One of Walt Disney's legendary "nine old men", Ollie Johnston had a hand in virtually every Classic Disney animated film, animating many classic characters including one of our favorites- Pinocchio! Often mentioned alongside fellow legend and lifelong friend Frank Thomas, Mr. Johnston's influence is still felt in the world of animation. (As previously noted, the folks at Pixar included this homage to him and Frank in The Incredibles.)
When Mr. Johnston wasn't helping Walt Disney revolutionize the art of animation, he often relaxed with his backyard train setup. Sound familiar? It was his setup (along with Ward Kimball's train) that inspired Walt to setup his own backyard train- a train that eventually inspired Walt to build DISNEYLAND.
