Rumor: Lilly Belle Locomotive Returning to WDW Railroad?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I know we have some train buffs here, and wanted to share this post from FB that Jen found...

 

 

Carter Timberlake

February 25 at 10:05pm · Holly Springs, NC · Edited

 

For any train geeks and those who love the railroad around MK, you know that the Lilly Belle has been away from WDW for many years now. I believe that her return may be in the very near future. This picture was taken within the past day as part of a post regarding the new railing around the flowers and such in front of Main Street Station. Look above and there's a train in the station. The locomotive is the Roy O. Disney but he is pulling Lilly Belle's coaches. And if you look very close, all of her coaches have side panels. Remember that only her last coach has a side panel. Her other coaches don't because they are for the characters to walk through during the opening show.

 

Now that her coaches have side panels and appear to be being used in normal operation, that makes me believe that she will be returning to WDW soon and will be placed into daily service. This also leads me to believe that whichever set of coaches now has side panels removed will be potentially leaving WDW for a refurb/rebuild.

 

Can anyone confirm my speculation of this? Additionally, which coaches are now being used in the opening show?

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=730949437025987&set=gm.10152757014342309&type=1&theater

[djsamuel 322]

When we took the train tour in January, we were told that the Lilly Belle has been undergoing an extensive refurbishment at a contractor facility and was just about done.  We watched the Roy O Disney pull out of the "roundhouse" towing the cars without the side panels for the opening of the park.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

That info seems to line up with this.  I wonder if they'll announce when it's back or just plop it into the rotation?

 

... We watched the Roy O Disney pull out of the "roundhouse" towing the cars without the side panels for the opening of the park.

 

Very cool?

[AuburnJen 771]

It seems that this maybe coming to a reality. A friend of mine from high school has been talking to a bunch of the cm peeps and the train circles and it seems that all the legal stuff in PA is now resolved and they are planning to bring the Lilly Belle back this summer. She is my favorite and was my grandfather's favorite as well. We got to see her before she went to PA on a train tour before my grandfather passed. I think I enjoyed watching him on the train tour more than the train tour itself.