When You're Done With Horsepower

We've spoken before here on DF'82 about the massive amounts of detail the Imagineers have gone to in order to bring us the most interesting and beautiful Disney Park possible. Another of these details, which I like to call a Hidden Treasure, sits in Frontierland, directly across from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

It is this beautiful locomotive engine named The Minneapolis. Part of the reason I find this such a treasure, is because it is a chance to have an up-close look at a what the beautiful steam trains from the turn of the 20th Century looked like. This is a great item for both adults and children alike!

Although I am not sure if it is a replica, The Minneapolis has the following inscription on it:

Minneapolis Engine No. 7070

Woolf Valve Gear

Pat. July 30 1889

Doing my research for this post, I found that this type of locomotive was created by the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company. The 'Woolf Valve Gear', which was a unique part of the double cylinder engine of the Minneapolis, allows for a more efficient use of the engine and the increase of power. These engines were used for a variety of things, such as ploughing, but in this case, the train is used specifically for the Mining Company.