A Pair From June 1962
I have two perfectly fine, totally OK, non-Snoozles for you today! They're the mashed potatoes of slide scans.
How often does one see a bus with a second story?? If you happen to live in London, or work at Disneyland, the answer would be "often", but for mere mortals like the rest of us, the sight was rare and exciting. All the cool kids immediately headed toward the top level, where they could smoke cigarettes and generally misbehave. The good kids stayed below, where they would avoid the harsh rays of the sun. The air looks rich and thick, the Matterhorn is only half-visible.
Over in Frontierland, a red-shirted Cast Member latches the door to the yellow mine car - at least that's what I think he's doing. NOW THEY'RE LOCKED IN! Don't you wish you could be there, just about to journey through Nature's Wonderland? To the left, it looks like a few folks have gathered to watch the trains as they depart, I can think of worse ways to spend five minutes!
10 comments:
Major-
I'm perfectly happy to wait for five minutes... or even five hours for another chance to ride the Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland-! Please sign me up.
Thanks, Major.
In the second pic, it looks like Mr. Red Shirt is putting the door seat down for the blond with the poofy hairdo! I never wanted to sit on the pop-up door seat. I was afraid the door would fling open and out I would go! The Calico Mine Ride at Knott's has a similar seat, in each of it's cars.
I guess I'm one of the cool kids; I would immediately climb those curvy stairs to the upper deck (although I don't smoke). Maybe I could do some other cool thing, like play the accordion, or fold origami pocket protectors. Yeah, that would impress the snot out of the other cool kids. The Matterhorn looks even more impressive when it's all hazed up.
Looks to me like that CM got a little too close to that lady's highly lacquered poofy hair, and got stuck! I bet hairspray would make great flypaper! I just noticed that the CM is wearing cuffed jeans. Has that always been part of the costume?
Thanks for the mashed potatoes, Major.
Due to its opacity, the Matterhorn is never more than half-visible.
Some lucky guest is sitting in the fireman’s seat of the NWRR locomotive. I am jealous, 62 years later. I am also pustulous, but that’s for a different reason.
Thanks, Major!
I rode the omnibus once--on the upper deck--and the driver spiel was one of the funniest I have ever heard, surpassing even the Jungle Cruise. Most of the jokes escape me now, but I do remember him pointing out that Town Square was actually a triangle!
“Never trust air you can’t see…” an Old Southern CA adage.
I’m surprised the Omnibii haven’t been eliminated due to the difficulty of installing wheel chair elevators. For a while in the 60’s, the Russians were developing a three-story bus, but that’s another story.
I too remember those flip-down seats, maybe a reinforced memory since Knotts had them too. That second pic is terrific, you-are-there.
Thank you Major, very enjoyable views this Monday.
JG
Major-
I just noticed the person standing at the extreme left edge of the Mine Train image is holding a Kodak Brownie Turret 8mm Movie Camera.
Nanook, I AGREE!
TokyoMagic!, ha ha, if I was a Red Shirt and saw a pretty gal with a poofy hairdo, I’d probably do the same! “Sit right here, little lady”. “My hero!”. Ha, I love that you were thinking of all the possibilities of being flung out of a ride.
JB, I go to the top level too, and I bring my cigars, my pipe, my cigarettes, and my chewing tobacco. It’s great! I also like to practice the bagpipes. No wonder I am so popular. I don’t care about impressing other kids, that makes me even cooler! Just think how much hairspray that woman used in a year. a can a week? I do believe that the cuffed jeans were always a part of the Red Shirt attire. Speaking of mashed potatoes, I’m making some to go with dinner tonight.
Chuck, I am sorry you are pustulous, maybe you need an ointment? Or an unguent? I can’t tell you how much I wish that the MTTNW was still around so that I could enjoy it again!
Steve DeGaetano, jeez, now I am thinking, when I’ve been on the Omnibus, was there even a spiel at all? Maybe a minimal one. It sure wasn’t a laugh riot! You had a cool experience.
JG, I prefer chunky peanut butter, and chunky air. The texture is half of the fun. I assume that the Omnibi are “grandfathered in”, having been there since 1955. I would truly hate to see them go away. I wish I remembered the flip-down seats, my memories of the Mine Train ride are fuzzy at best.
Nanook, it’s a young Steven Spielberg!! "Hey, folks, pretend you are being chased by a dinosaur".
I forgot about those jump seats until this picture popped up. TokyoMagic! has a point. The jump seat didn't need to work in conjunction with the door being in the locked position. It was the CMs responsibility to see that it was shut. Fortunately, I never lost a passenger..nor do I recollect anyone else. That rolled-up pant-leg cuff was likely something the CMs of the time did rather than SOP. Some would proudly have their red handkerchief tucked into in a back pocket by choice. We had some latitude in how we wanted to look. I preferred not to wear the suspenders. Chuck has a good eye in seeing a guest or two in the engine. It was interesting to me that few would avail themselves to those seats without asking first. Many times I had it all to myself. And that was a nice respite. KS
I can't decide if the sleeveless woman in the Mine Train is Elizabeth Taylor, Suzanne Plachette or Jackie O.
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