Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Mine Train and Redshirt! July 1960

It's hard to believe that the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland has been gone for over 40 years. Sure, time is a construct, but that's still a long time! I wish my memories of the attraction were clearer, but I was a mere pollywog when I rode it. 

After your fabulous journey through Nature's Wonderland (including "Beaver Valley", "Bear Country", "The Living Desert", geysers, tumbling rocks, saguaros, sunbleached dinosaur bones, and so much more), your mine train was entered a dark tunnel into Rainbow Caverns. This photo was taken just before everyone was plunged into darkness. I love that the CM is pointing at the crouching mountain lion just above the tunnel, and that we get a bonus Mine Train passing nearby.


I wish this one was not so blurry; there's one of the Mine Train's famous Redshirts, loping along without a care in the world. He knows he's got one of the best jobs in the park!


17 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-
The Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland. Once again... sigh.

Thanks, Major.

TokyoMagic! said...

Sigh, too. :-( (And sigh two!)

Chuck said...

That first one is a keeper for sure.

In the second one, look at how that guy towers over the bench in front of the window. He must be over 7 feet tall. Unless...you don't think they used forced perspective in Disneyland, do you?

Anonymous said...

Fun Fact! Disneyland discontinued the "Redshirt" uniform when they discovered that they were the first to be eaten by the wildlife (or shot with a phaser).

MIKE COZART said...

Wow! I have NEVER seen a shot of TWO mine trains passing other than in the station.
I love Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - it’s in my top 5.... but I do miss Nature’s Wonderland.

Many people wish it ask why BOTH attractions could not have operated as two stand alone attractions .... but Disneyland wanted Nature’s Wonderland OUT!! The guest capacity was not high enough for the increasing crowds of the 1970’s .... and the maintenance costs Disneyland was done with .

Before the plans for Discovery Bay , WED was proposing that the Western River Expedition and Thunder Mountain Runnaway Railroad (as two separate attractions ) come to Disneyland - this was at the same time WED was proceeding with WDW’s plans to proceed with separating the two attractions originally planned at a single attraction complex. But it was for DISNEYLAND FIRST the idea of building the attractions apart from each other was first proposed.

JC Shannon said...

One of my favorite rides ever. Even waiting in line was fun, there was so much going on in Rainbow Ridge. The CM is wearing his jeans just like all us kids did back then, cuffed at the bottom. You aren't kidding about one of the best jobs in the park, he has to be one happy miner. If I were a billionaire, I would build a replica on my sprawling estate, and invite everyone to ride. So far all I can afford is the suspenders. Thanks Major, all aboard!

MRaymond said...

This was a favorite attraction when I was a youngster. I remember running to the attraction at rope drop only to find it closed behind a big sign advertising Big Thunder.

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I know what you mean!

TokyoMagic!, ditto…

Chuck, the funny thing is that most people probably didn’t even notice the scale issues… I guess the brain just wants to accept something that looks plausible in most ways.

Stuart Powley, it’s a known scientific fact.

Mike Cozart, I was definitely happy to find that first photo. Hmmm, is Big Thunder on my top five? I’ll have to think about it. I can’t imagine Nature’s Wonderland with a roller coaster passing through (or near) it. Part of the charm (in my opinion) is preserving the illusion that you are out in the wilderness. That would have been completely changed. And I’m sure you are right about the maintenance costs, too. I didn’t know that there were plans to bring the Western River Expedition to Disneyland - presumably it would have had to be scaled down?

Jonathan, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo where the Mine Train ride had a long line. I guess it was a people eater, so even if there was a line, the wait couldn’t have been that long. Ha ha, I have that “If I was a billionaire” dream too - a full-scale reproduction of the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland would be amazing!

Anonymous said...

Golly, can't wait to be swallered up in darkness on the way to Rainbow Caverns.

The angry bobcat is just the cherry on top of the sundae.

@Stuart Powley. That's funny about the red shirts. I think Disney should buy Star Trek next and put it in Tomorrowland.

Thanks Mike Cozart for the background, once again. Maintenance costs never occurred to me as a reason to close the ride. Still, it must have cost more than the Jungle Cruise due to the expense of adding paint to all the geysers and running the air conditioning in Rainbow Caverns.

I think Big Thunder is a good ride, and an almost adequate replacement, since we still have the little town, a very good wait queue pre-show, some humorous animatronic animals, and a glimpse of the edge of the old Rainbow Caverns, minus the Les Baxter soundtrack. But I still miss the simple old-school nature of the Wonderland.

Thank you, Major.

JG

Chuck said...

Major, I know I never noticed the scale issues as a kid.

I remember reading (in the E-Ticket, maybe, or perhaps Window on Main Street) that maintenance funding on an attraction in that era was based on ticket returns. As ridership dwindled, so did maintenance, which may have helped put the ride into a death spiral. Marc Davis put together some concepts to enhance the attraction (sort of like what he had done with the Jungle Cruise in '62) that were ultimately not funded and built.

JG, Star Trek in Tomorrowland wouldn't be that bad. At least it would put something there that is actually supposed to take place in the future.

Anonymous said...

Yeah...that's a VERY unusual photo of the two trains. I'm going to make a post and see if we can ID the fellow in the second photo. This goes way back so we will see.. KS

K. Martinez said...

Those Nature's Wonderland Mine Trains must've been dispatched close together in short intervals.

As for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, I think it's the 397th best roller coaster in the whole wide world. Thanks, Major.

Nanook said...

Ken-

I thought we arrived at 'the 396th" best roller coaster, the last time we were compiling rankings...

K. Martinez said...

Nanook-

Yes, we arrived at the 396th best roller coaster for Florida's Big Thunder Mountain. This is California's which is slightly less thrilling than Florida's by one ranking position.

Major Pepperidge said...

MRaymond, that sounds like a nightmare. Maybe it was a nightmare. Were you in your pajamas?

JG, Rainbow Caverns was definitely one of my most favorite things at Disneyland. To this day I am fond of things that glow or fluoresce. You think Disney should buy Star Trek? It’s only a matter of time! I agree that Big Thunder is a very good ride - I just miss the kind of slow, beautiful ride that Nature’s Wonderland was, and that we will probably never see again.

Chuck, I must have read that same issue of “The E-Ticket” magazine (I’m only missing one or two of the earliest examples); gosh, I would love to know what sorts of gags Marc Davis thought up for possible enhancements. Maybe some will be listed in Chris Merritt’s upcoming book (fingers crossed).

KS, holy moly, I would have never dreamed about asking you, since the photos were nearly 60 years ago. But… nothing ventured, nothing gained! Maybe a friend knows a friend who knows somebody…

K. Martinez, it’s funny, when I showed this photo to Mr. X, he said, “They must have been running four trains that day!”. I’m like, “Der?”. He seemed surprised to see the trains so close to each other.

Nanook, I guess it depends on what you mean by “best”. Scariest? Most fun?

K. Martinez, is the Florida Big Thunder that much different? I think the one in Paris dives under the river, or something like that… it sounds kind of cool.

Anonymous said...

Note two young riders in the top locomotive. I also had this privilege once as a kid do to the kindness of a cast member. It is one of my happiest Disneyland memories.

Matthew said...

Am I late??? What did I miss??? DANG The party has moved on to the Indian Village (2/28/18).

Love me some Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland (just can't bring myself to abbreviate great attractions). I never realized that the mountain lion appeared so close to the tracks above. In fact... I don't think I ever realized there were tracks above. Hey, give me a break... I was only 11 when they closed the attraction.

Like so many of you I wish they would have kept more of Nature's Wonderland... I never understood why they didn't have the train exit C Lift (where the earthquake/dynamite cave in occurs) only to continue the right turn and go under the walkway to reappear under Big Thunder Falls. Continue that existing outside loop by Cascade Peak (and the twin sister falls) back into the tunnel and across trestle (the original "Bear County" where the Bears used to be) only then to make the left turn and splash down into the "Dino Pond." Linear induction motors (which launch the train from the station) could have been used to keep the speed up on the level ground and increase your speed across trestle and into the Dino Pond splash down.

Always your pal,
Amazon Belle