Santa Fe & Disneyland R.R. Tickets - Part 1

In today’s post we take our first look at Disneyland’s Railroad Tickets. As you may know, for the first couple of years Disneyland had two separate train attractions, one at each of its two stations.

Main Street Station had what was once called the “Santa Fe and Disneyland Limited”. You boarded windowed, indoor style cars “for one first class passage” and you took a round trip circle tour with no stops. If the “Freight” train was stopped at the Frontierland Station, the Limited used a parallel set of tracks as a “passing siding” and passed right on by. Same deal at the Main Street Station. How cool would that have been to see in person!

Here is one of those early tickets for the “First Class Passage”. It’s not dated but I would put these at 1955-56 and early 1957, does anyone know for sure? All the stubs for each realm are just for show, alias this train did not stop in Holidayland or Adventureland or anywhere but Main Street. There is a conductor’s portion that is missing. Jed the “ticket with stub” king over at Vintage Disneyland Goodies may have one. Post it if you got it - Pretty please....

Here is the same type of ticket but in grey. The print is the same as the yellow one so I have no idea why there was a different color? Maybe it represents “child” or “adult” or maybe they just ran out of the other color? I posted this one vertical so you can read the little stubs, they are so cute! This ticket is 11” long; Knott’s had huge train tickets too! Did real train tickets used to be a foot long?

This image is borrowed from Miceage, this ticket is for the “Western Route”. “Frontierland Freight good for freight or cattle passage”. This was for the train from Frontierland Station which originally had true “standing room only” cattle cars. These were soon converted to open side cars with bench seating. (I think they still have these cars and they drag them out every once in a while). The stub does more or less indicate this is a round trip with no stops.

In the next installment of this series we will take a look at the tickets that followed these as a third station was added and the “Passing Siding” was eliminated. Check for part two on Wednesday, tomorrow we are having a “Private Party” at Disneyland!

Sunset Magazine - August 1957

Welcome to Magazine Monday. Today’s we’ve got yet another article that’s lost the rest of its magazine. From Sunset Magazine August 1957, this two page article is full of great information and some nice photos too.

“Disneyland is two years old and continues to delight… What’s more, it doesn’t lose its luster in a day’s visit, nor in two or three. Possibly it never will for a good many visitors”. Even back in 1957 it must been clear that Disneyland was something unique. A “Concord Coach”?




Interesting note about how Disneyland “may resume 6 day week after September 14”. New Attractions, that rare “Santa Fe & Disneyland Streamliner, which goes from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland”. And of course the article ends with a push for Ticket Books, boasting a “26 to 42 per cent” savings!




We only get two vintage advertisements (from the back of the two pages above) and there both from oil companies. Multi Viscosity oil must have been a new thing in 1957, did you know its “The oil that thinks for itself”. See your Texaco Dealer in all 48 states.





Forget Texaco, obviously the New Royal 76 fuel over at Union 76 is better since they even have a pump at the ocean and that pretty lady too!

A castle view from 1960

Here’s a super press photo of Disneyland Castle date June 4, 1960, but appears to be Christmas. I might be at the park today so I’ll try and get the same shot "now".




Credit goes to: Santa Fe Railway and Don Erb.

Look Magazine - June 13, 1967

Welcome to Magazine Monday. Today’s feature magazine is LOOK from June 13, 1967, the summer of love!

The cover makes no mention of the 9 pages of fun Disneyland stuff inside. The boating lady sure does LOOK like she is having fun.






In fact, the 9 pages of Disneyland stuff aren’t even mentioned in the index. As you LOOK thru these pages, you’ll realize this is just one big long advertisement for Disneyland.






The famous new Tomorrowland preview art, complete with a snap shot of the real PeopleMover. That orange juice looks yummy.






The Disneyland Sponsors each get full page layouts. Starting out with Kodak: “Take Disneyland home with you… on Kodak film”






This is my favorite ad from this set. This painting for Wurlitzer captures “1967” perfectly for me. Wouldn’t it be great to have the original art work? 






“Take your mother to Disneyland” on United even if she looks like Sybil.






Frito Kid and Pecos Bill are the Happiest Pair in Frontierland. What a fantastic photo with the whole gang, and of course Fritos & Pepsi!






Santa Fe and Carnation share a page. “Tips for Teens” I bet that’s a fun read.






Global Van Lines checks in with the “Old and the New”. Since I’ve seen the old fashioned van in at least three locations at Disneyland, is it safe to say it was in running condition? What ever happened to it and was it a Bob Gurr creation? Wow, they actually drove a “Modern” moving van onto the hub area!






And here’s our lovely Disneyland Ambassador Marcia Minor offering us the “Summer ’67 at Disneyland” guide for only ¢25! These guides today go out for crazy $$$ on EBay. I still don’t have one. Here’s one that just closed at $59 (link). Or get one here for $106 (link). These guides are rare because they were not sold in the park, they were mail order only. I’m going to mail in this coupon with a quarter and see what happens.






Sadly, our tour of Disneyland has ended, now before we gaze at some swell vintage ads, here are a couple of oddities.

“Transparent Cover-ups” I predict these will become a huge success.






Killers “In cold Blood” Staring Robert Blake. File this under “Things that make you go hmmm”






Now for great some vintage advertisements. Campbell’s chicken noodle soup still looks the same today. Mmm, mmm good…






When I was a kid carpet tiles were the coolest thing to me. Think about it, carpet you can install yourself, anywhere! FYI: I checked at Lowes about a year ago, carpet tiles are “special order” only and pretty darn expensive.






A shout out to the big three out makers, lets all say a collective prayer that they make it thru 2009. For GM is the Chevy Caprice Custom Coupe “The Grand Chevrolet”. I’ll take mine with a 396 Turbo-jet please.






Up for Ford is the ’67 Mustang. I too have taken the Mustang Pledge, four times. If my ’67 Mustang had “Stereo Tape, air conditioning, center console, Tilt-away steering wheel and a 390 cubic inch engine" I’d still have it today. Mine was a 6 cylinder 3 speed, but it was still cute. (note: this ad is on page 67 - coincidence?)






Representing Chrysler the “Plymouth is out to win you over this year”. Check out that dashboard, “Houston do we have clearance for blast-off?”






Cartons of Coke, what joy. Cartons are not to be confused with “six packs”.






**The usual “don’t smoke” disclaimers apply** It’s so sweet how the doggies are waiting while Mr. 1967 lights his smoke. Smoking is wrong and yucky, but this whole ad has a macho flair to it and I gotta say I like it!

Santa Fe & Disneyland R.R. Tickets - Part 2

Taking a look back to my "D" Ticket post (link), here is a 1956 "D" Ticket showing the two trains and there two related stations. Main Street's "SF&D Passenger Train" and Frontierland's "SF&D Freight Train" (scan courtesy of www. keeline.com).

This "D" Ticket is from Late 1957 and shows three stations now, but the trains are all called "SF & D Railroad Trains". No more Freight Trains and no more "round trip only". Now you can exit or enter at any station, that makes a lot more sense.







The next three images were most graciously donated by Major over at "Gorilla's Don't Blog" THESE ARE INCREDIBLE - THANK YOU MAJOR!

I believe these are from 1957. These are the Individual tickets you would purchase at the Train Stations. Could you use these until the stubs where gone? Thereby letting you board at all three stations. Does that seem right? It's the same price as one "D" ticket. On Monday's post, that long ticket was only good once. But these do say "Good for one Stop Over at".

What is this one all about? Fantastyland to Main Street 25 cents? This has to be VERY rare, I didn't even know such a thing existed. How did they enforce this? Did they used to check everyone's ticket on board? Did everyone exit at the Main Street Station? Thanks again for the scan Major, these are great!

Back to my "Conductor's checkless" collection, here is a Child's Train ticket.

When the conductor took his "check" he would stamp the back like this.

This Late 1958 "D" Ticket now has the new Tomorrowland Station. (scan courtesy of www. keeline.com).

By late 1958 they stopped the large stylized individual tickets shown above. The little tickets seem to have taken there place. Shown below are samples of the "stub" style tickets. These are individualize for each of the four stations, and allowing you one stop-over at any other station. What do they mean by "stop over"? These are also the same price as the "D" ticket and that's only good once, so where these only good once also? This hurts my brain!

This just in. Sent to me by a reader (actually the seller of the Green Press Ticket, it sold for $1000 by the way, congratulations to the seller!) This is the same 1955 Yellow ticket I posted Monday, except this one has the Conductors Check! Thanks for donating this scan.

Tomorrow we head east to Knott Avenue, but it wont be to the Berry Farm, we're heading to the Village (and Park).