"Ghost Town - Iron Horse meets Indian Chief at trestle." Great shot of that train!
" 'Your money or your life!' demands the train robber." I love the Chief attempting to dive out the window.
" 'Old Betsy' once served the Borax Mines of Mojave." She doesn't look nearly as broken down as I'm used to.
"Ride mule or train through the Calico Mine." Well, this is news to me; you could ride the mules through the mine?
"Calico Mine Trains wind through old 'diggings' ".
"Passengers see miners at work in the Glory Hole." What a neat shot!
"Trains whistle through the Cavern Room."
More to come...
oh, man, these are great!! I would have loved this. these shots are so cool...
ReplyDeletedont want to seem dopey, but those are all real "people" in the scenes as opposed to "figures", right?
we have seen many caverns here in PA and neighboring VA and WVA. havent been for a few years but when Rachel was younger we visited quite a few (and several before she came along as well :)
it this ride still there?
thanks for an awesome post, Major
Great post - neat rare scenes. Old Betsy seems to fluctuate between looking old & new over the years. I think at one time they tried to make her look like she might actually run, but seems they gave that up a while ago. The interior Mine shots are excellent - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe entrance to the mule ride used to be close to the mine ride. As you look at the photo, it was to the left. That is probably what the caption meant.
ReplyDeleteI am dating myself big time. I love Knott's I am still in mourning over how it used to be!
Thanks for the great photos!
We've gone to great lengths to preserve the integrity of 'Old Betsy's' original cab at the ranch. Brought here for preservation after the first rehab - those old boards can only take so many little feet!
ReplyDeleteUm, the original cab is still attached to Old Betsy. And what ranch are you refering to?
ReplyDeleteI do belive that the original is still attached to the one at Knott's unless you have some inside information that i do not know about i think that you are wrong.
ReplyDeleteJessie
Nancy, inside the mine all are 'figures', not 'people' (except for those riding in the train. And some of them I'm not so certain about). For many years, Knott had a larger 'population' of mechanical human figures than Disneyland, until the late 60's/early 70's when Disney started including figures in various shows.
ReplyDeleteI NEVER remember the mules walking across the pavement in front of the mountain. Me-thinks that's a publicity shot. Or else the lead mule was lost.
thanks, Anonymous. they certainly do look like people, dont they? must have been awesome to see ;)
ReplyDeleteAnoonymous number 3 YOU are wrong the mules had passed in front of the mine for years check your facts before you speak.
ReplyDeleteJessie
Nancy you need to check out the blog early amusement parks of orange county there Richard Harris gives a lot of information.
ReplyDeleteJessie
thanks, ill do that! im always up for some vintage treasures :)
ReplyDeleteLate stopping in but thanks Major for the splendiferous post of Knotty goodness! :D
ReplyDeleteWow Jessie I didn't know my mistake would cause such disapproval. All I said is I don't REMEMBER the mules walking in front of the mountain. I was just a kid. I've forgotten a lot of things. If you know the facts better than I do, more power to you!
ReplyDeleteWill Cooper 'was Anonymous'
Will it was meant with disapproval it was the way you had worded YOU made it sound like that it was a mule that was lost.I think you need to visit the the blog Early Amusement parks of Orange County there is alot of information there that we can all learn form in which i did and will learn more from.
ReplyDeletejessie
Thanks for sharing Dave - great images, as always!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the images of the inside of the mine. i loved that ride as a kid. the explosion at the end was always scary, even when you knew how it would come out.
ReplyDeleteEven though the Big Thunder at Disneyland was a faster scarier "ride", i still liked the Knotts version better. This ride and the old Disney mine train were part of a simpler time when the complicity and imagination of the rider were part of the entertainment. You knew it was fake, but pretending it wasn't made it more enjoyable.
the exit of the mine train dumped you right in front of the shooting gallery. there were numerous animated figures there, including the pair of prairie dogs who would alternately pop up and down out of their holes. their eyes would light up red when they were shot. i could get the range and then alternate them, BANGflash,BANGflash....good times.