Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Mr Starky · Jul 27, 2006

Does anybody know this? Was, at one time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called the Runaway Train?

Thanks All

napnet · Jul 27, 2006

Well there was a run away mine train ride supposed to be in the Western River Expedition (google it)... don't think it ever had an official name... that might be what your thinking of but it was called BTMR since it opened

Lee · Jul 27, 2006

Mr Starky said:
Does anybody know this? Was, at one time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called the Runaway Train? Thanks All

Nope.
It's always been Big Thunder.
At Disneyland it replaced "Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland"....that's as close to Runaway Train as it ever got.

mrtoad · Jul 27, 2006

Mr Starky said:
Does anybody know this? Was, at one time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called the Runaway Train?

Thanks All

Never was. Great Adventure has a coaster called the Runaway Train, but BTMR was always that.

CoffeeJedi · Jul 27, 2006

kinda sorta not really maybe yes
:lol:
Originally, the "Runaway Train" was going to be a secondary attraction on the outside of the HUGE Western River Expidition show building (disguised to look like a mesa). But when PotC was built instead of WRE, Tony Baxter's little train ride became the E-ticket that we know and love today, much to Marc Davis's chagrin. (well, at least according to Jim Hill). But the real attraction never had another name, no.

www.jimhillmedia.com has a multi-part series detailing how it all went down.

LudwigVonDrake · Jul 27, 2006

Always been Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

monorailguy01 · Jul 27, 2006

At the Six Flags by me they have a ride called the Runaway train, but it is nothing the BTMR....BTMR is so much better....

marni1971 · Jul 27, 2006

CoffeeJedi said:
Originally, the "Runaway Train" was going to be a secondary attraction on the outside of the HUGE Western River Expidition show building

Huge - not really. Big - yes, but about the same footprint of the 20k showbuilding. Or Space Port :animwink:

In todays terms slightly smaller north-south than the Thundermountain footprint, and it still didn`t cross west over the railroad. Indeed, the railroad would have passed right through it`s length.

Kind of makes you wonder if only....

CoffeeJedi · Jul 27, 2006

marni1971 said:
Huge - not really. Big - yes, but about the same footprint of the 20k showbuilding. Or Space Port :animwink:

Fascinating, i suppose that makes sense though, PotC isn't THAT big, and they fit alot in there.

In todays terms slightly smaller north-south than the Thundermountain footprint, and it still didn`t cross west over the railroad. Indeed, the railroad would have passed right through it`s length.

Could you clarify please? The railroad went through it, but it didn't cross the tracks?

Kind of makes you wonder if only....

Indeed... but then, if it was built, we wouldn't have Splash Mountain, PotC at WDW, or the version of BTMRR that exists. Even the train scene from WoM was taken from WRE. It does make you think though.

erasure fan1 · Jul 27, 2006

Mr Starky said:
Does anybody know this? Was, at one time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called the Runaway Train?

Thanks All

Its always been big thunder mountain. Now the funny thing is I have heard people call it that. I had neighbors who came back and said "we rode that runaway mine train ride". so if I have heard it before people must call it that.

RonAnnArbor · Jul 27, 2006

I worked at a similar ride at Cedar Point in Ohio for years back in the late 70's early 80's. They also have a mine ride coaster called Cedar Creek Mine Ride...everyone has always called it "runaway mine ride" since day 1...I don't know where that gets into people's mindsets and they just call rides that -- to this day, when people ask what ride I worked on, I'll tell them the runaway mind ride, since that is the popular name, even though it appears in print nowhere at CP.

CoffeeJedi · Jul 27, 2006

raven · Jul 27, 2006

Mr Starky said:
Does anybody know this? Was, at one time, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad called the Runaway Train?

Thanks All

In Disneyland many people, including me, refer to it as the Death Train. :lookaroun

rcapolete · Jul 27, 2006

I alway use to refer to it as runaway train as a kid. I think it had someting to do with the fact that the train seem to be out of control while you are riding it and people just got stuck calling it that. I know six flag great adventure does have a runaway train ride with a similar car setup. Wondering if maybe it just us north easterners that refer to it like that.

Madison · Jul 27, 2006

For the sake of being pedantic, Six Flags Great Adventure's ride is Runaway Mine Train, not Runaway Train. There is only one coaster in the United States actually named "Runaway Train" and it opened just this year at Gillian's Wonderland Pier, also in New Jersey.

mrtoad · Jul 27, 2006

Madison said:
For the sake of being pedantic, Six Flags Great Adventure's ride is Runaway Mine Train, not Runaway Train. There is only one coaster in the United States actually named "Runaway Train" and it opened just this year at Gillian's Wonderland Pier, also in New Jersey.

I am assuming that even Great Adventure refers to it as the Runaway Train even if that is not the real name. This is from their site:

"Runaway Country
Guests can mosey on by the Runaway Train stage to catch a talented cowboy and cowgirl sing chart-topping country hits and memorable classics all season through Sept. 24."

I am assuming that stage is next to the coaster but I have not been there in 15 years or so and the stage might be no where near it...

Madison · Jul 27, 2006

mrtoad said:
I am assuming that even Great Adventure refers to it as the Runaway Train even if that is not the real name. This is from their site:

"Runaway Country
Guests can mosey on by the Runaway Train stage to catch a talented cowboy and cowgirl sing chart-topping country hits and memorable classics all season through Sept. 24."

I am assuming that stage is next to the coaster but I have not been there in 15 years or so and the stage might be no where near it...

Heh. Well, y'know, I was there yesterday and I don't recall seeing a stage anywhere near the ride. Nor do I recall one in year's passed, but I wasn't really looking out for one.

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatadventure/Rides/runaway.html

The ride's page uses the proper name, so I suspect that the show description was written by an incompetent public relations intern or something. That's not too hard to believe given how poorly the park is run.

mrtoad · Jul 28, 2006

Madison said:
Heh. Well, y'know, I was there yesterday and I don't recall seeing a stage anywhere near the ride. Nor do I recall one in year's passed, but I wasn't really looking out for one.

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatadventure/Rides/runaway.html

The ride's page uses the proper name, so I suspect that the show description was written by an incompetent public relations intern or something. That's not too hard to believe given how poorly the park is run.

Are you talking about the one in NJ? I have not been for years so no clue what is what.

Madison · Jul 28, 2006

mrtoad said:
Are you talking about the one in NJ? I have not been for years so no clue what is what.

Yep; the one and only Great Adventure.

TowerOfTerror · Jul 28, 2006

There are 13 coasters with Runaway Train in it.
http://www.rcdb.com/qs.htm?quicksearch=Runaway+Train

Then there is 9 more coasters with Runaway mine Train in it.
http://www.rcdb.com/qs.htm?quicksearch=Runaway+mine+Train

As you can see both are very popular names for unlogical parks.

As for a stage infront of Runaway Mine Train at SFGADV, there is one. Its so small you probably didn't noticed it when you walked by it.

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