A look at the Liberty Bell's engines

This is a look at what pushes the Liberty Bell. Yes, those are real steam powered engines. The boiler uses #2 deisel fuel to convert water into steam which is then used to push the two large pistons that rotate the paddle wheel at the stern of the boat and yes, it does use a guide track which is underwater. Remember, Walter Disney wanted everything to be as real as possible. That goes for the movies, TV shows, AND his theme parks.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Walt
• Disney
• World
• Magic
• Kingdom
• Liberty
• Bell
• steam
• powered
• engines
• pistons
• river
• boat
• stern
• wheel
• wheeler
• paddle
• mickey
• mouse
• square

[Kris082011]

The boat runs on Diesel 2. It is on a Ibeam guiding track. It takes about 45 mins to an hour to start it up every morning because we high pressure the boiler to close it to make sure we have enough heat in the boiler to help the start up time in the morning. If we let it cool down it would take half the day to restart it. also we communicate usingn a beep from the wheel house to steam. 1 long beep to stop, 2 to start, 3 to go slow and 4 to put the johnson bar in nutrual.

[woodencoasterfan]

@Kris082011 Thanks for the info. What really gets me is how people think it's fake just because it's in a theme park. I actually told some people those are fully functioning steam engines and the paddlewheel at the stern actually pushes the boat.

[LNERA3]

@RUSSSELLLLL Of course it's real. The only thing fake about this boat is the fact it's on an I-beam track to guide it. They still need a guy in the pilot house to comunicate to the boiler room and keep an eye on other water craft. The steam engines are real and the boiler burns diesel fuel to generate the steam.

[woodencoasterfan]

@LNERA3 Gotta love those people like RUSSSELLLLL who post messages without doing the proper research. It just amazes me how ignorent some people can be, lol :)

[RUSSSELLLLL]

all those sad saps think its real lol

[woodencoasterfan]

@RUSSSELLLLL There's nothing fake about those steam engines. That engineer isn't down there pulling and pushing levers and oppening and closing valves just for show.

[Showgirl7able]

It's real. Everything about it is real, but yes, the I beam is there just to guide it. If it was on an actual river it wouldn't need it, but it's in a Theme Park WHERE SADLY because less and less of the steamers exist, this maybe a kids only chance to see something like this and experience it, and maybe get involved with it. I love this boat. :)

[dejanira2]

1 minute of engine out of 5 minutes of film. :(

[steamfreak22]

@andrewbnsf I would say about four hours from a cold start and about an hour forty-five on a normal operating day.

[mehlville97]

@RUSSSELLLLL I am a purist like yourself. But I can't knock this because anything that can show the young working history. Even if its not 100% authentic is a good thing. It may get more kids interested in old Steamboats. And with all these bullshit laws by the goverment these days its not getting any easier. So maybe its not such a bad thing to cheat a littlle now and again.

[RUSSSELLLLL]

Back in the day they used wood to make steam and the boats were not on under water tracks, so yes, this boat is fake