Views of the Viewliner

The photographer who took these two images is my hero/heroine; they wrote the actual date on the back of the slides AND the camera setting! These April 26, 1958 shots are of the short lived attraction that transported Disneyland guests between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, The Viewliner. Walt Disney’s predecessor to The Monorail only lasted from June 26, 1957 to September 15, 1958. It became a victim of progress and a large renovation in this section of the Park that included the Monorail, The Submarine Voyage, and The Matterhorn. See that pine-topped hill with guests hiking up the dirt path? Alternately known as Snow/Holiday Hill, Lookout Mountain, and unofficially “Lover’s Lane,” it was the future location of the Matterhorn, which would serve to hide the large Skyway support shown in the photo. At far right is the Tomorrowland Viewliner Station:



The camera settings for both of these were F8 1/50, in case any of you were wondering. Image #2 shows the Fantasyland Viewliner train which was blue; the Tomorrowland version was salmon/red in color.



A closeup of the train zipping over the bridge where the  Motor Boat Cruise sailed.



There were a few bridges where the two attractions overlapped:



This image shows the Fantasyland Viewliner Station:



While the Monorail is a classic, the Viewliner sure is cute. It’s too bad it couldn’t have been recycled elsewhere in the Park.

See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

The Aerotrain and The Viewliner

The Aerotrain was a streamlined train from General Motors that was introduced in 1955. General Motors demonstrated their new lightweight concept on several railroads in 1956, including the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, with the train operating in California between Los Angeles and San Diego as a San Diegan. Its general problems included a rough ride and under-powered locomotive. As a result, not a single railroad ordered a trainset despite extensive testing on both the New York Central and Pennsylvania. They were eventually purchased by the Rock Island and used in commuter service until 1966. The photo above was dated March 5, 1956 and taken at the Santa Fe Train Station in downtown San Diego. Although the San Diego Electric Company sign is gonzo, the building remains…



and now functions as the 43-story tall Electra Condos.



Even though the Aerotrain was a bust, that didn’t stop Walt Disney and Bob Gurr from being inspired by its sleek design when they built the Viewliner at Disneyland. Running from June 1957 to September 1958, it served as the precursor to the much longer lasting Monorail. The shot of the Tomorrowland Viewliner below is from July 1958.



An overhead shot from the Skyway, January 1958:



The Fantasyland Viewliner, from 1957:



August 1958:



The Fantasyland Viewliner Station:



Another Skyway shot, this one showing the Tomorrowland Viewliner Station, circa 1957:



See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

The Portland Zooliner

There are probably a handful of you Disneyland geeks who wish you could have experienced one of its shortest lived attractions, The Viewliner. Good news: you can! Or, at least a reasonable facsimile of it. This 1960’s/70’s image shows the Washington and Park Zoo Railway in Portland, Oregon, aka “The Zooliner.”



This 5/8 scale narrow gauge train opened on June 7, 1958 and it appears to still be in operation (take that, Disney Corporation!). Like the Disneyland Viewliner, The Zooliner was inspired by the Aerotrain, shown in this 1957 image:



This post wouldn’t be complete without a shot of the Disneyland version:



…and the required closeup:



Anybody booking a trip to Portland now?

See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

Viewliner-ing on a Monday

Let’s (somewhat) zoom into the new week with a shot of Disneyland’s short-lived Viewliner Train. This particular one is the Fantasyland Train, designated by its blue color. Zooming in, you can see the C.K. Holliday train chuggling alongside the Viewliner:

This overhead Skyway shot gives us a glimpse of the Tomorrowland Viewliner station from above:

See more vintage Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

Behind The Storybook, June 1958

Sometimes I have to look at a photo a few times to catch all the wonderful details, like this one shot from the Disneyland Skyway showing the Storybook Land attraction. Zooming into the background, you can see the Fantasyland Viewliner station as well as the Junior Autopia. Yes, back in the day there were multiple Autopias.

I was not aware that there were TWO bridges for the Viewliner with the Santa Fe sign. Or, quite possibly I knew at one time and forgot over the years. I’m sure “Anonymous” will let me know my error.

Here’s the one that spanned over the Motor Boat Cruise attraction:


See more Disneyland Storybook photos at my main website.

The Viewliner Sits Empty

Here’s an undated shot of the Disneyland Viewliner, the attraction known for its extremely short lifespan at the Park (June 1957-September 1958). The poor cast member driving the Tomorrowland Viewliner in the photo looks extremely bored.

In 1959, the Tomorrowland Viewliner station was demolished to make way for the Monorail, The Matterhorn, and the Submarine Voyage attractions.

Wonder what was on the other side of that billboard we see from the vantage point of the Skyway bucket?

UPDATE: It pays to have readers who aren't lazy like me OR have a better memory. Thanks to Darryl for pointing out that in a previous post I showed the front side of what is most likely the billboard in the previous shot:

See more Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

Motor Boats and The Viewliner

This undated 1950’s image of Disneyland was taken from the dock of the Motor Boat Cruise attraction and affords a rare view of the Fantasyland Viewliner station. Why so rare, you ask? Because the Viewliner barely lasted a year before it was removed.



To give you an idea of where the photo was taken, here’s a May 1958 view from the Skyway, showing both the Motor Boat and Viewliner attractions:



A detailed shot of the Fantasyland Viewliner station, with (appropriately) the Blue Fantasyland Viewliner parked at the station.



Another view of the same area from the ground:



A detailed view of the station:



…and the Motor Boat Cruise dock, as well as the regular Disneyland Railroad Fantasyland Depot:



For Motor Boat Cruise fans, here’s an August 1958 shot:



I can just here the little girl now. “I don’t see mom and dad, Tommy. Full speed ahead!”



I believe the track seen in this portion of the photo belongs to the Viewliner:



Got enough to last you for the weekend? I sure hope so!

See more vintage Disneyland Viewliner photos at my main website.

1957 Skyway Sequence

Welcome to 1957! I am always interested in seeing the sequence a photographer shoots; what story they are possibly telling, and what they chose to capture, especially for vintage film shots when each photo was expensive and couldn’t be redone if it came out wrong (vs. digital shots of today). In today’s four-shot sequence, our Disneyland Guest Photographer was shooting from their Skyway bucket as they flew from the Fantasyland Skyway Station towards Tomorrowland. Monstro and Storybook Land were apparently of particular interest. A closeup view of the Wendy boat entering Monstro’s mouth:

Only a few seconds later the photographer decided to snap again:

…capturing some backstage construction going on. Look how deserted it is back there!

Now the photographer is facing forward on the way to Tomorrowland. This time they captured Holiday Hill/Lookout Mountain, which is where the Matterhorn would appear in two years.

And true to its other nickname, “Lover’s Lane,” I see a couple meandering around the mountain below in this detailed view:

The last shot I have in this sequence shows the short-lived Viewliner:

How about that vintage gas station in the background, too?

Last one for today is a bonus shot of the Tomorrowland Skyway Station, also from 1957:

This one warranted two zoom shots, with the first showing the passengers:

…and Harbor Boulevard in the background. Hard to believe it’s the same road of today!

None of these shots could easily be duplicated today, as the loss of the Skyway has taken away that vantage point of the Park and Anaheim.

See more vintage Disneyland Skyway photos at my main website.