Ridin' the Rails

8.0(2 votes)195110m

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Overview

Ridin' the Rails is a 1951 short documentary film directed by Jack Eaton. This is a Grantland Rice Sportscope from Paramount about hobbyists building steam locomotives, scaled one inch to the foot, by members of the Southern California branch of the Live Steam Model Locomotives Club. The models are powerful enough for the hobbyists to ride over the expensive-and-expansive tracks they also build to scale. Many of these models are perfect working replicas of of the locomotives used on the United States railway system. This short features Walt Disney, one of the experts on model-train building, working on his scaled-down 'Diamond Slacker", and taking kids to ride on his elaborate miniature system. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-Reel.

Release schedule

In theaters now

Nov 2, 1951

In theaters

Digital release

Unknown

Cast

Ted Husing

Commentator

Walt Disney

Hobbyist / Model Train Builder

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Mar 13, 2026

6/10

As I watched the opening scenes of this short feature as a full-size narrow gauge locomotive made it’s final journey, I wondered just how many westerns it might have graced as it tracked a rocky river amidst some recently blasted mountainous terrain. You could almost imagine Jesse James alighting at the station. Instead, we downsize to some intricate “Lilliputian Locos” including one running on an half mile track on the estate of Walt Disney. Sleeves rolled up, with oily hands, he and his perfectly attired (as sailors!) nephews and nieces tour his garden on a meticulously planned and constructed small scale version of the routes taken by so many larger versions across the globe. Ted Husing's narration is engaging, if possibly a tad sarcastic, as we watch these boys with toys and it’s an easy watch for ten minutes.