Disneyland Railroad to close during Star Wars Land construction

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- It's an end of an era at Disneyland, at least temporarily, as the Disneyland train and other attractions are being closed for construction on the new Star Wars Land.

Since Disneyland opened in 1955, the first thing visitors see when they enter the park is a train.

The Disneyland Railroad is an extension of Walt Disney's love for locomotives. He even had one in his backyard.

"To come through these gates and then to see an engine up here, is an experience. I remember that when I was a kid," said Dale Tetley, who has worked on the Disneyland Railroad for 25 years.

The train makes a full loop around the park, stopping at four stations.

"I like to be able to take in the entire park and sort of view it from a slower pace, escape the crowds a bit," Daniel Caeton visiting from Fresno said.

Disneyland announced the train is one of the attractions closing temporarily on Monday during construction of Star Wars Land.

Construction is expected to last more than a year, but there is no set date on when the railroad will reopen.

The park said visitors will be able to get up close to the engines and hear about their history from experienced engineers during the closure.

Disney is the parent company of ABC7.