Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Rainy Treehouse, December 1964

Years ago, I visited Disneyland on a day that turned out to be rainy and cold, and it wound up being one of the best times I've ever had at the park! Disneyland was practically deserted, and it gave me and my girlfriend an excuse to get cozy.

Here are three photos involving the Swiss Family Treehouse on a soggy day in December; starting with this ground view looking towards the complicated system of waterwheels, pulleys, and doohickeys. The rain actually enhances the feeling of being in a tropical paradise during the monsoon season.


This is a lovely shot looking through the branches towards the Mark Twain, steamin' up the river, with only a few brave souls aboard on the top deck. Note that the steam actually comes out of those two white stacks, while the ornamental black stacks are actually filled with skittles. I believe that the restaurant below is Aunt Jemima's?


I like this unusual angle looking down on the Jungle Cruise, with a flock of crocodiles terrorizing one of the boats. You can't tell from this angle, but they are guarding a ruined temple full of jewels.


Now I'm in a rainy mood, but I look out the window and it's bright and sunny!

13 comments:

yellow_sub said...

wonderful pics as always! i love going on rainy days. the park is so empty and like you said it gives certain attractions a better feel to em. if that made any sense. haha

Nancy said...

a nice set today...

i love the last one best, where the colors are so vibrant of the greens and reds of those flowers and the water is a beautiful blue from something...if it was raining the sky was white or gray, so whatever made it blue, thanks! the white of the jungle boat roof really brings the colors to life :D

about rainy days...i didnt used to like them, and on complaining a coworker of mine once said that rainy days "make the world slow down and relax" or something to that effect. ever since then i enjoy them

Thufer said...

nice shots and i agree, the park on a rainy day is the best of times.

TokyoMagic! said...

Three more gems from the Major!

Katella Gate said...

Rainy days at Disneyland are Eeyore's favorite!

The stacks on the Mark Twain are all OK. The black stacks forward carry combustion gas from the boiler away, but since they don't burn wood, there isn't any smoke.

Once the steam is used in the engines aft, it is also vented to the atmosphere by the white standpipes aft.

This is exactly how it was done on real steam boats.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Ah a nice cool rainy day, perfect contrast for summer. Awesome angle looking down on the cruise with the boat being terrorized by the crocs, looks pretty real!

Oh, I have no idea what "sexy" said, but it sure looks neat...

outsidetheberm said...

Your 'flock' of crocodiles look like they just ate a flamboyance of Flamingos - Yet they're still hungry!

And rainy day photos are some of the best. Thanks!

CoxPilot said...

I love these shots. Rainy days were always favorites because we just sat around waiting for the weather to clear so we could fly the planes.

I think I can add to the steam pipe question. The engine on the Mark Twain are REAL steam boat engine(s). The design was taken from the originals, but with modern materials and safety devices. The boiler was oil-fired, with two large drive pistons (one on each side). Each time the piston cycles for a new "push" on the paddle wheel, the steam is vented to the vertical pipes.

If you look, you can see the port side pipe is pushing fresh steam, while the starboard side is just finishing. (Port to the left for you land-lubbers.)

I believe the pilot in the wheel house gives signal to an engineer down below. I used to stand down in the aft area to watch the process.

Chiana said...

Gorillas Do Snuggle eh? Super pics.

wow neat hearing about the 'twain. Amazing they went for the "real thing" for locomotion, but speaking of locomotion, I guess with Walt's love of trains, it's not entirely a surprise, hm. I'm going to enjoy riding it next time all the more now I know.

Major Pepperidge said...

Katella Gate and CoxPilot, thanks for all of the info about the Twain, I knew that they it used a real steam engine, but the additional details are super interesting!

Vintage Disneyland Tickets said...

Ok I have a question regarding the Mark Twains propulsion. Besides the paddle wheel, is there some other type of engine? When she pulls up to the doc, she seems to move a little sideways before they rope her off, thrusters maybe? Also, I've seen her move backwards when the paddle wheel isn't moving at all?

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Anonymous said...

In a locomotive (fire tube) boiler, combustion gases and exhaust steam are combined, with the force of the exhaust creating the vacuum (draft)
which pulls the gases through the flues. Smoke and exhaust steam are expelled as a single, forceful stream, which in an oil-fired example should ideally be a light grayish haze.

With a water tube marine-type boiler, exhaust steam and combustion gases are kept separate, so smoke from simply wafts upward without the added force of pressurized exhaust steam. That, and cleaner combustion, are why smoke isn't much visible from the Twain.