Changes

Imganeer Marc Davis, designed the expansion which would have been built in the form of a mountain in Fronteirland called Thunder Mesa Mountain. Davis had been working on the idea for years. The Western River Expansion Thunder Mesa expansion would have included a dark boat ride (like Pirates) called the Western River Expedition. The new attraction would have taken guests through various Old West scenes, and featured an astonishing 150 Audio Anamatronic. Also included in the expansion, were plans for hiking trails, a mule ride, and a runaway train attraction. Due to high demand however, Disney decided it needed to build a Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Disney World in 1973. With the addition of Pirates, it was decided that the Western River Expedition was no longer needed.

Even as Marc Davis tried to keep his project alive, it was clear that the project would be too expensive. Disney was already using it's funds to build Space Mountain, the [[Carousel of Progress]], the [[WEDway People Mover]] and the [[Star Jets]]in [[Tomorrowland]] and there was not enough money to build a large expansion. The final strike against the construction of Thunder Mesa came in 1973 when Imganineer Tony Baxter showed his plans for mine train , thrill ride , called Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The new attraction taking took the best elements of the Thunder Mesa mine train ride, but without the expensive show building. Although Baxter suggested that the ride could be built next to the Western River Expansion building, only Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ever saw the light of day.

Although the The plan was put on hold until the completion of [[Tomorrowland]], but eventually Big Thunder Mountain was green lit for construction. Construction began on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in 1979 and it opened September 23, 1980. The mountain that housed the attraction was modeled after Monument Valley in Arizona. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was the first attraction in Disney World to be designed by a computer. Having a computer design the attraction allowed for a much smoother ride. Imganineers however had a problem, although they new how to make the attraction look appealing, the computer did not. It took Imganineers nine different designs before the computer accepted one without making changes.

The back story for Big Thunder Mountain takes place in the small mining town of Tumbleweed. In the late 1800s, gold was discovered on Big Thunder Mountain and Tumbleweed soon boomed. Thunder Mountain however, was home to an ancient Indian burial ground, and an Indian legend warned that disaster would strike if anyone tried to remove the gold from the mountain. Ignoring the warning, minors build built a railway into the mountain and mined the goldanyway. While deep in the mines, Indian spirits took control of the mine cars. The miners were never heard from again. Disaster also struck the town of Tumbleweed when a flash flood hit, and the boomtown was quickly abandoned. Sometime later, the mine cars were found running without a conductor or crew, and a tourist attraction Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was built to allow guest to ride the possessed trains.

In the queue, guest climb up the hill before reaching that station building. As they climb, guests will notice old mining equipment all around them, this is because the station building was at one time the offices of a mining company. After winding through the station building guests will finally reach the loading area. After getting into the trains, guests are warned by The Prospector to keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times, "because Because this here is the wildest ride in the wilderness!"

The ride begins with guests leaving the loading station. The train immediately enters a a dark tunnel and makes a left hand turn. In the tunnel the sound of bats screeching can be heard. The train makes a right hand turn and then begins to go up the attractions first hill. On the guests right, a series of caverns can be see, before the train makes its way to the top of another hill. After another drop the train turns right and goes up to two small hills. At this time it is possible to see another runaway train pass by. The trains then enter the town of Tumbleweed.

When guests under enter Tumbleweed they will notice that town has been flooded. On the left hand side of the town guests riders will see the Dry Good Store, the Gold Dust Saloon which seems to be having a party on the second story. On the right side, a Tumbleweed sign says that they population went from 8015 to 247 to 15 before now reading "dried out". Next to the sign, is one of the few remaining residents of Tumbleweed, Cousin Elrod who along floats along in his bathtub. Also in Tumbleweed on the riders left hand side is rain man Professor Cumulus Isobar, who's rain making machine seems to have worked a little too well. As the train passes through Tumbleweed riders will notice that the train seems to be sway from side to side. This sensation is created by banking the tracks of the railroad.

As guests exit Tumbleweed and head towards the boneyard, the train passes through another tunnel called the Dave V Jones Mine. As riders continue on , going up another hill and eventually down a 540 degree helix to the left, there is a lot of scenery to see. Audio Anamatronic mules, a billy goat, a road runner and a snake all populate the mountain landscape. Riders then enter another tunnel when suddenly an earthquake hits. As the rock rumble and shake, it seems that they will soon crush and bury the train. The train makes it by out just in nick of time. Now in daylight the train drops away to the left, towards the Rivers of America, before making another short turn and entering another shot tunnel. The train then enters the boneyard scene.

In the boneyard scene, guests will pass the bones of a dinosaur in the side of the mountain. As guests continue on the train rolls on, it passes through geysers which shoot up on either side of them. In recent years however, the geyser effect has not been in use. The trains then hit a final break run and return to the station.

*The path that guests exit Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is called Nugget Way.

* The Proprietor Proprietors of the Dry Goods Store in Tumbleweed are D. Hydrate and U. Wither.