Progress Report: 10/27/08

Work has been going on on the locomotive and train. I can't do much on the rest of the layout until I get a full, completed train (That would be a new station platform, possibly redo of the desert, etc.)

A shot of the engine, under construction, you can see where the new scratchbuilt cab will be mounted.

Sides of the new cab, built from scratch. An idea for a new thread could be on model construction techniques, such as here the left cab piece is made of strip styrene, while the part on the right, is made from sheet styrene.

A course in computer graphics is paying off well, since I've been redoing the tender art in Photoshop (Adobe Illustrator would be better for this) from the ground up, since J. Keeline's photo of the tender is not quite suitable for printable (even though I've used it before on older tenders. It is good reference though). It still needs some more work.

Progress Report: 9/4/08

As mentioned before, these are the metal strips in question:

They will become the running boards on the engine. Here is what I have devised; a piece of thin metal (yes, cut from a soda can!) wraps around the boiler and has two styrene running boards on each side. Pins slide through the running board and through the metal strips on the engine. This allows a structure that is thin and can hold its shape, stay in place and be easy to remove for what ever mechanical problems.

Progress Report: 7/31/08

I have recently acquired another 0-4-0 which will be converted into another NWRR. However, after the disassemble, the main frame that holds the motor is difficult to get off. Not risking breaking the new porter, I'm leaving it on, and that means that the metal supports for saddle tank with still be in place. To disguise those, I'll make those into running boards. Sure, those are prototypical to the real thing, but its a compromise that makes somewhat makes sense.

Progress Report: 7/30/08

So it looks like I may be working backwards in the future. After having problems with the 90 degree cross level cross in the Living Desert, I'm considering removing it. My little porters never seem to have enough power to get across the cross with half their power contacts cut off when one set of wheels rolls onto the plastic part of the cross when running at crawling speeds. The only solution is to remove the cross, and re-grade the entire desert which includes ripping up the track right down to the masonite foundation. Then I have to create a new graded sub-roadbed so the track can pass over itself. Though, in such small space, the grades may be pretty tough for the little porter, but we will see when I give myself the green light to do. An ambitious project just got more ambitious!

Progress Report: 6/22/08

Some more work in rainbow caverns:

After looking at some old aerial shots of NWRR, I just realized that the DLRR passed right by the old ride, something that I should include in my layout! However, I don't have room for a track, nor an O scale DLRR locomotive/cars. I guess it will be in the backdrop! Looks like another DLRR Art piece also doubling as a background is on the way! I'm thinking of having the Marsh in its original livery (with "white wall tires"!) pulling the Retlaw cars to be depicted in the background.

Progress Report: 6/18/08

Here is the "new" N.W.R.R. #1, fresh out of the shop. It still needs some more work, like the sand dome details, steam dome in the cab, and the whistle/cord.

Heres what I did to get rid of that pesky saddle tank that is driving everyone that has this Bachmann model crazy:

I took off the saddle tank (duh!). I then made a new smokebox front that was bigger than diameter than the original, and then I glued it right on to the original smokebox. Next, I grinded off the metal strips on both sides of the motor that support the saddle tank, this created a more narrow boiler. Then I wrapped a piece of thin styrene around the motor and glued it to the grinded down strips to create the new boiler. Lastly, I added all the details (Smokestack, sand dome, bell, new headlight, sandpipes, injector pipes). You will need to construct a new cab, or modify the current one, if you want it to fit around the new boiler. In this case I just made the area in the current cab that fits around the boiler a bit bigger. The engine does lose some traction power with out the weight of the saddle tank, but this little porter isn't pulling any long freight trains either, so that was OK.

Here is the first finished area of the layout, a new river of "Mod Podge" has been made, lined with rocks, and tall grass made from fake fur.

After reviewing some drawings of the prototype train, I discovered that I made my cars and tender too big! Even after three generations of mine cars on my layout I didn't catch that! So a new fleet of Mark IV mine cars are planned, which will be smaller leaving more room, so a full six or seven car train is possible
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Progress Report: 6/16/08

Here is the new trestle in Bear Country, with NWRR number one pausing on it. For those of you wondering what the On30 0-4-0 Porter looks like on the inside, there you go. The engine is currently under going a major rebuild that will make it more accurate to the prototype, and that includes getting rid of the saddle tank.

Heres a look inside the Rainbow Caverns, it is nearly complete, the water features need a coat of Mod Podge (which is what I now use for water). The more I look at it now, I think I may need to restrict the color palette to just cool colors, especially on the stalagmites/stalactites, They seem a little distracting.

Long exposure shot with the train passing by.

Progress Report: 4/6/08

Not too much progress, but here are some pictures of the train and Cascade Peak.

Progress Report: 11/28/07

Rainbow ridge is gone!

Actually I am rebuilding the area with new wooden platforms that will replace the orignal sagging cardstock platforms. The buildings are being stored in the Living Desert section, and they will get some touch-ups when re-installed.

Here is the new load platform, built entirely out of wood, awaiting paint/washes and railings.

Progress Report: 11/3/07

It's about time I give an update, with the last one being in May!

Cascade Peak is looking almost finished...

The "Devil's Paint Pots" get some work...

I don't have any pictures, but I have a whole new fleet of mine cars that are currently in the paint shop (aka the clean side of my work table )

Progress Report: 5/13/07

Natural arch bridge gets some paint and scenery...

The trains is currently getting brand new cars, built from scratch and will be more detailed and tidier.

Progress Report: 4/2/07

< An update on the train. I retired my old NWRR engine and replaced it with a newer model, the old engine was plagued with problems that could not get fixed. The new engine runs much smoother and reliable than the older engine. The new engine was also a "second chance" at painting, and this time the paint came out perfectly unlike the old engine. Updates on the newer engine that weren't on the old engine are the painted "rims", the NWRR plate on the cab, the long awaited box headlight, and a number (it hasn't been numbered for a long time, so it's offically #1). The tender may need a new paint job and the cars may need a revised rebuilding to match the quality of the new engine.

NOTE: Ballast/ground covering has appeared and it stretches from Rainbow Ridge to the "Crazy Cactus" area.

I don't have any pictures of it, but Cascade Peak has two more waterfalls.

Progress Report: 2/24/07

Cascade Peak gets its first waterfall....



Made of melted plastic, plastic bag strips, shredded cotton balls, and many layers of medium gloss.

Progress Report: 1/8/07

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Progress Report: 11/30/06

My N.W.R.R. project is slow but there has been some progress since my last update. I rebuilt the entire top half of Cascade Peak because I thought it could be better and look more like the real one (There were some inaccuracies) The tender was rebuilt for the train, again, there were some inaccuracies.

Progress Report: 9/25/06

September 25, 2006 marks one year of construction on the Nature's Wonderland Model. Exactly one year ago, I bought my HO Flex-Track and began construction on a clean and flat piece of masonite. It's not a complete year of work (I don't work on it every single day ) but it's been a year since I started.

Progress Report: 7/26/06

I figured out how to make animation .gif on my digital camera, so here is a demonstration of Balancing Rock Canyon.

Progress Report: 6/30/06

Some scenery in Beaver Valley.



The start of Balancing rock canyon. I know, it's hard to tell where the rocks are but they are there. They will stand out better when I detail them more and paint them. The rocks do move, through a cable system. There's the stationary rock attached to the base of the layout, and a moving rock on top attached to the stationary rock by a spring ,(I tried a hinge, but it would get jammed too much, and a spring "wiggles" more. ). The cable pulls the moving rock down and the spring pulls it back into position! All the cables go to one point under the desert scene and a longer cable is attached to the point and goes to the train controller next to Cascade peak where it is controlled.




The start of Rainbow Caverns. Every thing still needs painting. The red is a "test color" I tried on the rocks that glows under a black-light.



This is what is taking so long. Adding the Pack mules (Highlighted in Green). I rebuilt the back section of Cascade peak to add the cliff. So it's more like building two rides in one. Cascade peak also has it's base coat of paint.

Progress Report: 12/30/05

The Town is pretty much complete except for a few small details(chairs, barrels,Etc.) Added some ballest



Rainbow caverns is covered and I ordered the blacklight for it. Rainbow ridge hill is also covered. Started on some Rockwork in Beaver Valley. (I'm making my rockwork out of Celluclay)

Progress Report: 12/23/05

Most buildings are comleted. Clarion and general store are next to be worked on. I had to eliminate two buildings in order to make it look right proportion wise because it's such a small area.

They are sorta blurred because I didn't have a tripod or something to rest the camera on, here's the train is rounding around the unfinished Cascade Peak.

Progress Report: 12/3/05

Natural arch bridge, cliffs, and "spur line" tunnel in the living desert.



Rainbow caverns structure and Rainbow Ridge hill structure.



The train and loading area. The Engine is almost done and the cars need some paint touch-ups.



The headlight is not the box type yet but it will be modified soon.

Progress Report: 10/22/05

Part of the boarding platform has been built, and the "waiting area", the entrance, and exit are next to be built.

Progress Report: 10/17/05

Progress report:

Cascade peak is more "full"



Structures of tunnels are added



The bases for cars are made

Here is my Mine train through Nature's Wonderland On30 4 X 7 layout. As you can see, It's still in it's construction phase.

That popsicle stick structure is (or will be) Cascade Peak



That locomotive you see on the track closes to you is a Bachmann 0-4-0 porter that will be painted to look like the NWRR trains later.You could also see the bear country trestle.



Instead of going underground, The train just goes over a cross.

FAQ's

Coming Soon!

The NWRR Project

This project is a recreation of the 1960 Disneyland attraction, Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland in On30 scale. This is a selectively compressed layout, not a true inch-for-inch scale model, because of the large scale of the project squeezed onto a rather small 4' X 7' table. So, elements from the original ride to be shifted, moved, eliminated, modified, or distorted, but all the major areas of the attraction are represented. Despite the compromises, close attention to detail is included within those areas.

What prompted me to build such a layout still puzzles me to this day. I wasn't even around when the attraction was open and I wouldn't enter the world several years after it was replaced. I think it was all the elements the attraction had that made it so appealing: it had western towns, mountains, tunnels, hills, deserts, sandstone rocks, trestles, lakes, ponds, rivers, glowing caverns, geysers, mud pots, dinosaur bones, jiggling rocks, a variety of animals, it had trains, and it was a Disney ride.

Above, the mine train model as it appeared in 'The "E" Ticket' magazine in early 2006

The layout was originally started in September of 2005, when I was just a sophomore in high school with basic model making skills. Since then, there have been countless changes and modifications which are still under-way. With my ever-improving skills as a model maker, the model should reflect that skill level. Now almost 5 years later, the layout is in a construction state that is almost similar to how it was since the day I started. Areas have been rebuilt from the ground up and quality has certainly gone up. Through expansion, the layout is now measuring about 5' X 7.5". Since this project hits the back burner a lot, there is no estimated completion date as things will always continue to change and improve. But, after almost half a decade, I'm pretty close to finishing, and I think by the end of 2011/early 2012 (if things go well) I just might have every single little detail in.

The ever changing layout, as it appears in early 2010 and below now in early 2011

What is "Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland"?

Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland was a Disneyland attraction created in 1960. It is an upgrade from it's former self, the Rainbow Caverns Mine train, which opened in 1956. The attraction covered a very large chunk of Frontierland and featured over 200 Audio-Animatronics and featured themes and scenery from Walt Disney's popular True-Life adventure films. As guests board one of 4 battery powered faux steam locomotive trains, they passed by the sprawling town of Rainbow Ridge which also served as the loading area for the pack mule attraction. From there the guests were treated to views of Beaver Valley, Cascade Peak, Bear Country (not the land known as Critter Country today) the Living Desert, Cactus Forest, Balancing Rock Canyon, and the magnificent Rainbow Caverns.

The attraction lasted until 1977 when it was replaced by a much higher speed train ride, Big Thunder Mountain. Today remnants of the original Mine Train attraction are still around, like large Buttes from the Living Desert, the buildings from Rainbow Ridge (Re-arranged for the Big Thunder Loading area), although half buried in concrete the rock formations for the geyser corner, the tunnels to and from Cascade Peak, Bear Country pond, and some animals AA's from the attraction. Other remnants that survived that have been torn down in later years include Cascade Peak, the bear scratching his back on the tree, and soon, the last remaining mine train staged as a wrecked train.