Fastest Miniature Train in the World, August 1957
I am always happy to see the Viewliner... it's kind of an oddball attraction that isn't exactly futuristic, even though the design is cool - half 50's automobile and half streamlined train.
In this first photo, we just get the tail-end of the blue 'liner as it passed over a bridge that allowed Motor Boats to putt-putt their way around the water; presumably those are MoBo cast members with the striped shirts.
This scene is similar to the first, but with the orange structural steel we can see that it is a different bridge. Of all the things that might be said about the Viewliner, the powers that be decided that its speed was the sexiest. I get why it was replaced, but it is a shame that the trains didn't survive somehow. Walt probably didn't want his unique locomotives operating elsewhere, but they deserved a better fate than the scrap yard.
Notice the motor boats name, "Minnie Mouse"!
12 comments:
Major-
WOW - what great shots of the (sometimes) illusive Viewliner. Somehow the wheels look so out of place, poking their little 'feet' out from beneath the almost Streamline Moderne lower panels. And somewhere I know there's a joke out there having to do with what you get if you cross an Edsel with the Viewliner...
And Minnie Mouse, indeed-! Who knew the Imagineers personalized each vessel with such familial names.
Thanks, Major for these great images.
Viewliner! :-)
Another treasure there are too few photos of. I would have loved hearing this little train go by every so often.
I wonder about the lady standing right next to the tracks there in the first picture. It does not seem to be that a station or anything was there....
Thanks for these great photos
Seldom seen the blue 'liner and never seen it from the back.
The lady may be informing the passengers of the love the Lord has for them, or she may be threatening to hop on and leave if her approaching sailor boyfriend didn't come over and talk to her.
The Minnie Mouse looks like a fun boat. Lookit the size of the motor boats' wheel!
These have a nice you-are-there quotient and rare views to boot.
(Sorry I've not commented a lot lately but I'm still checking in faithfully!)
Wow!! These are extra cool shots today! Nice rare image of the Fantasyland Viewliner with it's "Tinker Bell" rear passenger car. And just yesterday, the Tomorrowland Viewliner with it's "Venus" passenger car showed up on Daveland.
As far as the Motor Boat Cruise goes, I've ridden the "Darby 0'Gill" and "Shaggy Dog" boats. Looking for the different motor boat names was a favorite pastime of mine while waiting for this attraction.
Thank you Major for posting the mysterious tail end of the Viewliner. In fact, I'm sure this is the first time I've seen it.
Katella Gate - Thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking. Now I don't have to bother posting anything this morning.
Excellent shots! So very rare to see any pictures of the Viewliner, and these are up close and personal.
I'm going to have to scour my old photos to see if there are any decent aerial shots of the track to figure out where those two bridges are; the one aerial I have is black and white and very fuzzy.
Found it. In your Seven Year Anniversary post (May 13, 2013) there's a shot that's from farther back showing both of these bridges.
Here's an image showing both side of the bridges at Motor Boat Cruise load.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/bananaphone5000/GoGoGorilla5/57Fantasyland.jpg
@Tom - Oops. Looks like you found it just before I just posted.
No one's made a "Backside of Viewliner" joke yet?? Well then I guess my work here is done. Never tire of new angles of the Viewliner, but I kinda prefer the pink one to be honest!
Nanook, I have been lucky lately, I think I've found at least another 6 shots of the Viewliner. You'll have to stay tuned to see them, but some a really nice! And…. you're welcome.
Nancy, since the Viewliner used an ordinary car engine, it wouldn't have sounded very trainlike. And I am not sure if that woman is standing where she is not supposed to be!
Chiana, maybe she is handing them a copy of "The Watchtower". You're right, that steering wheel is kind of huge! No worries re: commenting… it's always nice to hear from you, but it should never be a chore for you.
K. Martinez, I was just going to mention Daveland's picture of the back of the other Viewliner, but you already know about it! Darbo O'Gill, I love that they had "obscure" names like that. Nowadays… "Hanna Montana"?
Katella Gate, see my previous comment… I hope you saw Daveland's great photo from yesterday. It's a stunner!
Chuck, you don't seem concerned that Katella Gate has tapped into your brain waves!
Tom, just wait, I have some even better "up close" pix of the Viewliner. And thanks for the link, I had not noticed the two bridges in all that detail.
K. Martinez, your link made it even easier for me to check!!
PsySocDisney, I guess nobody was in a Jungle Cruise mindset, so you WIN! Your check for 1000 Turkish lira will be in the mail soon.
Post a Comment