WALT’S TRAINS

Musings of a Disney Railroad fan

KALAMAZOO HANDCAR

Do you remember the bright yellow handcar displayed for many years in front of the Disneyland Railroads Main Street Station? The company known for supplying railroad handcars was founded in1883 as the Kalamazoo Railroad Velocipede and Car Company. It’s name changed to the Kalamazoo Railway Supply Company in 1901 and later to the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company in the early 1950’s when the handcar was first displayed at Disneyland. There are conflicting stories about how this unique piece railroad equipment became part of Disney history including it being an opening day gift to Walt from the President of the Illinois Central Railroad. Others suggest that Walt purchased the handcar outright and others believe that Walt accepted the car from the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company in exchange for advertising publicity. I tend to believe the Dana Amendola version in his book All Aboard - the Wonderful World of Disney Trains that the handcar was gift from railroad historian and Disneyland railroad consultant Jerry Best. 

The Disney Kalamazoo handcar appears to be specially built with some unusual features not found in other Kalmazoo products including a large brass plate, decorative script painting and a unique braking system that seems to be a hasty fabricated replacement for the original. Disney’s refurbishing of the handcar in the mid 2000’s may actually be the third version of the original car. The Kalamazoo handcar currently resides on display on a siding in front of the Main Street Station at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. -Bill Ralph