India, Nov. 1 -- Beyond Walt Disney's career in animation and film production, his passion for trains was evident in many ways. In 1950, he converted his backyard in Los Angeles, which he had acquired in Holmby Hills, into a model train set with 2,615 feet of rail tracks that encircled his property. It was famously named the Carolwood Pacific railroad, and it included a wooden bridge, a tunnel, and a red barn. According to the Carolwood society, the railway was employed by Disney for his entertainment purposes. Disney used the railway to amuse his family members and friends while spending time away from his studio schedule.

The house where the family lived had already been torn down. One part of the backyard railway was saved; the little...