Back in 1979 I went to Walt Disney World for the first time and immediately became enamoured with the place. So much so, that my brother and I set out to try to model it in miniature on our ping-pong table when we came home to Ohio. Needless to say since he was 11 and I was 9, our first attempt was pretty bad! [(-D] But I never gave up on the idea and by 1988 I had built a much bigger model on my own. Most of it was made from trash but there were a few HO scale structures. The model was taken down in 1988 and few pieces remain.
In 2006 I set up a simpler “Disneyland” as part of my Christmas display. I had gotten into the new realm of downloadable paper models earlier that year and I even designed a few of my own.
Flash foreward to June 2011. This Christmas I’m bringing back “Paper Disneyland” in a big way! To start things off, here’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, entrance to Fantasyland and centerpiece of Disneyland.
On the left are the TWA Moonliner, Ledo horse drawn streetcars and my incomplete Cinderella Castle paper model. On the right of the castle are the Mark Twain sternwheeler, 2 versions of the Disneyland sign and one of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad trains. The BTM train, Mark Twain, Moonliner, Disneyland signs (marquees), Sleeping Beauty Castle, Moonliner and many other models can be downloaded for free at the Disney Experience website. (Note: The BTM train and Moonliner models I built are mini versions. The usual kit versions are 3 times larger.)
Heading down Main Street…
Most of these structures were kitbashed from models I’ve found all over the net. But the 2 primary sources were
Your projects goes beyond remarkable results. I thought you might enjoy this link to plans for a paper GG1 project using something like 500 pieces. This guy does remarkable work.Check out the ships.
Oh yes, I LOVE the Cannon site! [:)] But there’s often better stuff on the Japanese version since the models get released there first. Check out this one: http://cp.c-ij.com/ja/contents/2027/toytrain/index.html I built that beauty (the day it came out) and the D51 and C57 steam locos and also the E55 electric. But I’ve had trouble with the compound curves on the GG1’s body so I set it aside to work on another time. I’ve also done many of the buildings in their architecture series and all 5 lucky cats. They also have a lot of great pop-up cards which I’ve done more times than I can count! [(-D]
I don’t know about the “average Joe”; but I would sure be interested in an article about or by the amazing Becky “Penny Trains” (who seems to be way above average!).
But like I say, starting with great kits makes a good builder better. At least 75% of your accolades belong to talented designers like Robert Nava at the Disney Experience and Ray Keim at Haunted Dimensions. They’re the ones who are most responsible for the excellent model kits you see here. Mr. Nava made the kits for Sleeping Beauty Castle, Snow White’s Wishing Well, the Nautilus submarine, the Skyway Gondola, the main dome of Space Mountain (I added the blue base), the TWA Moonliner, the Big Thunder Mountain trains, Main Street Station, Temple of the Forbidden Eye and much more you haven’t seen yet. Ray Keim designed all 3 Haunted Mansions and the Tower that’s at the entrance to the Pirates of the Carribean at WDW. Without their expertise in the realm of virtual modeling, none of this would have been possible.
And I also have to give credit to the thousands of model railroaders whose works have been featured in magazines, on the internet and at train shows. Without them, I wouldn’t know a thing about scenery and construction techniques. So give yourselves a big pat on the back too! [swg]
Now, I’m not ALL about being humble ya’know! [(-D] And speaking of scenery, the Temple of the Forbidden Eye is a bit closer to being overtaken by the jungle:
A Jungle Cruise boat is getting ready to float down the river along side the temple:
And the clock tower for It’s A Small World is under way:
I like to do a lot of things silmultaneously so in c
Monorail development is proceeding. Here are a few pics of the test builds I’ve been doing.
This first version was jthe initial “proof of concept” build in which I tested my theories of jointery on thin gauge aluminum, namely a Coke can. Overall the process worked well enough that with a bit of practice I’ll be able to use it with slightly thicker metal on the final prototype. The shape of the nose assembly was created by gluing paper printouts of my original paper model monorail parts to the exterior (labeled) side of the Coke can and then following it as a cutting and folding guide. Here’s my 2006 paper prototype:
…and the pop can version with the Marx car:
This first buid had a “busted nose” and was initially too short to be compatible with the Marx car. So, in 3D model land I revised the nose assembly to make it less complicated to build, and altered the overall size of the parts. I use Metasequoia, a freeware 3D modeling program to create my parts, but one of the downsides is a lack of true real world measurements. I have to guess and hope my estimations are at least close enough when I unfold the 3D model with Pepakura, another free to download program, which turns the 3D model into 2D parts that can be printed. In the Pepakura realm however, I at least have the ability to match at least one measurement to what I need. So I picked width at 51mm to match the Marx car and got lucky on the other 2! [(-D]
Here’s the next test build using 67lb cover stock rather than aluminum:
The simplified nose and new scale worked much better t
I have to agree. Nicely done and fun project. Thanks for posting it.
Lionel made a Disneyland RR 4-4-0 locomotive in 1990 and you can usually find it pretty easily (#18008 Disneyland Railroad 4-4-0). Unfortunately they never made any of the open air passenger cars.
Here is a nice article on Trainz and the Disney 4-4-0 is shown.
A couple of suggestions? If you print the main section of the sign (where the name is) twice, once on plain paper and the other on cardstock, it’s fairly easy to light it up using grain of wheat bulbs. Vellum works well too, but Inkjet printers produce a crisper image on plain (20lb) paper. Just cut out the lettering on the cardstock (outer) version and place the paper one behind it. An application of self stick laminate on top will make it look even more realistic. Use solid black cardstock as a backing to the “frame” of the marquee, the front piece, so it will block the light from seeping through. Hide the wire nuts or whatever connections you use from the bulbs in the section of the sign below the “Happiest Place on Earth” box. That’s what I did with the modern style marquee model and it lights up beautifully! [swg] Including the little castle logo at the top!
If you build the original style sign, I’d recomend using dowels in place of the paper tubes that hold the sign up. The paper parts are fine for a shelf model, but adding dowels will make it more durable which is what you want for layout use.
Give it a try! You may surprise yourself at how easy it is! [(-D] And if you need any help, drop me a line!
If you want to form compound curves using aluminum, you need an English wheel. The aircraft, automotive and motorcycle guys have used them for years to form aluminum and steel. I don’t know if you can find one small enough for what you are doing.
Today I’m working on the Wicked Wench. This is the pirate ship you see inside Pirates of the Carribean attacking the old Spanish fort. For my layout, it will be taking the place of the old Jolly Roger, Captain Hook’s ship, which was a restaurant in Fantasyland from the 1950’s till 1982.
The model at top is what’s left of the one I built in 2006. I had hoped to salvage the hull, and save all that red ink, but it’s just too far gone. So, I started over. Like most of the structures I’m working on, the ship will sit on it’s own landscaped module. The Jolly Roger was anchored in “skull rock cove” so somehow or another that’s what I’ll make a model of. I need to get the hull finished so I can start building the module up to the model’s waterline. I’ll worry about the masts, sails and rigging after I get the hull in the “water”.
Also, I now have two, three car trains built for the Big Thunder Mountain RR. Here are some of the elements of that module:
Using the basic tunnel as a base, I’ll build the desert scenery encompassing the small western town. I plan to use expanding foam to create the buttes and rock formations, and I’ll embed the dinosaur skeletons in it as I spray it on. Then I’ll color and flock it using the standard techniques we all know. The trains are close to S gauge and I’m not entirely sure yet how I’ll end up making the ride track. S gauge tubular wouldn’t bend very easily to “roller coaster” grades and curves so I doubt I’ll be able to use any pre-made rail. The best Idea I’ve hit on so far is heavy gauge wire like that used in clothes hangers hot glued to balsa ties. At any rate it’s one of those projects I’ve been wantin
