The Red Car Trolley is a 3 ft 3+3⁄8 in (1,000 mm) meter gauge tramway and transportation attraction at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.[1] Construction began on January 4, 2010, and the attraction opened on June 15, 2012, as part of the re-dedication of the park.[2][3] The attraction features cars inspired by the Pacific Electric Railway's "Red Cars" that once traversed much of Southern California, and provides transportation between the park's main entry at Buena Vista Street and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood Land.[4]
| Red Car Trolley | |
|---|---|
 Car 717 wears Pacific Electric's better-known later paint scheme featuring orange wing-like designs | |
| Disney California Adventure | |
| Area | Buena Vista Street / Hollywood Land |
| Coordinates | 33°48′30″N 117°55′09″W / 33.808471890568406°N 117.91905804697684°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 15, 2012 |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Trolley |
| Manufacturer | Brookville Equipment Corporation |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Theme | Pacific Electric Railway |
| Length | 1,744 ft (532 m) |
| Speed | 4 mph (6.4 km/h) |
| Vehicles | 2 |
| Riders per vehicle | 21 |
 Wheelchair accessible | |
In August 2024, it was announced that the Red Car Trolley would be closed in early 2025 make way for expansion plans for Avengers Campus.[5][6][7] In December 2024, it was announced that the last day of operation for the attraction will be February 8, 2025, it will then close the following day on February 9.[8]
Operation
editFrequency
editTrolleys run approximately every 8 minutes while the park is open.[9] Unlike the Main Street Vehicles that travel through neighboring Disneyland, the Red Car Trolley runs all day, only briefly pausing service when a parade travels down Hollywood Boulevard.
Vehicles
edit
The line has two trolley cars,[10] built by Brookville Equipment, a manufacturer of diesel switcher locomotives and a rebuilder of classic trolley cars. The design of the Red Car Trolley rolling stock are inspired by the Pacific Electric "Hollywood" class cars, built in the 1920s.
- Car 623 is inspired by the 600-series trolleys built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1922, and wears a paint scheme similar to the one used when the "Hollywood" cars were first delivered. The “23” in the car's number is a reference to the year 1923 when Walt Disney arrived in California.[10]
- Car 717 is inspired by the 700-750 series trolleys built by the J. G. Brill Company in 1925, and wears a paint scheme similar to Pacific Electric's iconic Art Deco “wings” design. The car's number “717” is a reference to the opening date of Disneyland.[10]
Unlike the original Pacific Electric trolley cars, which drew their power from an overhead wire, the "Red Car Trolley" cars are battery-operated. The onboard batteries are fully recharged overnight in the car barn, and the battery is periodically "topped off" through non-contact charging using induction coils in the ground where the cars rest at the Sunset Boulevard stop.[11][12] The trolley poles on the cars and the overhead catenary lines through the park are not energized and were added to enhance authenticity.[10]
Stops
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The Red Car Trolley line has four stops throughout Buena Vista Street and Hollywood Land:[9]
- Buena Vista Street at Buena Vista Entry Plaza
- Carthay Circle at the Carthay Circle Theater
- Hollywood Boulevard at Animation Academy (Sunset Boulevard-bound only)
- Sunset Boulevard across from the Hyperion Theater
Former stops
editSee also
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References
edit
- ^ "Imagineer brings rail passion to Disney expansion". Orange County Register. June 14, 2012. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
- ^ MacDonald, Brady (June 13, 2012). "Review: Buena Vista Street lets visitors walk in Walt Disney's shoes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ^ "Disney's California Adventure Project Tracker VIII". micechat.com.
- ^ "Buena Vista Street and Newly Designed Front Entrance in 2012". Disneylandnews.com. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010.
- ^ "Disney California Adventure's Red Car Trolley to end service in early 2025". KTLA. August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ "Disneyland's Red Car Trolley is closing for expansion of Avengers Campus". ABC7. August 27, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "BREAKING: Closing Date Announced for Red Car Trolley at Disney California Adventure - WDW News Today". wdwnt.com. December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Kendall, Samantha (December 5, 2024). "Disney Announces CLOSING DATE for an Iconic Attraction". allears.net. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "Red Car Trolley". disneyland.disney.go.com. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "The Red Car Trolleys of Buena Vista Street". Disneyland Resort News (Press release). Disney Parks. October 1, 2014. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
- ^ "Replica Streetcars". Brookville Equipment Corporation. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ "Advances in Wireless Power Reiterate Brookville's Commitment to Innovative Technologies". Brookville Equipment Corporation (Press release). April 13, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2021.