Scott's Coaster Closet

A great collection of posts, no doubt about it- and a little bit of trivia back about Ocean View Park's Rocket....

 

Back when I was in College in Tidewater, a friend of mine (also an enthusiast) showed me something that made me DROOL...

 

It was THREE of the cars from the defunct Rocket, languishing away next to an old warehouse near the Campus of Old Dominion University. When I left Tidewater in the late 90s, they were still there, but as that area has been 'redeveloped' I'm quite sure they are now gone, sadly. If I'd only had a trailer and a place to store them...

Actually, many years ago I saw the cars you're talking about. They were literally on the side of a warehouse on a street in an area that was sketchy at best. There used to be a nightclub in the area called The Cue Club and the old Rocket cars were down the street from it. ODU was nearby/

I haven't been to Norfolk in prob ten years, so I have no idea if they're still there, or what the area is like these days!

I was looking through the Closet today and happened up a lot of little oddball items that didn't really fit a particular 'theme' and/or I didn't have much on each ride. So, I thought I'd group them all together for a little look back at some of the wonderful roller coasters that have been lost to history.

If only I had a time machine --- or some way to slingshot around the sun and go back ...

Enjoy!

– Scott

Coney Island Bowery. This pic was shot by Mike Boodley's dad in 1974. Bathed in creamy, late afternoon light, this image always makes me a little sad. I can't help but focus on someone's grandma there, walking with her head down past both the Tornado and Bobsled, oblivious to the potential fun just waiting. Or maybe she can't look up because she remembers being a young girl in the '40s, riding those classics with her long lost love. "I'll never let go, Jack, I'll never let go ..."

Coney Island Jumbo Jet. I included this old worn Polaroid because it was sent to me when I was a little boy by the secretary of Steeplechase Park. Note the Steeplechase name on the ticket booth.

Rockaways' Playland Coaster. This Vernon Keenan ride used little two-seat NAD trains and had several crazy toss-you-out drops (especially the second one). I miss this little park and this very llooooong ride.

Redondo Beach Giant Dipper. This classic Fred Church seaside twister shared more than a few elements with the San Diego Dipper. This is another design I wish GCII would replicate ...

Salisbury Beach Wildcat. Though I never got a chance to experience this Herb Schmeck beauty, I've daydreamed about its action-packed layout for years. Schmeck is one of the most clever and underrated coaster designers ever.

Idora Jack Rabbit. This sweet little ride was just plain fun. Though the bigger and meaner Wildcat was more popular, it was such a joy to slide around on this clunky retro classic from the early 1900s. I sincerely hope that whoever is really responsible for allowing this beautiful park and these brilliant coasters to be destroyed is slowly roasting on a sharp spit in Hell. I'm just sayin' ...

Buckroe Beach Dips. Yet another in a long line of coasters-seen-but-not-ridden. Because of an evil twist of fate, I got to walk around and shoot both this ride (which had no up-stops!) and the nearby Ocean View Rocket on the same day but was denied a chance to ride them. Grrrr.

Texas Cyclone. That's right, it's not the Georgia version, but a reversed image of the Lone Star original ... complete with those big 4-bench PTCs!

Palisades Cyclone. I remember seeing this in an old 8th grade biology text book and just had to "add" it to my collection. At the time, I had no idea which Cyclone it was. Who knew back then that this train would find its way to Williams Grove ...

Kennywood Racer. Though the Racer is still rolling along, these huge (original) 4-bench trains are long gone. Like the Jack Rabbit, they only used fixed lap bar and a thin leather strap as restraints. I didn't realize what 'rider freedom' meant back then ...

Morey's Pier. Glory Days! In this 1987 shot, you can clearly see both a Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet and Katapult (one of two that were in Wildwood at the same time). Heaven. Also, on the right is (I think) the kooky and short-lived Canyon Trip.

Rattler. When it first opened in 1992, the Fiesta Texas Rattler had one of the most terrifying first drops of any coaster operating anywhere. From the back seat, this twisted 166-foot plunge was truly an awe-inspiring experience. Despite, those tin-cans-on-wheels ... I mean, original Morgan trains and sinfully boring helix, the Rattler was a unique one-of-a-kind ride. Today, there's a nice flat wooden trestle where that wonderfully drop once thrilled brave riders.

Yes that first drop on the old Rattler was amazing and truly "one of a kind".

I also like that brochure cover for Six Flag's Georgia Cyclone. Even though it was 1990 it sure has a 1970's feel to it. I sure hope they didn't stay with that marketing company too long, that cover is awful, but I love the picture of the Texas Cyclone!

SeaWhippet wrote:

Schmeck is one of the most clever and underrated coaster designers ever.

For as much flack as ACE receives, I highly recommend the book they published in 2006, "Herbert P. Schmeck: The Forgotten Legacy". It has some great old b&w as well as color photos!

Yes that first drop on the old Rattler was amazing and truly "one of a kind".

 

I also like that brochure cover for Six Flag's Georgia Cyclone. Even though it was 1990 it sure has a 1970's feel to it. I sure hope they didn't stay with that marketing company too long, that cover is awful, but I love the picture of the Texas Cyclone!

That SFOG thing is actually the top half of a discount ticket. Yeah, that is an awful design. And why'd they flip the pic? If they'd left it alone, at least they would have had the ride in the proper direction for its Georgia placement. I LOVE that big train!

You are correct in saying that is the crazy Canyon Trip ride on Morey's Pier in WildWood,NJ. That was a fun ride,although I was a little scared every time I rode it. The other Katapult coaster was located on Nickel's Midway Pier down at the other end other boardwalk where Castle Dracula used to be. Ahhh.... the memories of my youth. I used to love the Jumbo Jet. I used to the love the clackity sound it would make going up a hill. Those were the days.

I remember wondering why those Katapults, which were rare rides even back then, would be located so close together. Though I LOVE Anton's coasters, this ride was never very Katapult-y. It certainly didn't have the OMG! factor of the spectacular Weiner Looping - in its original incarnation. The Jumbo Jet was a pretty big deal back then. I thought it was so cool that there was also a Jetstar there as well. I miss the old Wildwood ...

...and hanging out on the Katapult before it was removed.

Me sitting on the Jumbo Jet as it was being dismantled.

Yes, thrillerman1, the Schmeck book is a treasure if you're into the history of wooden coasters, especially those designed by PTC's greatest visionary. I actually worked a bit on this book and feel it shows (at least in a visual sense) just how much Herb Schmeck contributed. Though I feel Fred Church was the true, premier artist of that era, Schmeck pushed the envelope with several of his Wildcats and created quite a few inspired thrillers.

I had never seen the Katapult until I saw (fell victim to?) a very bad Shelley Winters film on TV many years ago. It was about carnies, where she and her husband were the owners of the Katapult, if I remember correctly. There's a brief description of the 1981 masterpiece at imdb.

Were the two Wildwood locations the only US home of a Katapult? How many trips through the loop did one ride get you? (My, what a long train you have...)

^I remember you went forward and backwards but I can't remember how many times. I don't know if they were located anywhere else, I remember them in WildWood.

SeaWhippet, did you work on the piers or just know someone who did? I spent my childhood summers on the beaches of WildWood. I have a summer home located 5 minutes outside of North WildWood. Still go down there every weekend, even in the winter. I love it down there. It has changed so much though. Thanks for the old pics of WildWood. If you have any more please post them. Thanks!

Here's a video of one operating at Mirabilandia fairly recently. I seem to recall the Wildwood units going backwards through the loop at least twice. I suppose there were various programs. Unless these two went somewhere else while they were here, I don't think any Katapults operated in the States.

That ride looks so fun, sorry I never got the chance to ride one. Now let me ask the million dollar question:

Is that a credit?

SeaWhippet, did you work on the piers or just know someone who did? I spent my childhood summers on the beaches of WildWood. I have a summer home located 5 minutes outside of North WildWood. Still go down there every weekend, even in the winter. I love it down there. It has changed so much though. Thanks for the old pics of WildWood. If you have any more please post them. Thanks!

No, I didn't work in Wildwood, though I went there a lot with friends who lived nearby. Those pics were shot in the winter when the piers were closed. I agree that the old Wildwood had a lot more character. I never rode the Screem Machine as my first visit to the shore was the year AFTER it was torn down.

That ride looks so fun, sorry I never got the chance to ride one. Now let me ask the million dollar question:

 

Is that a credit?

Sure, it's a credit! And it DOES coast. The friction drive doesn't extend around the entire track.

It wasn't, in my opinion, a great ride, but it was quite entertaining to watch.

Hey Scott, great pics as always! I really enjoy seeing nostalgic pictures, especially from the 80's as it brings back lots of childhood memories. I really enjoyed Wildwood through the years, sadly I was too young to ride the Katapult when it was there. This coaster model has always intrigued me, I'm a huge Anton fan & this would have been a nice one to ride. Does anyone know why the one at Mirabilandia was so short lived? They only operated it for a year I believe.

OMG! I have so much to say about this latest update, I don't know where to begin! So I'll "try" to make it short!

The Katapult video is AWESOME! Good find!

I was lucky enough to experience the old trains of the KW Racer. It really was such a different ride, and granted, the ride today is mild, smooth and comfortable, the old trains were 10 times better, and without seat dividers, you really did slide around. I know I've mentioned this somewhere, but the old trains are actually still in exsistance at Station Square in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Coney Island shot is AMAZING. When I see pictures like that, I just try to envelop myself in the image, and for some reason, its sad. But the history stuff really gets me.

An update to my mother trying to find our old family photos at West View, she has 3 more boxes to go through, with no sign of anything yet. I hope they're still there.

Dave & Den, glad you and others are into the history aspect of The Closet.

Den, yeah, that Coney shot is sweet. And as I said in my caption, it makes me a bit sad as well. There's something about that afternoon light and the lack of crowds that evokes a melancholy atmosphere. I soooooo wish the photographer had turned the camera into the station of the Bobsled ... He did, however, shoot the Tornado's platform. There's a pic of that in one of my books. I'll try to find it.

do you have any more pictures of salisbury?

do you have any more pictures of salisbury?

The only other ones I've seen belonged to PTC and were printed in the Schmeck book that ACE produced. This pic was published in Charlie Jacques' reprint of an old PTC catalog. It shows the Wildcat as the ride originally opened in 1927. Those speed bumps must have been crazy!

The ride was reworked and tamed somewhat (by Schmeck) in 1941 and reopened as the Comet (yet I've heard that many people still called it Wildcat). The photo I posted first was shot in 1974 after the ride had been closed for a year. It was destroyed in 1976.

I had never seen the Katapult until I saw (fell victim to?) a very bad Shelley Winters film on TV many years ago. It was about carnies, where she and her husband were the owners of the Katapult, if I remember correctly. There's a brief description of the 1981 masterpiece at imdb.

 

Were the two Wildwood locations the only US home of a Katapult? How many trips through the loop did one ride get you? (My, what a long train you have...)

I need to check out that Shelly Winters flick. Her performance in the Poseidon Adventure is seared into my psyche ... forever. Did you she ride the Katapult? THAT would be something to see ...

I remember seeing some reallyold movie where a guy was riding and got shot while on it. Does anyone remember this or am I making it up?

No, you´re right! "Looping" is a very awkward German movie that tried to be profound but turned out to be incredibly tacky.

Not only does Shelley Winters ride the ride in the front row with her husband (it´s the opening ride after they saved their whole life to buy a rollercoaster) but (SPOILER) they both get shot in the head during the ride. To make it even better: The shots are in slow-motion and pretty graphic.

There is also lots of strip-tease on the bumper cars by Sidney Rome.

Well, it sounds much funnier than it actually is.

Regarding the Katapult: Usually the ride would start out going slowly back and forth until it began to speed up dropping halfway out of the loop. The train would go through the loop three times forwards and then three times backwards.

Occasionally the operator would accelerate the train out of the station and into the loop (sometimes even backwards). This was the most thrilling way to operate the ride, but it was done pretty rarely. I guess it was too expensive and put stress on the friction wheels.

Thanks for the clarification.

The Jumbo Jet and the Katapult! Those really were the glory days of Wildwood. While I never rode the Katapult, I did ride the Jumbo Jet, and remember always being terrified as we ascended the lift, because the ride was at the back corner of the pier.

I also rode Canyon Trip once. It was interesting. For some reason, I remember the backdrop of Canyon Trip including Mount Rushmore in it.

Thanks again for the post! I love these little strolls down memory lane.