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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm)
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EZ-Tech Disney World TrainThis is a brand-specific addendum to our artlcles EZ-Tech G-Gauge Christmas Trains and Battery-Powered Christmas Trains - Our intention is to provide train lovers with holiday-themed choices that won't break the bank or risk expensive equipment. Please refer to those article for hints about building roadbed, etc. for temporary outdoor use.In addition to the Christmas trains EZ-Tech has offered in the last four decades, they offered one with unique branding and features. The "Walt Disney World" train does not even have the name "EZ-Tech" on the box. But of course, EZ-Tech users have had no trouble picking it out. It was obviously commissioned by the Disney company some twenty years ago, and relatively few were ever sold, compared to EZ-Tech's "generic" Christmas trains. The locomotive lacks remote control - a feature that was added later, but other features still delight folks who are lucky enough to stumble across a complete set. How Solid Are They? Most of their pieces are made of a very hard plastic, the kind that is somewhat more likely to shatter if dropped from a height onto a cement floor. That said, I have seen very few of these that have been damaged in any way, except for the aforementioned battery damage. My guess is that with careful handling, they'll last as long as anything else in your collection. What Pulls the Train?The train is pulled by EZ-Tech's classic 2-6-0 "Mogul" engine, in a brighter red than any of the other Moguls they offer. Yes, it could stand to have remote control, but if that lack bothers you, it would be pretty easy to substitute one of their Christmas Moguls in its place.  The locomotive itself could just look like a "me-too" product, but the train comes with quality synthetic rubber figures of Disney characters. Mickey drives the train (though he doesn't actually stay upright when the train is in motion. Donald stokes the fire. And Goofy serves as conductor. (He's missing his hat in this photo; I found it later.) When I set mine out to test, I was hopeful it would have a music option, as many similar products do. What would it play? A random selection of classic Disney tunes? "When You Wish Upon a Star?" "Once Upon a Dream?" I'd have been satisfied with "It's a Small World." Alas, it just plays the chuff and whistle sounds that the EZ-Tech Christmas locomotives play in between the Christmas carols. No problem, really; I just thought they missed a great opportunity. Probably the Disney corporation, who had these manufactured under their name, didn't want to give away too much Disney "property" in the set. What Cars Does it Pull?Disney fans may be delighted by the quality Disney character figures, but many hobbyists are even more delighted with the open-air passenger cars the locomotive pulls. Yes the cars are "shorty" coaches, lightweight, and made of hard plastic that could turn brittle with age. But the paint job and graphics are as nice as any open air coaches made by any Large Scale manufacturer. If they were easier to come by, I know folks who would gladly add these to their garden railroads (after a careful spray with a UV-resistant clear coat, of course). In case you wondered, the included loco could easily pull four of these cars, so if you happen to come across an extra set . . . . Minnie is fancy-dressed for a train trip. She is molded in a sitting position. In one used set I came across, Minnie was the only figure that survived, maybe because you sort of have to wedge her into the seat. Availability (or Lack Thereof)Because these sets were never made in the huge quantities of EZ-Tech's department store trains, they're relatively hard to come by. They are the closest thing to "collectibles" EZ-Tech has ever made.When these turn up on auction sites, etc., they are often missing most or all of the figures. The boxes are usually damaged or missing altogether. However, the coaches seem to hold up pretty well. If you're in the market for open-air coaches, and you see a set, even with the other pieces missing, you might find them in better condition than one would expect.
VideoTo see a very short video of this train running on my garden railroad, click here.Battery ConsiderationsIf you plan to run these for a while, you'll want to stock up on batteries. Look for places where you can get alkaline batteries cheap. The older trains take six C cells in the tender; the newer ones take four C cells in the locomotive cab.Generally, I can get a few hours of actual runnung out of a set of batteries, but I extend that by only having the trains run when kids are actually running or watching them, so I don't have a precise count. Most of the remotes only draw current when you're actually pushing a button, so the batteries in the remotes last much longer; they're more likely to fail from shelf life issues than actual use. But they do fail. Always remove the batteries from the locomotive and remote when you put the train "away," even if you're planning on getting it out again in a few days. Yes, I know that may seem to be a hassle, but the vast majority of EZ-Tech train failure are the result of corrosion from batteries that the owners forgot to remove. If you are checking one of these out, be certain to check the battery compartment immediately. Used EZ-Tech locomotives almost always contain dead or dying batteries, and you may have to clean the acid out of the battery compartment or even sand corrosion off the contacts. That said, permanent damage is rare, but it does happen. Track ConsiderationsThese came with an oval of black plastic track. The curves by themselves make a circle some 48" in diameter, the same as LGB's 1200 track.I generally run EZ-Tech trains on my brass track, and they run great. If you wind up buying any EZ-Tech trains and you don't mind the plastic track, you may discover that the easiest way to get more track is to buy another used set. If you're not careful, you'll wind up with more track than you'll ever need, though. About Other Versions
Like the train profiled above, it is pre-remote control. I've never had my hands on one, so I can't tell you if it has any additional features. EZ-Tech also made a "Disneyland Railroad" version similar to the Walt Disney World version. It has the same coaches in slightly different colors. I don't know for sure if the rubber figures were also included, since they're missing from every set I've come across. The locomotive is labeled "C.K. Holiday" and the tender and cars are labeled "Disneyland Railroad."
In fact, I think the "skating car" (based on the Elf Skating Car included in some of EZ-Tech's generic Christmas sets) is one reason these tend to get snatched up and kept. It's very cute. The train markings say "Holiday Express," but the box says "Disney Parks" - the same sort of confusion that reigns in other EZ-Tech-branded train packaging.
Several other "Disneyland" or "Disney World" trains have been manufactured by other companies. Most of them are nownere near the quality of trains made by EZ-Tech, so buyer beware! ConclusionWhen I started the FamilyGardenTrains.com site decades ago, I discovered that profiling any particular train often meant that there would be a run on it in the next several weeks, and it would eventually become unavailable to my readers. In this case, these trains haven't been produced in decades, so they're only available used, and only the Disney World set we profiled in depth turns up on auction sites very often.But if you come across one - especially if you come across the whole set in good condition - I would expect you to be as delighted with the thing as the original young owners were twenty-some years ago. Whether you read this article in summer or winter, please have a great season and much precious time with your family. - Paul For More InformationBecause we've broken our information about these trains up into many small articles and videos, we're listing them here to make them easier to find.Note About Video Resolution: Most of the videos were recorded in HD, so when you watch them, Watch them full-screen, and look for the letters HD on the little gear. If "HD" isn't there, click on the gear and select HD. The "default" and "auto settings" are often much lower resolution. EZ-Tech Christmas Train Articles and Videos
Lionel G-Gauge and Ready-to-Play Battery Powered Christmas Trains
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