Knott’s Berry Farm honors its heritage by revamping / refreshing Calico Mine Train & Camp Snoopy

Shelly Valladolid

11 years ago

On the heels of its highly successful redo of that theme
park’s iconic Timber Mountain Log Ride, Knott’s Berry Farm is doubling down for
the Summer of 2014.

This time around, two elements of this Southern California
favorite are receiving some much needed TLC: The Calico Mine Train (which first
began riding the rail back in November of 1960) and Camp
Snoopy (which greeted its first
guests back in July of 1983).

Campy Snoopy back in the early days. Photo by Shelly Valladolid

In the case of Calico, Knott’s is sticking to its Timber
Mountain template. As in: Preserve
what everyone originally loved about this Ghost Town attraction while at the
same time updating many of the figures & effects found deep inside of this
seven stories-tall show building.

This time around, though, Garner Holt Productions (i.e. the
San Bernardino-based operation that built the 58 animatronic figures that were
installed in Timber Mountain Log Ride during its redo) really have their hands
full. You see, when themed entertainment legend Bud Hurlbut & his team
originally built the Calico Mine Train ride (for a then-absolutely-astounding
sum of one million dollars), they used 275 tons of steel.

Calico Mine Train attraction under construction in 1960.
Copyright Cedar Fair Park. All rights reserved

That coupled with the extremely tight passages that those
ore-cars-full-of-passengers have to travel through as the Calico Mine Train
makes its 8 minute-long journey through a detailed recreation of an 1880s gold
mining operation … Well, that didn’t leave Garner and his team much room to
work within this enormous show building. Especially when it came to finding
places to install new figures & effects.

One of Garner Holt’s new miner animatronic
figures. Photo by Shelly Valladolid

But as it turns out, Holt has already had some experience when it comes to
Calico. You see, Garner & his team actually built 5 new characters for Knott’s
mine train ride back in the early 1990s. And it was the info / experience that
Holt gained from installing those figures inside of this attraction two decades
ago which then made it possible for his crew to place over 50 new state-of-the-art
animatronic figures along its track this time around.

And what’s an animatronic miner without his mechanical burro? Photo by Shelly Valladolid

Now add in the 70-or-so donkeys, bats, fishes &
creepy-crawly things that Garner Holt Productions has built to place along the
Calico Mine Train’s track along with a brand-new audio & themed lighting
system … And you have just the sort of stellar attraction that Bud Hurlbut
& his crew would have built back in 1960 if the necessary funds &
technology would have been available.

But you want to know the very best part? Things that Bud himself had put into
place decades inside of the mine train ride that were eventually shut off or
discontinued are now being restored. Take — for example — the ethereal music
that Knott’s visitors used to hear as their ore car climbed to the highest point
along the track, the “Ascending into Heaven” room” (i.e., that
chamber deep inside this attraction which was filled with hundreds of
stalagmites & stalactites).

The “Ascending into Heaven” room inside of Knott’s Berry Farm’s Calico Mine Train ride
as it initially appeared back in the 1960s. Copyright Cedar Fair Park. All rights reserved

The music for this area inside of the Calico Mine Train was supposedly to have replicated
that eerie, unearthly sound which the wind sometimes makes as it whistles
through deep caverns. Sadly, the recording which had used to serve as the
soundtrack for this specific scene in the ride has severely degraded over the
decades.

Mind you, Bill Reyes — a longtime fan of this Knott’s Berry Farm — had begun a restoration of the music that was
used in this portion of the Calico Mine Train. All with the hope that he’d
eventually be able to present a copy of this music to Hurlbut as a gift. Sadly,
Bud passed away in January of 2011 prior to this project being completed.

Bud Hurlbut with one of the Calico Mine Train ride trains prior to painting.
Copyright Cedar Fair Parks. All rights reserved

But the upside is — thanks to the restoration work that Reyes had already been
done — an all-new recording of the music for Calico’s “heaven room”
sequence could now be made. And on a Mighty Wurlizter organ, no less. And
thanks to this new soundtrack recording (as well as the new themed lighting
package that’s being installed in this portion of the attraction), this scene
in the ride will be more spectacular than it’s ever been.

Another nice aspect to the Calico Mine Train redo is that
Garner Holt Productions — while it didn’t reuse / duplicate any of the animatronic figures that it
created for Timber Mountain Log Ride in the second Ghost Town attraction GHP
revamped / enhanced — did make sure that these figures looked similar. That
they all appeared to be members of the same community. So that Knott’s guests
could imagine that — at the end of their workday — all the lumberjacks who
worked up on Timber Mountain & all of the miners who dig for gold deep down
inside the Calico Mine could then meet up for drinks at the saloon in Calico
Square.

The entrance area / exterior queue for Calico Mine Train is still being refurbished.
Photo by Shelly Valladolid

As you might expect, given that the revamped / refreshed
version of Calico Mine Train isn’t supposed to open ’til June, this corner of
Knott’s Berry Farm’s Ghost Town is still very much a construction site. Even
so, the marketing staff at this theme park was nice enough to take us behind
the barriers yesterday. Where we actually got to enter this show building and
then walk down the mine train track for a hundred feet or so.

Photo by Shelly Valladolid

Once we were inside of the Calico Mine Train show building, we got to see a
test of this attraction’s steam effect (The new boiler which powers this steam
effect had just been lowered in through the roof the day before). We also got
to peek in to the bottom of the Glory Hole, that 65 foot-wide & 90
foot-deep show scene which (later this Summer) will be filled with dozens of
animatronic prospectors all looking to strike it rich as they dig for gold.

Workmen prep the “Glory Hole” portion of Calico Mine Train for the upcoming
installation of its new animatronic figures. Photo by Shelly Valladolid

Meanwhile over in Campy Snoopy … Well, the folks at Knott’s
Berry Farm weren’t as much interested in gold as they were with forest greens
& browns.

To explain: Back in 1983 when the Knott family took 5 acres of their theme park’s
parking lot and then turned it into a celebration of Charles M. Schulz’s characters,
that project used the most recent feature-length “Peanuts” film —
1977’s “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!
” — as its inspiration.
Which is why — rather than showcase these comic strips stars in the sort of suburban
setting that Schulz usually placed his characters in — Knott’s Berry Farm
opted to go the Camp Snoopy
route instead. Create this lush green area that replicated the look & feel
of California’s High Sierras.

Unfortunately, even though the 10 foot-tall trees that
Knott’s horticultural team planted back
in 1983 have now reached over 60 feet in height, Camp Snoopy’s original “high-in-the-Sierras”
feeling slowly began slipping away. Beginning back in December 1997 (which —
not so co-incidentally — was when Knott’s Berry Farm was acquired by Cedar
Fair), there was less & less emphasis placed on “How can we preserve
this area’s theme?” and more & more emphasis placed of “How can
we shoehorn another ride in back here?” Which is how Camp
Snoopy wound with
wildly-out-of-theme attractions like GR8SK8, which was this giant skateboard,
and Lucy’s Tugboat.

Well, now that there’s a new “Peanuts” movie on
the horizon (An all-CG production from Blue Sky Studios which will hit theaters
in November of 2015), Knott’s Berry Farm has decided to seriously spruce up Camp
Snoopy. Not only replace the rides
that don’t really fit in this part of that park but also fold in more Charlie
Brown-based fun. Which is why, sometime in June or thereabouts, three brand-new
“Peanuts” -themed family rides will come online in Camp
Snoopy. These include:

The Linus Launcher — This spinner recreates that classic
moment from the “Peanuts” comic strip when Snoopy would grab Linus’
blanket and then drag him around the neighborhood. On the Linus Launcher,
guests will lay on one of twelve “blankets” as they get spun around. This
attraction replaces Camp Snoopy’s
old Charlie Brown’s Speedway ride.

Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies — As Pig Pen looks down from his
central perch, guests can take their very own all-terrain vehicle for a circular
drive through the High Sierras. Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies replaces Knott’s old Log
Peeler attraction.

Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer — Remember the bad ol’
kite-eating tree from the “Peanuts” comic strip? Well, he’s back,
bigger & badder than ever. Swinging 32-passengers 18 feet up in the air
while good ol’ Charlie Brown looks on, lashed upside down to the truck of this
tree in a tangle of kite string. Charlie Brown’s Kite Flyer replaces Camp
Snoopy’s old Snoopy-themed bounce
house.

And as for Lucy’s Tugboat … Again taking their inspiration
from “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!” (More importantly, that
animated feature’s whitewater rafting scenes), Camp
Snoopy’s tugboat is now being
rethemed as Rapids River Run.

Lucy’s Tugboat has been turned into a whitewater raft.
Photo by Shelly Valladolid

And as for GR8SK8, that oversized skateboard has gone to
that great skate park in the sky. In its place, Knott’s Berry Farm is building Beagle
Scout Headquarters. Which will soon be where guests can go if they’re looking
to meet-n-greet with the Peanuts characters.

Concept art for Knott’s Beagle Scout Headquarters / meet-n-greet area.
Copyright 2014 Cedar Fair Park. All rights reserved

And as a longtime Charles M. Schulz fan, I have to admit that I
love the great attention-to-detail that Knott’s creative team has folded into
Beagle Scout Headquarters. How they are recreating iconic “Peanuts”
locations as Lucy’s psychiatry booth and that low stone wall where Linus &
Charlie Brown would often stand & talk.

But what’s also great about Beagle Scout Headquarters is —
even though the interior features some faithful recreations of memorable
location from the “Peanuts” universe — the exterior of this
meet-n-greet area has deliberately been designed so that it then fits Camp
Snoopy’s High Sierras setting.
Everything from the natural wood that this building will be constructed out of
to the split-cedar shingles that cover its roof will tell Knott’s visitors that
they’re now somewhere deep in the woods.

In every possible way, Knott’s creative team is making
changes to Camp Snoopy
to reinforce this High Sierra theming. Take — for example — all of the new
signage that’s being creating for the 13 rides that guests will be able to
experience in this 5-acre forest-themed section of the park. All of these three-dimensional
signs are being made out of real redwood. Not only that, but they’re being
sandblasted to bring out their wood grain. And best of all — again to
reinforce the whole you’re-at-a-camp-in-the-High-Sierras feel of this area at
Knott’s — all of these Camp Snoopy
ride signs are deliberately being designed to look like merit badges.

Photo by Shelly Valladolid

And this readjusting / reinforcing of Camp
Snoopy’s deep-in-the-woods themes
goes all the way down to the pavement treatment for this part of the park.
Knott’s creative team is in the process of resurfacing every walkway that runs
through this 5-acre area. Replacing all of that old slurry with brand-new
concrete which — thanks to the color it’s been painted as well as all of the
pebbles that have been embedded in its surface — will now make it look as
though a dirt road runs through the camp.

That said, given that they were replacing all of the
pavement that ran through Camp Snoopy,
the creative team at Knott’s also used this opportunity to address some ADA
issues that this side of their theme park had. To be specific: They lowered the
bridge in front of Grizzly Creek Lodge by a foot or so to make it that much
easier for guests in wheelchairs & ECVs to traverse.

Getting back to the Peanuts theming now … Knott’s Berry
Farm is going all-out this time around. It’s looking for all sorts of
innovative ways to get people interested in Charles M. Schulz’s characters. Take
— for example — the “Peppermint Patty’s Pucker Powder” that will soon
be sold in Camp Snoopy’s
new candy store.

But of all the “Peanuts” plussing that’s being
done in & around Camp Snoopy,
I think the attraction I’m most looking forward to is the revamped version of Grand
Sierra Railway. Starting in June, this miniature replica of an actual steam
locomotive will begin chugging past wilderness scenes which show many members of
the Peanuts gang camping in the High Sierras.

Garner Holt handled the fabrication of these Peanuts characters.
And as you can see by the version of Sally & Franklin that were on display
during Knott’s Calico Mine Train / Campy Snoopy media event, they did an
excellent job when it came to translating Charles M. Schulz’s original drawings
into fully dimensional figures. By the way:
Before these figures could then be installed in six different scenes
along the Great Sierra’s track route, the Schulz family first had to sign off
on all of GHP’s dimensional sculpts of these characters.

A 3D printer-created version of Woodstock.
Photo by Shelly Valladolid

Another interesting side note: When it came to producing Woodstock
& all of his Beagle Scout bird friends for the Great Sierra Railway, Garner
& his team opted to the 3D printer route. Holt used the exact technology
when it came to producing some of the bats & fish which will appear in the
caverns of Calico Mine Train.

So what’s my favorite part of Knott’s Great Sierra Railway
redo? To be honest, it’s a tie between learning that Linus Van Pelt himself
will be narrating this eight minute-long journey or the fact that — en route
to the Peanuts’ characters campsite — this miniature steam train will roll
past a recreation of Needles, California.
Where Snoopy’s brother Spike will be hanging out with all of his cacti buddies.

And once the Great Sierra Railway pulls back into the
station and guests disembark at the Camp Snoopy Depot, there’ll still be a
whole lot more new stuff to see. Things like the Peanuts Play Lot. Which will
be this area right next to the Timberline Twister where nature, adventure &
imagination come together and little kids can then play in a safe zone.

Construction continues on Campy Snoopy’s Peanuts Play Lot.
Photo by Shelly Valladolid

Not to mention the overall beautification effort that
Knott’s horticultural staff is putting into this side of the park. Which — in
addition to the redwoods, pine trees, shrubs, ferns and perennial flowers that
people can already see as they walk through Camp
Snoopy — will soon include river
birches & blue cedar trees by the stream next to Rapid River Run.

In short, Campy Snoopy will soon be returning to its roots.
Becoming the same sort of inspired / inspiring tribute to the High Sierras that
it was back when this 5-acre area first opened back in July of 1983. But at the
same time, this corner of Knott’s Berry Farm will also have a fresh &
modern feeling.

Mind you, with what’s being done to Calico Mine Train &
Camp Snoopy looking like it’s actually going to top the refresh / restoration
work that was done on Ghost Town in 2012 & Timber Mountain Log Ride in
2013, what’s Knott’s Berry Farm going to do for an encore? Well, this theme
park’s creative crew & marketing team weren’t exactly ready to go
on-the-record. Not yet, anyway. But it’s been suggested that Knott’s Fiesta
Village area may be the next part
of this park to receive a makeover. One that will take its inspiration from
LA’s festive Olvera Street
marketplace. But — hey — you didn’t hear that from me.

Will Knott’s Fiesta Village be the next park of this theme park to get a
facelift? Photo by Jim Hill

In the meantime, while I have to admit that it was fun to
wander around the park this past Thursday & the sample all of the
Boysenberry flavored culinary delights to be found at Knott’s Berry Bloom, I
just can’t wait for June to get here. So that I can then see how the finished
versions of Calico Mine Train & Camp Snoopy turned out.