Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland
by Paul F. Anderson
Welcome to a new feature here at the Institute. In keeping with my original mission statement for DHI of presenting Disney historical items that can not be seen anywhere else, I inaugurate the column “The Inner Workings” for just that purpose. Each time this feature appears, it will be a rare behind-the-scenes look at the magic–everything from animation to the theme parks, and beyond.
I decided that due to the popularity of the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, it would be a prime candidate for the kick off of this feature. And in honor of the age old Jungle Cruise joke, “The Backside of Water,” here at the Institute we give you the inner workings of the backside of the desert–specifically, one of the balancing rocks. The above image is the decidedly rare Disneyland Panorama Postcard J-11 “Frontierland Desert.” There are three balancing (sometimes referred to as “teetering”) rocks in the picture. Our inner workings subject is the “balancing act” on the right. The black and white photo below showcases the literal “inner workings” of this rock and is taken from the same perspective as the above postcard. It must have been a relatively easy task for Walt’s movie craftsman to create such a structure. Probably the most difficult problem they encountered was to create the illusion for long-term, and almost continual, use. (As with all our images here at the Institute, we suggest you click on the image for a much nicer, and clearer, image.)
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