 1975. A mock-up of the
car’s observation deck, complete with brass lanterns and drumhead, was
constructed in the Polaroid store on Main Street, and guests could dress in
period costumes to have their photo taken aboard the ersatz private car. The
souvenir photo holder proclaimed the Lilly Belle "Queen of the Walt
Disney Railroads!"
Most families may not have been able to ride the Lilly Belle,
but they could
at least get a picture on board a mock Lilly Belle
platform. Proper Victorian
attire was optional but recommended. From the summer,
1982 guidebook.
