The Carolwood Pacific Railroad was a 7+1⁄4-inch (184 mm) gauge ridable miniature railroad run by the American animator and producer Walt Disney at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It featured the Lilly Belle, a 1:8-scale live steam locomotive named after his wife Lillian and built by the Walt Disney Studios' machine shop. It pulled a set of freight cars, as well as a caboose that was built almost entirely by Disney himself. The railroad, which became operational in 1950, was 2,615 feet (797 m) long and encircled his house. It attracted visitors who rode and occasionally drove the miniature train. In 1953, after a guest was injured in an accident, the railroad was closed to the public. The train inspired Disney to include an encircling railroad in the design for Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Railroad attractions in Disney theme parks around the world are now commonplace. (Full article...)