A Dream Team Selection
I can't explain it, but today seemed like a good day to share more photos from the Dream Team - Irene, Bruce, and James. I'd guess that there are still around 35 images from that large batch of scans that remain, and I'm being very miserly with them to make them last. You understand!
We'll start with this shot of Cascade Peak probably taken from the Mark Twain; by this time the Mine Train attraction was long-gone, but Cascade Peak survived as a feature seen along the river's edge for 19 years afterwards. It still looks nice here, with the waterfalls splashing past the disused track. Since many of the Dream Team's photos are from the 1990s, we know that the peak would be gone soon (it was razed in 1998).
It's nice to see this shot of the Jolly Trolley still in operation over in Toontown - I always liked the cartoony proportions of this trolley, based on the Los Angeles "Red Car" trolleys that were so beloved. The trolley swayed in an eccentric manner (hard to describe) as it traveled the short track, adding kinetic movement and energy to the land. The Jolly Trolley operated from 1993 to 2003, so it has been more than 20 years since it’s last trip!
We're still in Toontown, over at the site of Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. Toontown opened at Disneyland on January 24, 1993, while the Car Toon Spin didn't open until January 26, 1994, so we know that this photo was taken sometime in that interim. I quite enjoy RRCTS, though the queue can often be longer than I am willing to endure.
Somewhere in Frontierland, you'd see this nice hand-painted sign - they buy and sell buffalo hides! Top prices too. It don't know exactly where this sign was, but it would not surprise me if it is still there today.
MANY THANKS to the DREAM TEAM!
15 comments:
Major-
Cascade Peak and the tracks to nowhere-!
Thank you Dream Team.
The Cascade Peak photo looks like a small table-top model here; HO scale. It sure looks depressing to see the track just disappear into the weeds like that. I wonder if the Imagineers made the track look that way or if it just happened on its own?
Was the swaying of the Trolley accomplished using wheels that weren't perfectly round, or some sort of pneumatic system? I wonder why they got rid of the Trolley? From what I hear, Toontown already had precious little to offer.
Continued thanks to Irene, Bruce, and James. And thank you, Major.
Sign should say, "We BISON Sell Hides"
With the gray skies and wet track, that first photo almost looks like it was taken while it was raining. We know that’s not true, however, as the Mark Twain doesn’t run in a downpour. It’s a safety thing since its brakes don’t work well when its track gets wet.
”I don't know exactly where this sign was, but it would not surprise me if it is still there today.”
It also would not surprise me if it were in Mike Cozart’s living room.
Thanks again, Major, for sharing more photos from the Dream Team of Irene, Bruce, and James!
The Jolly Trolley only operated for 10 years, so why the heck did they decide to open another trolley ride, over at DCA? I loved the look of the Red Car Trolley, and I enjoyed riding it, too, but I just knew that it wasn't going to be sticking around, since the Jolly Trolley had only lasted 10 years.
I think that "Hides" sign hung (hangs?) in the shop that was formerly the Pendleton Woolen Mills Store.
Thank you Dream Team, and Major!
I sure miss the Mine Train, and somehow, making it into an abandoned ruin doesn’t make its loss any easier to take.
Original Toontown was kind of a mess, no shade and not much to do. I agree that Roger Rabbit is a decent ride, but I’ve skipped the whole land on recent visits. I’ve heard the Runaway Railway is worth doing, so maybe I’ll go back.
I wonder what event caused the loss of the trolley? Operating costs? Guest injury? Lack of riders? And they are at it again in DCA, shutting down the Red Car there also. You know they would do away with the Main Street Vehicles if they could.
DBenson, you are right! Fun sign, right by Davy Crockett’s fire sprinkler too!
Thanks Major and the Dream Team!
JG
It was a sad day when Cascade Peak was demolished…..
I’ve never been a massive fan on TOONTOWN ….. especially the residential section …. But there were actually so many details and show elements in the downtown area I really loved …. Especially those with the late 1930’s - early 40’s feeling . The Toon Town Trolley was one of those “only Disney could do “ attractions …. Sad that’s gone.
The Frontierland interior image is in the structure just to the left of the Golden Horseshoe Revue . The shop interior had been themed to sort of a 1876 Centennial - Buffalo Bill theme … complete with a full-size Buffalo figure…….. I do not have that Buffalo Hide sign in my collection … however I know who does!!
Nanook, I never rode the Jolly Trolley, but at least I rode the Red Car Trolley at DCA.
JB, I agree, Cascade Peak was definitely continuing to decay, and nobody cared very much. I’m happy to see it in the photo, but it’s a bummer to know that it was so neglected. I am quite sure that the ruined track was supposed to be a “feature” - the result of a landslide or some such nonsense. I can’t tell you how the Trolley achieved its swaying movement, maybe somebody else can!
DBenson, it should say that!
Chuck, either raining or during the dreaded June Gloom (my favorite)! I actually did not know that the Mark Twain didn’t operate in the rain - guests could take refuge on the lower decks. Maybe they stay away to the point where it’s not worth operating the steamboat. If Mike Cozart owns that sign, I will offer him $25 CASH for it.
TokyoMagic!, I know what you mean, why do they insist on building these modes of transportation when we all know that they will not last? I was not surprised when I heard that the Red Car Trolley was going away - though I guess in that case it had to go because something else was going to be built in DCA? Not sure WHAT though. It would make sense that the Hides sign could have been in the Pendleton store.
JG, I feel like the “abandoned ruins” was mostly a money-saving measure. Why go to the expense of tearing out the tracks and Cascade Peak when they could leave it as something to look at? I quite enjoyed the new(ish) Runaway Railway, and am glad that there is now another reason to head back to Toontown. The land is flawed, but has potential. I hope you get to do the Runaway Railway sometime! My guess is that the main reason the Jolly Trolley was removed is that they are always looking for ways to cut operations costs. And I’m sure the capacity of that little trolley was miniscule, even if people wanted to ride it (no idea if they did or not).
Mike Cozart, one of the big flaws of Toontown for me is that Disney cartoons did not typically have those crazy warped buildings. That’s more of a Fleischer thing. But maybe that’s nit-picking. The removal of the Jolly Trolley is one of those “death by 1000 cuts” moves; sure, all by itself it is not a disaster, but they continue to remove little details that don’t make big money or “impede crowds” (are there ever crowds in Toontown?). Well, now we know that the Buffalo sign is no longer in that shop. Tell us all who owns it! ;-)
I look at the first photo with sadness. It does look more like a model, but that's also because I just can't accept that the attraction is gone. I wonder how many times and how many guests came along with me entering the tunnel into Bear Country and the trestle over the pond. It was also hard to see one of the engines and tender sitting in ruins as well. KS
KS, it makes me sad; I know that you had a much more personal connection to the Nature's Wonderland attraction. I wish it was still with us. BUT... Big Thunder is a fun, well-done ride. We don't get the immersive, beautiful environments, yet for a roller coaster they did a great job. The engine (and tender?) are supposedly being restored, though I have heard no updates as to how it is going.
The MARK TWAIN does operate in rain … even somewhat heavy rain. In fact I JUST experienced this the first week of March. Not only was the steamboat operating at night - it was pouring rain! The top deck was closed off to guests and admittedly there were not many guests in the park that rainy day. I even shared some live pictures with some of this blogs readers in the rainy Mark Twain journey . We even rode it multiple times - in the moody rain. If felt like we were not in Anaheim in 2025 … but 1,000 miles and 175 years away.
The TOONTOWN Trolley was very popular with guests .. enough so that both trolleys were given matching trailers ( like real cable and electric streetcars used) to increase capacity and both trolleys were usually operating at the same time. The problem that caused the removal of the Trolley was partially cost related I’m sure … but there had been several - more than a dozen cases I’ve been told - of Trolly/guest collisions. Eventually for safety a castmember had to walk in front clearing the track of guests and another CM following the trolley to make sure guests were still clear of the train . This also included a Trolly motorman to operate and control and a conductor on the trailer - to make sure guests didn’t board or disembark the moving Trolly etc. towards the end … the double operating Trolley went ti one single car … there were even seat belts added to the seats!?!! Eventually the attraction was retired and a single Trolly was left out as a photo opportunity ( the same fate as the DCA trolley) . After the recent renovation of TOONTOWN the track and all signs of the Trolley have been removed.
TOKYO DISNEYLAND kept their TOONTOWN TROLLEY but added odd- looking metal gates along the entire track right-of-way to prevent Trolley- Guest rundowns .
MAJOR : I agree with you about the Disney style buildings not looking like TOONTOWN style .. the WDI reasoning for this was that ofcourse in Roger Rabbit the film TOONTOWN was home to all studios toons and includes many none Disney cartoon characters in the 1988 film . I think the look of TOONTOWN would have been nicer had they ignored that and also the “no straight angles “ press pleasing WDI design gimmick.
Major...I'm not sure the status of the restoration project though I can find out from a knowledgeable source. My current understating was that the tender was beyond restoration and only the engine is being done. KS
The NATURES WONDERLAND locomotive being restored includes 2 original ore cars and one locomotive only . For whatever reason Disneyland kept all for locomotives and tenders along with about 10 ore cars for many years after the Nature Wonderland closure…. For awhile behind were Casey Jr. Was stored then later in various backstage areas near the machine shop and the cycle shop. During this time the trains had been stripped of details like bells , number plates etc - by employees . Around 1985/86 a single locomotive ( sans the tender ) and two ore cars were used for a rockslide vignette at Cascade Peak. The remaining ore cars and locomotives apparently were then trashed or scrapped. There has been persistent rumors that some of the other locomotives were saved and in private collections. It could be true - but not likely as no signs have surfaced of their existence . Also when they were finally disposed of Disneyland property control was very serious about destroying equipment deemed to be destroyed. But you kinda hope somewhere there’s a garage or shed with the bright yellow trains awaiting to be saved!
Mike Cozart, it makes sense that the Mark Twain would operate in the rain. I know I was at the park during one very rainy day, but I think that it had kind of dried up by the time I wanted to ride the steamboat at night. I do remember the sound of soft music coming from the shore, and the sound of crickets (or spring peepers?) coming from Tom Sawyer Island - is that a recording? Wow, I am shocked that they would continue to run the Jolly Trolley after even ONE guest collision. Not that I want the JT to go away, but clearly something was wrong with their system. It does seem a shame that folks had to be almost physically shooed out of the way, but look at how they don’t want to move for Main Street vehicles clanging or “aa-oo-ga-ing” at them. They are in their own little worlds. I understand that Toontown was supposed to be home to all cartoon characters - it was a miracle that they got so many different studios to cooperate - and I don’t *hate* the rubbery architecture, it just doesn’t feel “Disney” to me. And we are in Disneyland, after all!
KS, I would think that the metal parts (The truck? Not sure of my terminology) would be OK, but perhaps they were dented or rusted beyond use. Such a shame, but I’d think that talented people could recreate one. I hope we see them soon!
Mike Cozart, it kills me to think of those locomotives and ore cars being destroyed, but I do know that this was typical practice, at least in many cases. What a shame! I agree, if any others survived out there, I feel like we would have heard about it by now. Perhaps you’ve seen that miniature (but rideable) NWRR train that a hobbyist built, there is at least one YouTube video about it, it is so perfect and beautiful!
Sorry about that, guys. I know the steamboat runs in the rain. That was just an elaborate setup for a punchline. Note to self: be careful about making up misinformation for comic effect. Some people still actually believe you…
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