Nearly as famous as Disney’s seven dwarves are Disney’s nine old men, the key animators who created some of the most memorable Disney characters and moments (including the dwarves). Two of them – lifelong friends Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston – had vacation homes in Julian, California, an 1870s gold rush town about 65 miles from San Diego (and about 120 miles from Disneyland). There, train enthusiast Ollie built a backyard railroad, and thanks to Airbnb, Disney fans can book another kind of Southern California vacation with a Disneyland twist.
But before you pack your suitcases and head to Julian, here’s a bit of Disney railroad history:
Walt Disney’s love of trains has been well-documented, but it was Ollie – a key animator on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Bambi,” “Peter Pan,” “Robin Hood,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and many other Disney classics – who originally inspired Walt to build the Carolwood Pacific Railroad that circled his Los Angeles backyard and later the more extensive Disneyland Railroad circling his brand new theme park in Anaheim.
The Disneyland Railroad (then known as the Sante Fe & Disneyland Railroad) opened with Disneyland in 1955, but many Disney fans don’t know that Walt added a second train to the park in 1957: the narrow-gauge Viewliner Train of Tomorrow. That’s probably because the second train only operated until 1959 (when it was replaced by the Disneyland Monorail system), but Disneyland’s loss was Ollie’s gain, as the railroad ties from the Viewliner tracks made their way to Julian, where they were used to build Ollie’s backyard railroad dubbed the Deer Lake Park & Julian Railroad (DLP & J).
According to Ted Thomas (Frank’s son), Frank and Ollie bought the Julian property in 1966, so Ollie would have a place to run the narrow-gauge locomotive he was restoring, which he named the Marie E. after his wife.
“They each built weekend homes on the property, and Ollie set about building his railroad, which eventually formed a ‘U’ around 2/3 of the entire acreage,” Ted told me.
In 1967, Ted and his brother, Ollie’s sons, and “unsuspecting” high school friends (invited for what they thought would be a leisurely weekend in the mountains) were recruited to build the railroad. Ted says the 1,100 cross ties were initially used in Disneyland for the Viewliner attraction. As for the rail, he recalls some of that also came from the attraction, but since Ollie’s railroad ended up being about a 1/2 mile long, Ollie had to add more rail to the initial Disneyland-sourced supply.
“I recall that [the rail] came from Japan, and was considered too light to be used on the Disneyland Railroad, but believe me, both the rail and the cross ties were plenty heavy to work with when we laid track,” Ted said. “What I do recall clearly is how, when delivered, there was a huge mound of ties like tinker toys and an equally imposing stack of rail.”
After Ollie had the roadbed bulldozed by a local contractor, it was up to the boys to move rail, measure out and level ties, bolt rail, and drive spikes. Luckily for them, word got out among Southern California steam train enthusiasts and help quickly arrived in Julian to volunteer “many, many hours of time and labor.”
The result, Ted says, was “a beautiful and one-of-a-kind little railroad through the oak trees and alongside the meadow.”
Ollie last ran the train around 1998. The locomotive and cars were sold in 2002, and most of the track was taken up (except the section that crosses the trestle directly in front of the back deck). However, Ted notes that there is a Disney and Disneyland connection that continued.
The new owner of the Marie E. and rolling stock was John Lasseter, a steam enthusiast and former Disney/Pixar animator himself (as well as the former Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios and Director of the first two Toy Story movies and first two Cars movies). In 2005, John surprised 92-year-old Ollie by getting permission to run the Marie E. at Disneyland before the park opened (the first time outside railroad equipment was allowed to run at any Disney park).
“On May 10th, 2005, we had a ceremony at the New Orleans Square Station, which was interrupted by the Marie E. pulling into the station,” Ted recalled. “The engineer blew the whistle before we could see the locomotive and, like a parent recognizing their child’s voice, Ollie looked over his shoulder and said, ‘That’s my engine!’ He was then helped into the cab and took the throttle for a run around the park.”
Here’s footage of Ollie taking the Marie E. for spins around his Julian property and Disneyland:
And now, if you’re a Disneyland fan, a train fan, or a Disneyland train fan, you’ll definitely want to start packing because the original DLP & J trestle is still on the grounds of Ollie’s rustic three-bedroom house, and you can rent the 20-acre property through Airbnb.
According to current homeowners David Koplewicz and Amanda Sager, Julian residents who have lived in the area since Frank and Ollie built their homes shared that when Ollie would sound the “steam trumpet,” all the neighbors knew it was time to head over for a ride. Not only are parts of that historic track and trestle still on the property, but David says the home’s primary bedroom also features a copy of Ollie’s “train rules” that were previously located in the property’s warehouse.
Here are a few highlights from the Airbnb listing:
- The house accommodates up to 6 guests in three bedrooms (1 with a king bed and two with queen beds).
- The location is home to wildlife such as deer, wild turkey, blue jay, falcon, hawk, woodpecker, roadrunner, hummingbirds, and many other friends.
- The large deck out back spans the width of the home and is perched over the train track trestle. Surrounding and behind the train tracks are oak trees opening to an expansive view of North Peak Mountain.
- At night stargaze on the back porch while listening to the soothing music of rustling leaves while soaking in the views from the cedar hot tub inset into the deck.
- Additional features: full kitchen, Wi-Fi; free parking on premises; 50″ HDTV with Fire TV, HBO Max, and Netflix, Bluetooth sound system and record player (there’s even a Bambi soundtrack record); in-unit washer and dryer; Central air conditioning; and security cameras on the property.
Click here for the complete Airbnb listing and to book Ollie’s Julian house.
Julian is a Great Vacation Destination
There’s a reason Frank and Ollie chose Julian for their vacation homes. As if the Disneyland railroad connection isn’t motivation enough to plan a trip, there are plenty of family-friendly things to do, including The Eagle Mining Co. where guides will teach you how to pan for gold and lead you through the tunnels of the Eagle and High Peak Mines (two of Julian’s original gold mines).
Julian is also known for apples – and in fact, in the 1890s was proclaimed the “greatest apple belt in the world” – so apple picking (in September and October) and apple pies (any time) are must-dos for every visitor. There are ample apple treats all over town, but my favorite is the Julian Pie Company on Main Street.
Another very cool (and little-known) activity in Julian is to visit The California Wolf Center, where you can learn fun facts about the resident wolf pack and get an inside look at wolf conservation. Tours are by appointment only.
One more thing…
As I mentioned, Walt’s backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad inspired by Ollie was the spark that ignited Walt’s decision to build the larger Disneyland Railroad, but when his L.A. area house was sold, his railroad workshop – which he named the Carolwood Barn – was relocated to Griffith Park, where you can visit the barn-turned-museum for free from 11 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on the third Sunday of each month (weather permitting).
Next to Walt Disney’s red Carolwood Barn is the original bright yellow Retlaw1 Combine coach #101 from the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad that circled the Anaheim park on opening day (Retlaw is Walter spelled backward), but a (literally) hidden gem tucked behind the Retlaw1 is Ollie’s Station.
This whimsical little yellow train depot (reminiscent of the New Orleans Square Station at Disneyland) was part of Ollie’s other backyard railroad in La Cañada, California (yes, he had two) – and if you listen closely, you can hear the tapping sound of morse code, just like in the park.
Fun Fact: Another reason to visit Walt Disney’s Carolwood Barn is that Disney experts and Imagineers often drop in, so you never know who you’ll see there. When I visited on Disneyland’s recent 67th birthday, I had the opportunity to meet Marcy Carriker Smothers, who was signing her book Walt’s Disneyland, and Tania Norris, an Imagineering interior designer who worked on New Orleans Square, the Haunted Mansion (including working on the design of its famous purple wallpaper), and Club 33.
To learn more about Frank and Ollie (and see awesome home movies of the Deer Lake Park & Julian Railroad), I highly recommend “Frank and Ollie” (currently streaming on Disney+). The charming documentary directed by Ted Thomas showcases the iconic Disney animation moments the pair created as well as their remarkable friendship.
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Let’s Hear From You!
All aboard! Who’s ready for a railroad adventure and apple pie? Or is a ride on the Disneyland Railroad grand circle tour the perfect amount of Disney train history for you? Do you know any other must-see attractions in Julian? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below!
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