During our visit to Magic Kingdom today, we spotted the Roger E. Broggie train engine of the Walt Disney World Railroad testing near the Fantasyland Station at Storybook Circus.
Roger E. Broggie Train Engine Testing
We spotted the refurbished locomotive pulling into the Fantasyland Station earlier this afternoon.
It arrived at the station later than anticipated for testing, due to the engineers working to get the engine to boil over.
The Roger E. Broggie left Magic Kingdom for refurbishment in 2019, and was gone through the bulk of the COVID-19 pandemic, before returning in September 2023. The train has not been tested on the tracks during regular park hours until now.
At one point in early September 2023, before the engine returned, the Lilly Belle was spotted carrying the train’s cars in tow.
At this time, guests are not being loaded onto the train, though it could only be a matter of time before guests can ride once again.
This return means that three locomotives are now running at Magic Kingdom: the Walter E. Disney, The Lilly Belle, and now the Roger E. Broggie. The other engine in the fleet, the Roy O. Disney, recently left for the Strasburg Railroad Workshop in Pennsylvania for its turn at refurbishment.
The Walt Disney World Railroad was closed for over four years due to the construction of TRON Lightcycle Run, and reopened to guests on December 23, 2022. During its closure, new narration referencing TRON and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was added and the tracks were adjusted.
There are three stations in Magic Kingdom where guests can board and take a nostalgic tour around the park: near the entrance of the park on Main Street, U.S.A., the Fantasyland Station, and the Frontierland Station, which recently opened its new entrance amid construction of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Will you be excited to ride the Roger E. Broggie locomotive once it starts welcoming passengers? Let us know in the comments.
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