Thursday, April 02, 2015

Yellowstone Coach, 1956

I love this rare photo of the short-lived Yellowstone Coach that used to share the trail with the Stagecoaches and the Conestoga Wagons. For some reason they don't seem to show up in any books (that I can think of, anyhow); it's as if they were completely forgotten over the years. I wonder if they appeared in the early ticket books? Maybe they just fell under the "stagecoach" designation. As you can see, they are considerably more open, allowing for a better view. And I'm sure they weren't so prone to tipping over.


Zooming in, we can see that the driver has a cigarette going, which adds a touch of cowboy authenticity - but it seems pretty "un-Disneyland". He should at least share with the passengers, who appear to all be little girls (though there might be a little boy wedged between the driver and the girl riding shotgun)! Sharing is caring.


Here's another photo that I originally posted back in 2008 (the photo itself is from 1955). We love you, li'l Yellowstone Coach! 



7 comments:

Nancy said...

very cool! You sure dont see may views of this. And speaking of views, what vantage point would this be snapped from? It seems pretty close.

I love the little mules pulling the wagon as well. Cute! :-)

TokyoMagic! said...

The driver can only share that cigarette with the girls if it's a Virgina Slims cigarette. You've come a long way, baby! Oh, and I'm not sexist....I'm just nostalgic about old advertisements. By the way, smoking is bad for you! It causes heart disease, lung disease, gum disease, cancer, impotence, premature wrinkling, and a plethora of other ailments.

Chuck said...

I'm embarrassed to admit I had never heard of the Yellowstone Coach before, although I have seen Yellowstone Cubs - twice.

Thanks for expanding my universe, Major!

K. Martinez said...

Chuck - That's the beauty of Disneyland. No matter how much I know or think I know about the place, I learn and/or discover something new about the Park's past and present from time to time.

Speaking of learning new stuff about Disneyland, I just received my Chris Strodder "Disneyland Book of Lists" book yesterday. Think I'll brush up on my knowledge about my favorite place on earth.

Nice rare shots of the Yellowstone Coach. Thanks, Major.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nancy, I might have 4 or 5 photos of this vehicle in all of my thousands of slides!

TokyoMagic!, don't you know that smoking is COOL? If you read old advertisements, than you should know that doctors recommend cigarettes (especially "Lucky Strike" brand) for their patients.

Chuck, the coaches have shown up a few times on this blog… maybe you were watching cartoons those days!

K. Martinez, I'll be curious to hear your opinion of the "Disneyland Book of Lists"… I have been reluctant to buy it because I have too many darn Disney books as it is! I've actually started selling some of them on ebay (and elsewhere).

Unknown said...

Those are mules in the last shot but ponies in the first. Interesting. Writing "ponies" makes me think of the pony farm: that big ole two and a half acre plot for the horses of Disneyland. It's hard to miss in Google Maps, just beyond the tracks behind Big Thunder Ranch (and the waste transfer station). I imagine it got a lot of use back in the day but I think now it's just home the Belgian draft horses for the Main Street Streetcars. Hmm, maybe an E-ticket attraction would fit in there...

Melissa said...

Wow, these are the first pictures I've ever seen of the Yellowstone Coach.