News Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Historical Construction/Impressions

TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
vj81995 said:
One of my favorite Disneyland fun facts - the Mark Twain (I assume the Columbia as well) has three speeds: Slow, fast, and "FANTASMIC!"
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Not sure if you are joking, and I hate to ruin a good Fun Fact, but that's not actually true. :(

The Mark Twain is a real steamboat, with a real steam engine. There's no pushbuttons, but rather a series of valves and gears that requires the constant attention of a steam engineer. I've chatted with the guys who run the steam engine, and they can make the boat go any speed from creeping to full blast. On windy days it requires more steam to get around the river, or when the boat is lightly loaded they throttle it back a tad to make the trip 15 minutes instead of 12 minutes. The engineer, who are guys who also work on the Disneyland Railroad as the engineers for the trains, can't see much from his spot on the Boiler Deck. So through a series of bell signals from the ride operator up in the captain's wheelhouse, the engineer is told if the river ahead is clear or obstructed and can adjust accordingly, and with the Columbia, two rafts, and up to six canoes sharing the river there can be plenty of adjustment needed. The Mark Twain, like any big steam powered vehicle, has a nearly infinite number of "speeds" that requires careful control and special input. Here's a video about it.



As for Fantasmic!, an engineer told me there is a special boost propeller below the water line that was added in the 1990's. It is only turned on during the show, and acts like a turbo to increase the speed of the boat for the Fantasmic! finale. But the engineer still is needed to adjust and control the steam engine to make the finale timing perfect, and there's a show director in the control booth above Pirates of the Caribbean who times and observes the Mark Twain finale and can call the engineer on a radio to have him slow or speed up the Mark Twain finale pass based on weather conditions or how the finale is performing for the audience.

The "speeds" for the Mark Twain myth may originate in WDW. On the WDW Rivers of America they only have two types of attractions left, the Liberty Belle and one or two rafts. There is no Fantasmic! to worry about. The WDW Liberty Belle has no steam engineer on board, and instead the engine controls are staffed by a regular ride operator. When it's time for the Liberty Belle to leave, they give it some steam and go around the river all alone without much to worry about.

When Disneyland's Rivers of America remake for Star Wars Land is done, I would imagine it's going to take quite a bit of rehearsals to get the newly shortened river route learned and coordinated correctly for Fantasmic!. This is a big change for that 1955 facility!
 
VJ

VJ

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
Not sure if you are joking, and I hate to ruin a good Fun Fact, but that's not actually true.

The Mark Twain is a real steamboat, with a real steam engine. There's no pushbuttons, but rather a series of valves and gears that requires the constant attention of a steam engineer. I've chatted with the guys who run the steam engine, and they can make the boat go any speed from creeping to full blast. On windy days it requires more steam to get around the river, or when the boat is lightly loaded they throttle it back a tad to make the trip 15 minutes instead of 12 minutes. The engineer, who are guys who also work on the Disneyland Railroad as the engineers for the trains, can't see much from his spot on the Boiler Deck. So through a series of bell signals from the ride operator up in the captain's wheelhouse, the engineer is told if the river ahead is clear or obstructed and can adjust accordingly, and with the Columbia, two rafts, and up to six canoes sharing the river there can be plenty of adjustment needed. The Mark Twain, like any big steam powered vehicle, has a nearly infinite number of "speeds" that requires careful control and special input. Here's a video about it.



As for Fantasmic!, an engineer told me there is a special boost propeller below the water line that was added in 1992. It is only turned on during the show, and acts like a turbo to increase the speed of the boat for the Fantasmic! finale. But the engineer still is needed to adjust and control the steam engine to make the finale timing perfect, and there's a show director in the control booth above Pirates of the Caribbean who times and observes the Mark Twain finale and can call the engineer on a radio to have him slow or speed up the Mark Twain finale pass based on weather conditions or how the finale is performing for the audience.

The "speeds" for the Mark Twain myth may originate in WDW. On the WDW Rivers of America they only have two types of attractions left, the Liberty Belle and one or two rafts. There is no Fantasmic! to worry about. The WDW Liberty Belle has no steam engineer on board, and instead the engine controls are staffed by a regular ride operator. When it's time for the Liberty Belle to leave, they give it some steam and go around the river all alone without much to worry about.
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Nope, not kidding (this time!) I saw it on this Wikipedia article:
"The Mark Twain Riverboat is actually powered by the rear-mounted paddle, but is guided by the same replacement track installed at the install time of Fantasmic! It is a real steam-powered sternwheeler, but the steam is regulated by the engineer in the rear of the boat and steam is powered by a biodiesel-fueled boiler. The boiler is regulated at the center of the boat with many gauges and a three-way toggle switch labeled "Slow," "Fast," and "FANTASMIC." The last setting provides the most speed."

I guess I was mistaken either way though.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
vj81995 said:
Nope, not kidding (this time!) I saw it on this Wikipedia article:
"The Mark Twain Riverboat is actually powered by the rear-mounted paddle, but is guided by the same replacement track installed at the install time of Fantasmic! It is a real steam-powered sternwheeler, but the steam is regulated by the engineer in the rear of the boat and steam is powered by a biodiesel-fueled boiler. The boiler is regulated at the center of the boat with many gauges and a three-way toggle switch labeled "Slow," "Fast," and "FANTASMIC." The last setting provides the most speed."

I guess I was mistaken either way though.
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I think it's Wikepedia that is mistaken. Although there is an element of truth to their Fantasmic! speed, which relates to the extra propeller added in the 1990's. But there's no toggle switch to set-and-forget. It requires the constant adjustment at the Johnson Bar of the steam engine, which constantly changes the speed of the paddle wheel.
 
D

Deleted member 107043

TP2000 said:
I think it's Wikepedia that is mistaken. Although there is an element of truth to their Fantasmic! speed, which relates to the extra propeller added in the 1990's. But there's no toggle switch to set-and-forget. It requires the constant adjustment at the Johnson Bar of the steam engine, which constantly changes the speed of the paddle wheel.
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TP you need to go over there and update the article!
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Dr. Hans Reinhardt said:
TP you need to go over there and update the article!
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The last time I got involved with Wikipedia it was around 2005. I was enjoying some Scotch and edited a few things on the pages for Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss. The lawyers for both people didn't let those edits last long. (Or maybe the changes were made by a personal secretary, or maybe even by Messrs. Harriss and Pressler themselves also enjoying a Scotch).

I imagine the Wikepedia article on how the Mark Twain operates was edited by some $10 an hour WDW ride operator who assumes the Disneyland boat and busy river operates the same way their lone boat on a drainage canal also works. I'd hate to ruin their work. :cool:
 
D

Deleted member 107043

TP2000 said:
The last time I got involved with Wikipedia it was around 2005. I was enjoying some Scotch and edited a few things on the pages for Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss.
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Do you have a Scotch preference? You know, for "research".
 
SuddenStorm

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
Dr. Hans Reinhardt said:
Do you have a Scotch preference? You know, for "research".
Click to expand...

This is my favorite scotch.
s0213959_sc7
 
LieutLaww

LieutLaww

Hello There
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
Looks like we wont be getting anymore vids or pics from the parking structure overlooking SWL, A Slice of Disney posted a vid today saying it would be the last as he was stopped while filming by security and were told they were no longer allowed to film the backlot.
 
LieutLaww

LieutLaww

Hello There
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
No idea will have to see if the others that do them also post vids saying it is their last one, I also missed saying it was filming on Disney property into the SWL area.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
I believe technically your not suppose to film anything on Disney property without their permission. Granted you can take pictures of your family and other stuff but standing there filming a construction project would be frond upon by Disney. I can see it being a legal risk that someone captures a poorly constructed item and there is an accident later on.
 
Earl Sweatpants

Earl Sweatpants

Well-Known Member
LieutLaww said:
Looks like we wont be getting anymore vids or pics from the parking structure overlooking SWL, A Slice of Disney posted a vid today saying it would be the last as he was stopped while filming by security and were told they were no longer allowed to film the backlot.
Click to expand...
I'll wait and see what happens with Jane (She'sInLosAngeles) and her videos before I start to lose hope.
 

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