Balancing Rock Canyon- Test

For nearly 4 years, I've been recreating the long gone attraction, the 'Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland'. The most recent addition to the layout, is the Balancing Rock Canyon. (This is actually a revision, my original rocks were hand powered paper mache structure with limited movement, and there were only 5 of them).

These rock formations, made out of foam, are powered by 18 K'nex gears powered by one single Lego motor. these gear drive a metal wire bent at various points inside a plastic tube inside the rock formations. As the wire rotates inside the rock formations, the bends in the wire move the rocks. This is what gives the structures the movement. They are a little shaky, but that is because they haven't be permanently installed, they will run a little smoother when they are installed permanently and the "ground" is put back in.

Follow progress of the layout at WWW.NWRR.BLOGSPOT.COM

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Mine
• Train
• Through
• Natures
• wonderland
• thru
• Disneyland
• 1960
• balancing
• rock
• rocks
• teetering
• canyon
• railroad

[thecopykidofthestarz]

Do you think the mechanism for the canyon os still there buried in the dirt and concrete used to fill it in?

[STNautilus]

No, all the mechanics were taken out with the rocks that had animation.

[DreamImagineCreate]

you should put a cam. on the train so we can see what it looks like if we where to ride it :)

[STNautilus]

Yeah, I know, I've thought about that MANY times...

[kingslyZISSOU09]

where did you get all those gears and such?

[STNautilus]

I've collected many K'nex sets over the years when that was my thing.

[BrickstarRunner]

Great but, OH! Watch out thar' lady, that bobcat almost got ya!

[A113Productions]

That's a pretty clever idea; however, I've seen the concept several times before. I'm eagerly awaiting your finished recreation! =)

[tbmccoywesterndesign]

It was my favorite ride at disneyland...ever. I now live in W.Y in a very magical sandstone box canyon screaming for a model r.r Thanks for a great video!

[12yearoldengineer]

U ARE AWSOME i LOVE this ride i wasnt alive but my dad told me about it. im tryin to do the same thing but a lot less complicated. also they pulled the train out to restore it i heard there going to rebuild the rid i dont fully know.

[thecopykidofthestarz]

sad that they removed the last train off of display in the river banks. they should have waited till it became part of the land.

[Thoralmir]

you know, it's hobbies like this that started Walt's ideas for Disneyland...

[Hepathos]

this is pretty badass.

[jimeronimo]

How did y'all build and shape the rocks and finish them out? Would love to see that.

[smpman100]

wow its rainbow ridge :D randomly came across this on a lego search!

very good!

[mickeymouse14]

wow just found this i never knew about this very awsome! the rainbow caverns look great too!