Thunder Mesa Locomotive Roster | Workbench Wednesday

[@mr.meloetta1939]

I really love a roster that essentially has engines both old and new to the railroad, as it gives off a lot of visual storytelling to a fictional line's history. Plus, you're just fantastic at building engines in general. Can't wait to see these guys running on TM 2.0.

[@SignalLightProductions]

Fun video Dave! I think it would be neat to do an Alice Davis engine since she was so instrumental in some iconic rides. I know you have Baxter's Butte but you could also do a Tony Baxter

[@thomasfrench2012]

With your skillset, why not rebuild number thirteen into a steamer, with an overhead coal bin that allows the crew to drop coal down into the firebox from overhead? Therefore avoiding shoveling or having a stoker that's not right the time period? I know, it is a bit whimsical, but that wouldn't be the first for the Thunder Mesa.

[@ronaldjohnson2340]

A stowed away workbench, nice. Some headway Dave!

[@lifeisagift.cherisheverymoment]

Shay Locomotives are my favorite, too. Interesting video, as always. Thank you.

[@paulditzen2708]

You're gonna be one busy dude what was overhauling your layout and building/rebuilding a number of locomotives. I think you should consider inviting about 100 of your closest friends over for a weekend and maybe you can get both projects done ha ha.

[@jacobh3594]

yourshould name a locomotive after yourself for all the amazing work you have done and keep doing.

[@ivanthevaluable2559]

Perhaps naming one of your engines after Jerry Best, a man who went with Roger Broggie to search for retired engines to run on the Disneyland Railroad, would be great!

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

That's a deep cut, I like it!

[@Crisolite2000]

I like your locomotive roster. Now I want to do a video of my garden railroad locomotives. You asked about a Disney animator. besides the ones you already have, one name pops into my head. James Lavrakas. If you've seen the steampunk videos of The League of S.T.E.A.M., James played Jay Are Jr. I believe he worked for Disney for 13 years eventually becoming a senior designer before moving on to something else.

[@WasatchWind]

A bit later of a Disney animator, but Glen Keane would be a cool one to tribute. He's well known for animating Ariel and several other notable characters.

[@mransr]

Because we all need more locos; Belinda says you need one named for Mary Blair or one of the other female imagineers.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I agree

[@mransr]

Maybe a nice private car?@@ThunderMesaStudio

[@Treneboah]

Mary Blair could be a forney or something too

[@Treneboah]

Or a tender engine porter

[@MrRailroadrunner]

Check out Northwest Shortline Stanton power trucks for the #1. Little bit expensive, but may save you some space and they run pretty well! Likewise, worth looking at some of the Tenshodo power drives for the same reason. They do spoked wheel sets on their drives.

[@allenlandis4504]

another great show .

[@RobBean-wf9ie]

Thanks Dave, I was wondering about the women that worked for Walt, don’t they deserve to be recognized as well?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

They absolutely do. Mary Blair, Leota Toombs, Alice Davis, and Harriet Burns immediately spring to mind.

[@smokey99able]

Thanks for sharing your loco roster. Great vehicles.

[@vicdohar]

Nice roster tour Dave! Looking forward to your Forney conversion (to Porter?), as I have one waiting to be chopped as well. The 2008 On30 Annual had an article by Jim Schulz on such a conversion.There are also some instructions from Backwoods Miniatures floating around the internet.

[@BigThunderMtn]

It seems to me that naming № 12 for Herb Ryman would create a wonderful symmetry with № 11, the Sam McKim. Similar locomotives for two Disney mapmakers, both talented artists from the same time in Disney history. They'd make quite a handsome pair!

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

This is a great model of this Roster steam locomotive. Very good work

[@sirrliv]

Suggestion for No.12: The Maynard Smith. Technically not an imagineer, but a legendary Disneyland cast member. Perhaps best known by the moniker "Tiki Maynard", Mr. Smith worked as a host on many Disneyland rides including the Enchanted Tiki Room and was renowned as a man who LOVED his job. A quick search on KZbin can turn up plenty of Maynard's iconic performances. Far from just rattling off the usual spiel, he would go above and beyond to ensure that from the minute the guest sat down they were enthralled with the experience they were about to enjoy. Sadly, Maynard retired from Disneyland in 2022, an event so momentous it made the local newspaper. So given how No.12, like 11 before it, looks to be another amusement park engine, I'm guessing primarily kept around for excursion and picnic train service (small boiler means low pulling power but quick to steam up, plus popular with the kiddies), what better name for such an engine than a man who helped bring joy to so many? The imagineers built the park, but folks like Maynard brought it to life. P.S. If you're selling off the Galumphing Goose (great name) No.13, you could always make the new 13 a ghost engine. Maybe name it the C. V. Wood after the man who was almost the first manager of Disneyland before he crossed Walt and was fired during construction and later became the creator of its early east coast rival Freedomland USA.

[@michaelsullivan3581]

CV Wood was very important in actually getting Disneyland over the Starting Line! Well worth the Honorarium!

[@leobuchalle1801]

It would be awesome to se you pay respect to the great Carl Barks on one of you future locomotives. I think he started as an animator and then moved on to become a duck comic artist and writer. Would love to see a updated on the 0n18 roster!

[@cvsne678]

Another vote for Mary Blair! (And John Olson)

[@mikeregan8894]

Hi Dave, how about a John Olsen ? , I understand he did a lot of work for Disney all over the world. Take care and thank you as always

[@bdlii]

Think my favorite is No. 10. Stack is awesome. The fellas wiping down the engine at the end (Shay, Shea) while steam is billowing out is something to behold. Looks like a living breathing thing lovingly being cared for. I bet the whistle sounds incredible. Had to return to edit this post as I hadn’t seen that last engine with the tiny caboose. What a lineup of engines but that little permanent loaner looks right at home at Thunder Mesa. Sounds so real too. Cool bell.

[@FunAtDisney]

True story: When I was 17 (about 1974) I met Marc Davis at WED Enterprises as it was called back then. Long story short, I had wrote a personal letter to then CEO Card Walker about being an Imagineer. Well he read it, sent it over to WED, and I was contacted by then WED director Orlando Feraante who said come on down to see us!. On a drive down from the Bay Area to Disneyland with a friend I literally dropped in. I was given a person 3-hour tour! That is when I went into Marc’s office and met him as well as many other Imagineers including sculptor Blain Gibson. During my tour I saw many project including the Western River Expedition ride that was never built. I also saw early models of what was to become EPCOT and a whole lot more. Can you imagine that happening today?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

What a great memory to have!

[@bensipiorski6645]

Very nice roster. Good looking locomotives, detailed, beautiful crafted parts. I think your Number 9 should be named after animator William Bernard Justice and then number 12 should be named either Mary Blair or Ken Anderson.

[@loispadgett6306]

Nice line up of locomotives can't wait to see what you do on the ones you want to work on. This is going to be exciting year at Thunder Mesa. GOD BLESS 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖

[@charlesheinlein1923]

Glad for the refresher on your Thunder Mesa locos Are you going to do a similar story on the On18 locos? Have some of the railtrucks and would be interested in the truck. Are you going to sell the boxes separately? Looking forward to seeing more of the remodel. Thanks for the great videos

[@williamdickman7917]

Nice locomotive roster, Dave. Only 1 wish that i have is for you to get larger domes on the 11 spot. Those HO scale domes don't look right on that beautiful 4-4-0 imo. Love that conversion tho.

[@JarrodDellaChiesa]

My 8 year old son Weston suggests "the Ward Kimball"!

[@RockyRailroadProductions_B0SS]

I'm very eager to see what happens with the 2-6-2 tank locomotive - Something distinctly different to the typical 19th century American narrow gauge, but absolutely fits in! Admiral Joe's namesake being a very modern locomotive for the period makes a lot of sense - Steamships of the 1910s had turbine electrical generators and so on. A color suggestion that might look nice is a very subtle "battleship grey" somewhere on the loco. Kind of like "The Dreadnought" traction engine from "The Iron Maiden"

[@ivanthevaluable2559]

He has revealed that the engine will be turned, and I quote: "From (a) World War One Trench engine to a no-nonsense 2-6-2 mining locomotive, and named in honor of Walt Disney's original Imagineer, Roger Broggie.

[@stevemellin5806]

Don't forget about old Betsy .at Knott's ha .I have a feeling you will get to it in good time . Great show . Thank you.

[@ivanthevaluable2559]

Or perhaps Betsy the Porter from the videogame "Railroads Online!"

[@FunAtDisney]

My suggestion for a name for that Joe Fowler engine would be the Roy O. Disney - Walt’s brother. He was the unsung hero who held up his brother’s dreams and got Disney World open (and insisted it was to be called “Walt Disney World”. Without him, it never would have happened, or for that matter, Epcot.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I like that one

[@russellpoland6637]

A very Handsome Roster indeed Dave! Thank You for sharing with Us here in tubeland! Looking forward to more rail adventures on the line. Oh and how about Bill Peet? Later

[@mitchellwhittington2507]

I'm seeing this video for the first time, and I love the additions to the roster. If I may make a suggestion, you could also name an engine "Lilly Belle", after the engine that ran the Carolwood Pacific Railroad and the private car named after Lillian Disney.

[@Schottlandrockt]

Hello Dave, how about Carl Fallberg as name for one of your locomotives.

[@k3ndawg7]

On my Owl Canyon & Pacific, I’ll be naming the Porter, “The Vern”. Of course it’s unit #9. 😎

[@GPGPapercraftTX]

my spot for ignored projects is called "The Land of Misfit Toys." It can get weird when the head of some dis-embodied anthropomorphic robot stares down at me with only one finished eye...

[@railroadguy100]

I like your roster. No. 9. Ward Kimball

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

No 5 will be the Ward Kimball

[@TrainmasterGT]

Can you do videos about the #10 rebuild when you get to it? I love the Trench locomotives!

[@lawrencejones1517]

Very interesting engine stable! Just discovered your channel, and I find it fascinating! And as for names to consider, how about matte artist Peter Ellenshaw? Well, very much looking forward to exploring your railroad more!

[@mikemccauley3915]

Maybe The Admiral Fowler could be reborn as the Walter Knott, or whoever engineered the Calico Mine Ride.

[@jacobh3594]

you should do a large locomotive roundhouse for the new layout. you could call it thunder mesa locomotive works.

[@williambabcoke248]

If you are looking for ideas on how to replace number 13, why not give the same treatment that you gave 11 and 12 to a MDC/Roundhouse/Athearn 2-8-0? I have one of the newer Athearn ones and it sounds great and runs great which would make it excellent for a detailing project.

[@greggilbert7397]

hey Dave, are you going to name an engine for Tony Baxter?

[@gmmeier321]

And put an SEA decal on the side.

[@user-sv4pj5jl8n]

Dave, will Thunder Mesa ever have a Bachmann On30 2-6-0? I've seen a beautiful wooden cab with a re-curve roof from one of the aftermarket manufacturers, perhaps Banta.

[@kurtludwig6962]

I really like the different trains in roster. Obviously I’m new to hobby. Because of my layout space available and type of short line I’ve chosen I’m running HOn3 gauge. A lot of my running stock will be scratch builds. Any suggestions of like Cumberland but HOn3?

[@3ftsteamrwy12]

Considerng the issues that On30 Bachmann shays tend to have in general with gearing, along with the curve raduis issues, have you considered using an older HO brass shay, and upscaling it to On30??

[@rbdaviesTB3]

If you're still looking for a name for #12, why not name it in honour of one of the Imagineers who developed Phantom Manor, since Ravenswood Manor is a planned addition for Thunder Mesa 2.1? Jeff Burke and Bob Baranick would both be good names.

[@gmmeier321]

What about Rollie Crump? And add some macabre detail.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I am going to have a loco named for Rolly

[@gmmeier321]

@@ThunderMesaStudio or a bit of Victorian Whimsey

[@Sourdo1]

How about Fred Jeorger. He was Disney's co-to guy for sculpting rocks and a master of Forced Perspective.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Good suggestion!

[@FunAtDisney]

So Dave, does a DCC system run on AC powered tracks? I am from the time when there was no such thing. You had DC (as my HO trains were) and if you had AC you had a Marklin system.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Yes, it's AC. That's why if you put a DC locomotive without a decoder on the track it will just sit there and hum. The current is alternating back and forth and it doesn't know which way to go.

[@martytaylor2004]

Thanks for this Dave. Nice roll call. Sure enjoy those power trucks.

[@FunAtDisney]

@@ThunderMesaStudio Thank you for that information. It turns out your friend Dale of toy man television is doing a series on different currents use for model railroads. He hasn’t coved the whole DCC part yet. -Ken

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I've been following that! @@FunAtDisney

[@bethanythedford9226]

I know this isn’t a disney animator’s name but you could call the number 9 locomotive princess jasmine or sofia or anna just to name a few disney princesses

[@TheBsahai05]

Round house makes a shay you can get that for number 14

[@RenaTamer1]

Will you ever add Disney's other famous engine... the 240 Casey Jr, to your collection... maybe as a bit of whimsy?

[@alangeddes268]

I am assuming that you worked for Disney at one time. In what position if you don't mind.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Just a fan

[@curtisbarrow7650]

Name change for "Admiral Fowler". Wasn't there a Disney Admiral named Nemo? Not an illustrator, but he was certainly creative! That is an ornate little engine, perhaps a bit mire Victorian bling...not much, but... {!-{>

[@fairestofthemalllocomotive4802]

You need a Richard F. Irvine to go with the Fowler!

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I might put him in charge of the Thunder Mesa land office!

[@markdeschane4467]

One of my Dislikes for Bachmann On30 Steamers is the fact that the Caps are aren't tall enough. For some reason most Engineers and Fire men in O scale are 6 foot tall and don't fit without shortening their lags!

[@kirkhodson1466]

Maynard ! Wow! HM, TR...

[@bostongeis5123]

I think Joe Rohde could be a good name for number 9

[@casketchris]

IWERKS

[@jeffreyeash9720]

How about calling it the Walt Yensid (Disney backwards)

[@richardsweeney197]

Why not name a locomotive after "Roger E. Broggie" who did so much of the work on the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Railroad.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Agreed. I do need a Roger Broggie.

[@richardsweeney197]

@@ThunderMesaStudio Absolutely, after all, Walt needed him. 🙂

[@TheBsahai05]

Name number 12 Walt Disney