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 Fantasyland Viewliner Station

This July 1957 image was taken from a Skyway bucket, soaring over Fantasyland. Zooming in, we can see the Fantasyland Viewliner station, which was only about a month old at the time. Unfortunately, the Viewliner has not arrived yet! Running parallel on the tracks at this point is the C.K. Holliday engine from the Disneyland Railroad:



Also in the frame you can see the Autopia attraction and two vehicles from the Motor Boat Cruise attraction:



The most amazing part of this shot is how barren the landscape is beyond the berm.

See more vintage 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.