HELP PRESERVE WALT DISNEY'S RAILROAD CAR

A brief history of the Retlaw 1 Combine:

"Combine" is a railroad term for a coach that carries both passengers and freight. One such car was used on the Missouri Pacific train upon which Walt Disney worked as a 14-year-old news butch. He'd take his breaks in the baggage half of the car. He'd sometimes go out the front door and climb over the tender to get to the cab. Walt would offer the engineer and fireman apples from his family's farm in exchange for getting to ride with them. The crews took a liking to him and it was on this train that he learned how to operate a steam locomotive.

Walt had great memories of that combine. This is why one was part of the "Retlaw 1" passenger train at Disneyland. In 1992, Bill Norred acquired the Retlaw 1 cars, except for the Lilly Belle coach. A few years ago, four of these five coaches were sold, but Bill's family retained the combine because of the special connection to Walt. The Norred family, concerned about the long term survival of the car, have agreed to sell it to the Carolwood Foundation. We plan to finish restoration of the car and put it on public display.

How can you help?

Your donation will allow the Carolwood Foundation to acquire the car, complete the restoration and move it to a suitable location for all to enjoy.
Because the Foundation is a 501(c) 3 charity, your contribution may be tax deductable; please consult your tax advisor (tax ID#20-3112747)
Thank you for your support of Walt's Railroad Legacy. To thank you for your generous donation, we would like to present you with the following gift(s):
  • News Butch, $30 - limited edition pin
  • Brakeman, $100 - above plus commemorative shirt and name recognition on the donor list
  • Fireman, $500 - above plus limited edition signed print
  • Engineer, $1,000 - above plus limited edition scale model of the car and exclusive tour of the car
  • Conductor, $5,000 - above plus donation plaque on display board inside the car
  • Trainmaster, $10,000 - above plus prominent name plaque inside the car
  • Office of the President, General Manager & What-Have-You, $20,000 + - above with custom recognition inside the car

Artwork for shirt and pins
Print

G-scale car
O30-scale

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