I heard somewhere that WDW has one loco that is capable of tender rides. Is this true or is it someone confused about witch park has the rides.

Someone is very confused. We do NOT have the capability nor any plans to offer cab/tender rides.
Jim

Disneyland has 2 locomotives with a seat on the tender and if the crew isn't going to anything interesting you can ride there but you must go full circle.

Training, watering, blowdown or crew change preclude riding. As well as having a bad day.

It would be nice if WDW did have tender rides. It's not as if they have a forney like the Gurley, or a short tender like the Marsh. I know it is expensive to have the seats installed, but it is just somthing Disney could do to make an enjoyable trip for a family.

Since we have the larger locos and the firebox is closer to the tender, it would not be a smart or safe thing to put a guest up there while a fire is lit. Overall our management would never allow it. And if it ever was remotly considered it would probably be for 1 adult over the age of 18 but not ever likly to happen. Also, some of our engineers would protest.

Beacon Joe:

The decision to allow a tender ride is always with the engine crew, so if you don’t want riders you can refuse. I 'm sure the fire box proximity has a lot to do with it, the Ernest S. Marsh has a tender but no seat and if it had one the riders feet would be in the fire, almost.

Don't get me wrong, There are times that I would like to take people on a cab ride. We used to allow it at Six Flags Over Georgia. It was soley up to the engineer weather or not to allow someone to ride in the cab.

But we seem to have a large amount of poeple who want their kids to ride up front with us, and when you have to tell them no, and explain why, they tend to get upset.

I wish that one day people would wake up and realize that the Disney theme park trains are in fact real steam locomotives and thus they are heavy pieces of machinery that can be very dangerous. They are not the place for children.

"Is that a real fire, or just for looks?"

"That's not real steam..."

"Is that really water you're putting in there?"

My favorite:
"How do you boil the water?"
"Ummmm...with this really HOT fire..."

I might be one of two who actually got a ride in the cab one time.

Another CM and myself ask once about 7 or so years ago and very much to our surprise, the engineer ask (I think) the Main Street Manager and again very much to our surprise, he said it would be OK as we were also CM's.

BUT, I fear the MSM may have gotten in a little trouble for the ride. That is something I later heard but do not really know about. If by some chance, one of you present day engineers remember (how often has it happened anyway) you could let me know. I think the MSM at the time had a very common name such as Jim and was a descendant of one of our country's earliest pioneers who had an affair with a tribal princess.