Finding Traces of Former Disneyland Rides - Mine Train!

I always wondered walking from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad about the mysterious tunnel across the bridge. It is from the former Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland which opened in  1960 at Frontierland. It closed in 1977 making way for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which opened in 1979! 

This is from a look at the model at Walt’s Carolwood Barn (which started the path) and map that was at Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln. The ride featured sections based on the True-Life Adventures films from Walt Disney Productions; In Beaver Valley (1950), The Olympic Elk (1952), Bear Country (1953), and The Living Desert (1953). 

Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland model, Walt’s Carolwood Barn, author’s photo.

Artwork of the attraction at Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, also author’s photo. 

First, the town of Rainbow Ridge, Big Thunder was down at the time, but it is always fascinating to see a Western town at the edge of the adventures. Big Thunder makes a turn past the town coming to the loading/unloading area. The Mine Train loading area would be just to the other side of the tracks and train here. 

Closeup of Walt’s Carolwood Barn model, photo by the author. 

Rainbow Ridge facades from Rancho Del Zocalo, author’s photo. 

The other big hint was this curved part of the track which was around Cascade Mountain in Nature's Wonderland. I remembered it and took this pic from the Sailing Ship Columbia. 

The track will become more clear in the following pics. It is impressive that the mountain with the waterfalls are replaced by a hill with trees!

A view of the Mine Train tracks from the Sailing Ship Columbia, author’s photo. 

Another closeup of the Mine Train model, photo by the author. 

So this brings us to the tunnel that is another part remaining from the ride. This curves into the long track seen in the model. Its kinda dark in the next shot from Columbia. The reverse angle from the Big Thunder bridge can be easily seen! 

A closeup of the Mine Train model, author’s photo.

 

Another shot from Columbia, photo by the author.

There is a large forested area behind Rancho del Zocalo (I like the Casa de Fritos name more) and the castle. This must be the area that was Rainbow Caverns, Living Desert, and Beaver Valley, most of the ride. So Big Thunder would take up the lake, Beaver Valley, and Pack Mule Trail. It is stunning that at one time at Disneyland there was another mountain, a desert, and the mine train ride going through it all! 

#MineTrainThroughNaturesWonderland, #BigThunderMountainRailroad, #WaltsCarolwoodBarn, #GreatMomentsWithMrLincoln, #TrueLifeAdventures #InBeaverValley, #TheOlympicElk 

#BearCountry, #TheLivingDesert, #CascadeMountain, #SailingShipColumbia, #RanchoDelZocalo, #CasaDeFritos, #RainbowCaverns, #PackMuleTrail.