Changes

When the Walt Disney World Railroad opened, it originally consisted of three trains. A few months after the opening, a forth train joined the fleet. For all of 1971, the Railroad provided guest with a roundtrip tour of the Magic Kingdom. At that timehowever, only the Main Street USA station was open and it wasn't until 1972 that a second station (in Frontierland) opened. The second station meant that guests could now board the railroad at either end of the park. The Frontierland station remained operational until 1990 , when it was closed and demolished in order to make room for [[Splash Mountain]]. The station re-opened in a new location in 1991, and the railroad now runs through Splash Mountain (allowing guests to see the "Zip-A-Dee Lady" Scene). In 1988, another station was built in [[Mickey's Birthdayland]]. Originally known as the Duckburg station, the station was renamed the Toontown Fair station in 1996, before closing in 2010, while (when Mickey’s Toontown was replaced by the Fantasyland expansion). While Fantasyland was still under construction, the train still stops stopped at the location of the station, to top off the tender with water and to keep the railroad's operating schedule. While the train is was stopped in Fantasyland, a new narration played, telling guest that they are stopping at a "Watering Outpost". The narration also gave guests a preview of what is was coming to Fantasyland as part of the expansion. On March 12, 2012 the Fantasyland Station (also known as the Carolwood Station) opened to guests.

Early in the morning before park opening, the first train crew arrives at the roadhouse and preps the locomotive for the day. First, safety and readiness checks are performed by the engineer and conductor. Since the train needs steam pressure to operate, a compressed air line must be tapped into the atomizer line when the fire is first lit. It must stay in the atomizer until enough steam has been raised to re-light the atomizer's fire. After this is done, the conductor will inspect that track and the arrangement of the switch's switchs outside the roadhouse, to make sure it is safe to leave. After the boiler is ready, the engineer will give two short whistles to signal they are ready to go. After the conductor responds with two short buzzes, the train is put into motion. As each individual car leaves the roadhouse, the maintenance crew inspects the running gear located beneath the train.

On the Walt Disney World Railroad, the engineer's engineers use distinct whistle patterns to communicate while the conductor. The conductor then responds with a buzzer using the same pattern. The buzzer goes off inside the cab of the locomotive. At the stations, the engineers will ask to depart by giving two short whistles. The conductor must respond and give the ok, because they have the final say as to whether or not the train moves. The whistle pattern used on the Walt Disney Railroad is typically:

On the train’s last trip around the park, the conductor announces at each station that the final train is departing. All guests can ride the train until it reaches the Main Street station for the final time. After guests have unloaded, the conductor walks the length of the train to make sure that all guests are off, and that any lost items are brought to the lost and found. The train then goes to the Fantasyland station Station where the conductor steps off and throws the switch to allow the train back into the roadhouse. The engineer relies on the conductor to back the train into the roadhouse, from the rear platform of the last coach. The fireman then throws the Fantasyland switch back to the main line, so that trains in operation can continue running. When the final train has been returned to the roadhouse, the switch is left where it is. When the train reaches the switch, and the track crossing, the conductor will signal the engineer, letting him know the train has successfully cleared. This continues until all the trains are parked completely in the roadhouse.