Source for early Fort wilderness map (showing the railroad location)

[bigdisneydaddy]

I am working on a project and am in need of a nice print of the original early 70's Fort wilderness map. I am not picky about what year or if it shows the original 200+ sites or the expansion in 1973, mostly looking for a good print that shows the railroad along with a print of the train itself.
I know someone on here knows where to find them.

 

[bama_ed]

I am working on a project and am in need of a nice print of the original early 70's Fort wilderness map. I am not picky about what year or if it shows the original 200+ sites or the expansion in 1973, mostly looking for a good print that shows the railroad along with a print of the train itself.
I know someone on here knows where to find them.

daddy,

I have David Leaphart's fine volume "Walt Disney World Railroads": Part 1 - Fort Wilderness Railroad" in the blue cover. I have a First Edition Volume of that publication and you want probably page 55 which has the map of the Fort with its original loops of 100-600 as it opened in Fall of 1971. It does not show individual sites but does show loops and the railroad location in the Fort.

Mr. Leaphart's volumes 1-3 are available on Amazon.com.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=david+leaphart&ref=nb_sb_noss

The companion volumes have the art galleries and photo archives.

I have two versions of the photo archives. One is a "First Edition" from 2010 (the yellow volume in the link) and it's only 57 pages as not many people knew of David's effort to write and publish way back then. The 2014 edition has MANY more pages after people learned of his efforts and it has 147 pages of pics.

But those are the yellow cover books of his and it sounds like you want the blue. The link above is a great resource.

Good luck, Scott.

Bama Ed

PS - Loops 100 to 600 were originally about 200 sites (before the 600 loop infill near the Meadow TP) so your count sounds about right.

PPS - of course you will attribute the copyright as appropriate to give proper credit to the source.

 

[kanerf]

Found this photo:


Article

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I am going to order the blue book, do you think the pictures are credited ? I would like to purchase a couple for this project. My concern is finding who they are credited/owned by so that I can buy them. This is going to be a shadow box type project including some other memorabilia I have along with family pics.

 

[bama_ed]

I am going to order the blue book, do you think the pictures are credited ? I would like to purchase a couple for this project. My concern is finding who they are credited/owned by so that I can buy them. This is going to be a shadow box type project including some other memorabilia I have along with family pics.

bigdisneydaddy,

First, let me share what the map on page 55 of the aforementioned resource looks like and then take it from there:



One one of the first few pages of the blue book, the author attributes the "scroll paper poster" listed on page 55 to a named person. I guess that's the background shape/form that the map is on. There is also a listing for the "Animal Clipart" that is on the maps. (I tried to put my thumb and finger next to both listings in this picture.)



Finally there is this paragraph on the page before the prior one about attribution that the author used:



Since the "poster" and "animal clipart" are referenced separately, I'm left to assume that David Leaphart/author of the above resources created this map on page 55. And there are several more similar maps in the blue book to chronicle both the Fort growth and the FWRR growth. If you wanted to use those maps from his book, David would be the one to ask permission from as a starting point.

The map on page 55 does show the original loops in place when the Fort opened (100-600) but construction of the FWRR didn't start till 1972 and trial operations started Spring 1973. And for those reading, Fort Wilderness was under construction and it was intended to open along with the Magic Kingdom, Contemporary Resort, and Polynesian Resort on October 1. But when construction ran behind and Opening Day had been already announced, workers and materials were pulled away from the Fort to contribute to the completion of the other three (the Original Redheaded Stepchild Syndrome). The Fort did finally open in November 1971 about a month and a half after the Magic Kingdom opened.

The Outpost Bus Stop and Fort Wilderness Check-in Building and Lanes were later additions. The original check-in building was a construction trailer (single wide) in the littler sliver of a grass island that is basically between the two hitch/unhitch turnouts. That's almost all the way down to the intersection of Fort Wilderness Trail (the main drag that goes down by the Meadow TP now) and Big Pine Road (that runs down by 1400 now).

Good luck on your project.

Bama Ed

PS - I highly recommend David Leaphart's "blue book" referenced in the link above. It has what I consider to be the definitive answer as to why the FWRR eventually shut down and when it ended operation. It is a tremendous resource. David's books along with Michael Broggie's library volume "Walt Disney's Railroad Story" https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disneys-Railroad-Story-Small-Scale/dp/1563420090 convey much information about Walt Disney, his parks, and the trains. I have this one too. And if you think I'm weird, I also have the definitive book on Alabama Railroads http://www.uapress.ua.edu/product/Alabama-Railroads,784.aspx. "I yam what I yam" said Popeye the Sailor Man .....

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Thank you very much for all the info, thats exactly what I was clumsily trying to get at. I have ordered the blue book. I think that will give me what I need. I notice the map shows the direction of travel also, something that was the subject of much discussion between MrsDisneydaddy and I.
Now I just need to get in touch with my artistic side

 

[DavidLeaphart]

Hi Folks! Happened to spot your thread...if there any questions, I would be happy to help. Thanks Ed for your postings. The book was certainly a labor of love.

Too funny..I'll be there the later part of this week for a vacation. I love to stay in the cabins! The place is magical. I found the attached on Retro (no credit listed for it on Retro). I'm going to confirm this week, but pretty confident it's the Wagon Wheel Way depot. I also uncovered rail in the ground arriving at the New Settlement depot. I had found ties there but missed the rail. I'll also check it out this week. Take care, David.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Love the book BTW, a great way to geek out on all things Fort wilderness

 

[PalmettoPath]

Just thought I'd share this photo. I spent a few weeks per year at Fort Wilderness from WDW opening to around 1985 or so (at which point I was on my own and became a Deluxe Resort guy). But a couple of years ago I searched for any remaining remnants of track from our beloved FW railroad. As you may know, most of the track has been lost for many reasons over the years. This photo is from 2018 and is what the CMs on site said was the last remaining piece of visible berm and track. I had to capture it of course.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Hi Folks! Happened to spot your thread...if there any questions, I would be happy to help. Thanks Ed for your postings. The book was certainly a labor of love.

Too funny..I'll be there the later part of this week for a vacation. I love to stay in the cabins! The place is magical. I found the attached on Retro (no credit listed for it on Retro).View attachment 590772 I'm going to confirm this week, but pretty confident it's the Wagon Wheel Way depot. I also uncovered rail in the ground arriving at the New Settlement depot. I had found ties there but missed the rail. I'll also check it out this week. Take care, David.

Ah the carefree good old days. We used to jump on and off that train while it was moving in or out of the station. Could you imagine that today?!

 

[bama_ed]

This photo is from 2018 and is what the CMs on site said was the last remaining piece of visible berm and track. I had to capture it of course.
View attachment 591129

Thanks for sharing the photo, PalmettoPath.

The word "visible" is the key word in that CM's statement.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

As you may know, most of the track has been lost for many reasons over the years. CMs on site said was the last remaining piece of visible berm and track. I had to capture it of course.

There is still quite a few remnants left if you know where to look and don't mind getting into the weeds. Two years ago we hiked back between 700 and 800 loop and followed the rail bed behind the 700 loop. I suspect that is also where the pic above is from.





j

 

[PalmettoPath]

There is still quite a few remnants left if you know where to look and don't mind getting into the weeds. Two years ago we hiked back between 700 and 800 loop and followed the rail bed behind the 700 loop. I suspect that is also where the pic above is from.



View attachment 591204 View attachment 591205

j

The pic I posted is just up from Pioneer Hall -- just across the road from where the buses go. Yes, sort of in behind Cinnamon Fern Way (aka 700 loop). But it's not totally visible from there. You can access it across from the Settlement Depot and a little away from CFW. Like all of these spots, you have to search a little. Probably won't be long until it all fades, but it's fun to search them out. Yours and mine are all a similar area of track from the sounds of it. So the CM was likely right in the regard that this little section is the last remaining (I have more pics but didn't post them all -- some look like your spot!). Unless more recent pics pop up! Definitely had a lot of fun on the RR.

 

[bama_ed]

Here is a pic from when I was at the Fort for Halloween 2017.



When I was at the Fort last October (2020), I revisited the track (took no pix though) and it continues to slumber away peacefully.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

The pic I posted is just up from Pioneer Hall -- just across the road from where the buses go. Yes, sort of in behind Cinnamon Fern Way.

Sounds like we were on the same section. I just came at it from the other end. We did work our way down to the Settlement bus depot. If it weren't for the berm in some places, you would not know it was there.

Sadly, I never stayed at the Fort when the train ran. My parents owned condos in St. Pete. We would always stay there and drive over to MK and Epcot (all there was) for the day and drive back.

j

 

[DavidLeaphart]

Hi Folks! Happened to spot your thread...if there any questions, I would be happy to help. Thanks Ed for your postings. The book was certainly a labor of love.

Too funny..I'll be there the later part of this week for a vacation. I love to stay in the cabins! The place is magical. I found the attached on Retro (no credit listed for it on Retro).View attachment 590772 I'm going to confirm this week, but pretty confident it's the Wagon Wheel Way depot. I also uncovered rail in the ground arriving at the New Settlement depot. I had found ties there but missed the rail. I'll also check it out this week. Take care, David.

Hi Folks...did confirm the photo was the Wagon Wheel Way depot! Also here is the small rail section approaching the old Settlement Depot. David