GaryGB

Dragon is one of the most unique rollercoasters I have seen, nothing I have ever seen is quite like it to my knowledge. Amazing work.

--Would like to start off by saying thanks to all who followed Whitlock Gardens before, sorry again to let you all down and let this fall into idleness. Hopefully I wont let it happen again. After season 3 I plan on highlighting seasons in Whitlock Gardens' history, no more season to season (since it would be impractical to continually add things to a park season after season) however it wont be huge jumps (1979 to 1992 for example) just whenever something is added to the park I will cover that season. Update #15: Season Three! May 20th, 1978 After what was the busiest off-season Whitlock Gardens has seen, were ready to open the gates for our third season of providing Northern Arkansas with top notch thrills and entertainment. An all though only one new addition was added to the park, it goes without saying it was the biggest addition we have had to date. I'm proud to introduce.. Western Frontier! Located in the northern part of the park "Western Frontier" will provide guests an experience like none other. Headlining the area is "Sidewinder", the newest ride to Whitlock Gardens. The wooden behemoth dwarfs the surrounding area, and is sure to give thousands upon thousands of guests the ride of their lives! Two attractions were moved to this area from "Lookout Island", Miner's Lodge is now located next to "Sidewinder", in fact the exit of "Sidewinder" goes through Miner's Lodge! Also making the move is the ride formally known as "Manic Mouse" has been moved the area and aptly renamed to "Manic Miner" to better suit the area. And that's not all for the new area! Plans have been drawn up for another addition to the area, so stick around for that! "Lookout Island" will be transformed into a carnival type area, featuring attraction we all know and love from are childhood carnivals. On to some pictures, a favorite of mine! Lookout Island looks bare, but in time it will once again be a big draw. "Lookout Tower", will remain in operation for the 1978 season. The new location of Miner's Lodge, still with a liquor license! "Manic Miner", now located in "Western Frontier". The new mine cars provide an even more out-of-control experience! Finally, an overview of "Western Frontier", I hope to see all you cow pokes there! -James Francis Whitlock

Sooo would love to say sorry for letting this go by the way side, not entirely sure why I did, a combination of laziness and other circumstances no doubt. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I stopped working on the park, I plan to re-continue Whitlock Gardens this afternoon, say stay tuned for an update. And once again, sorry.

Nice work!

^Actually I plan on releasing Park downloads after each season, so you can create your own Whitlock Gardens from your favorite year. So stay tuned for that. I hope to have an update tomorrow, if not then Wednesday will be update day!

Wow, Undertaker at night..

Maybe we should keep a top 5 for the records, would be cool to see that.

If true to timeline an Arrow Looper is waaaay too early. I think I smell pine.

My last concert was Thrice, about 2 months back, I love Thrice so much. =P

--Sorry for the large time frame between updates, been a busy body, but hopefully that wont be an issue anymore, enjoy the update. And just a note, the station for the newest coaster is not complete, it's just a starting point. Update #14: End of season two November 1st, 1977 How about it? The end of a successful year two! The park saw the additions of many things. The world largest Dodgems "Super Dodgems" was a family hit, and was always a draw. While "Manic Mouse" regularly saw a full queue of eager guests willing to take on the wild ride! Miner's Lodge was an instance success (maybe I can attribute that to the alcohol!), and construction on the parks largest project to date has been extremely smooth! However with every business there is ups and downs. So let's get on to some announcements. First, I'd like to attribute the huge success of Lookout Island to the eager guests of Whitlock Garden's. You all have made the Island a fantastic draw. However, sadly, after just 1 year of operation, two of the three attractions on the island will no longer be there come 1978. Both "Miner's Lodge" and "Manic Mouse" will no longer be on Lookout Island. I do, however have plans to replace the attractions, so stay tuned to find out what I plan I replacing them with. So stay tuned! In parting I snapped some photos of our finished rollercoaster! Station shot, the coaster, aptly named "Sidewinder" is a creation of Dinn and Collins. Mini drop into a helix then a 105-foot lift hill. The first drop, "Sidewinder" will reach speeds of up to 52 MPH on the first drop! The double turn around, "Sidewinder" features numerous head chopping experiences. Second drop and double elevated curve turns. A dive into the starting helix. This section of the ride starts the "Sidewinder" part of the coaster. One of the kind duel "snake coil" elements. The final helix's running into the brake run. Finally an overview. Whitlock Gardens, November 1st, 1977. Finally some stats about "Sidewinder": -Custom layout gives a one-of-a-kind experience. -Initial drop of 85 feet. -11 drop in total. -Over 4,170 feet in length. -A ride time just under two minutes. -5 different helixed sections. That's all for this season! I will see you all next season at the park, and don't forget to comment and stay tuned for off season updates! -James Francis Whitlock

It's a B&M Hyper twister! Also on your Twitter you posted "derutranek", is this an anagram for "Undertaker"?

Whilock Gardens, Highland, Arkansas, USA

AMAZING.

Update #13: Nearing the end of the season September 16th, 1977 Hello again, everyone! It sure has been quite bust around these parts, construction on the park's newest addition is in full swing, attempting to get as much done before the winter months. Amazing progress has been made on the coaster, I get more and more excited each day I see it take shape. Here are some construction pictures: A subtle change, can you spot it? The brake run. The lift hill, towering over 105 feet! The first drop and some banked turns. Rumor has it that the trains will reach of upwards of 50 MPH on the first drop! The first turn and second drop. Lastly another angle of the first drop, and some thrilling head chopping moments! Continued expansion is planned for the area, so stay tuned! That is all for now, I'll check in with you all at season's end to give you a final look at Whitlock Gardens before the offseason! -James Francis Whitlock

Haha very comical stuff, I like it!

Awesome Arrow!

-- Dotrobot: I use 8cars per train to keep the lawn mowed, as for the shurbs once I have an idea of what is permanent in the park I will definitely add some shrubs to the forest.I have a small little update lined up for you all, so enjoy! Update #12: Construction Progress July 11th, 1977 Boy time sure is flying this season! We have seen a relentless swarm of guests the past few months, and it has only gotten busier the hotter it has become! The construction on "Miner's Lodge" was completed just a few days ago, and construction on Whitlock Gardens' top secret mega project started over a month ago! The "Whitlock Whizzer" continues to be a family favorite, while rides like "Blackout" and "Manic Mouse", see regular hour long waits! As a first time park owner, I could not be happier! So I know you all come here for some park photos, well I got some for you all! Miner's Lodge is an attractive spot for the adults visiting Whitlock Gardens, with over 4 different types of beer on draft! Not to mention it's wonderful food selection at the family buffet! Well, well, well, it looks like Whitlock Gardens' coaster enthusiasts now have something new to enthuse about! I don't want to give out too many details about our newest coaster, but Charles Dinn and Al Collins are the coasters' designers/manufacturers. "Blackout" exiting it's loop, nothing beats the feeling of being upside-down on this wild ride! Finally, an overview. Well that is all for you for now my friends, questions, comments, and concerns are encouraged and appreciated. So let's hear them! -James Francis Whitlock

I LOVE the station on the Schwarzkopf looper, I also chuckled when I saw that you were using entertainers in the animal exhibit, haha. Overall very very nice, keep it up.

--Sorry for the delay on this update, it was my birthday weekend so I had a few family members stop by for longer than I had expected, but here we are so enjoy the latest update! Update #11: Season 2 May 20th, 1977 Wow has it ever been a busy off season? It seemed like there wasn't a day when construction was going on inside the park. We have added three new attractions to the park, each sure to appeal to any fun seeker. The first attraction completed during the off-season is a world record holder, "Super Dodgems", a Dodgem flat ride made by SOLI of Italy, is the worlds' largest dodgems. With a floor of 6,845 square feet, and capabilities to hold over 40 drivers at once, mayhem is surely to ensue once the ride begins. "Super Dodgems" is located between "Whitlock Gardens Carousel", and "Whizzer Snacks". The next two rides are located on Lookout Island. "Lookout Tower" located in the middle of Lookout Island is an Intamin AG gyro tower design. The tower is the tallest structure standing in Whitlock Gardens, at over 225 feet! The tower is sure to offer breath-taking views of Whitlock Gardens, and it's surrounding area. It offers quite a thrill, and is a perfect place to escape to on those hot summer days. With an air conditioned cabin, why not take a second ride to the top? The last of our additions was the biggest, but perhaps the most cost effective. Taking advantage of the deal offered by the Arkansas Basin Lumber Co. for free lumber, Whitlock Gardens is proud to present it's first Wooden Rollercoaster: "Manic Mouse". This Wild Mouse design, designed by the Allen Herschell Company is a ride to be reckoned with! Offering hairpin turns and steep and sudden drops, "Manic Mouse" offers quite an amazing ride! The surrounding area is finely themed, and numerous pine trees give the ride a sensation of flying through the tree tops. The "Manic Mouse" makes Lookout Island a place for everyone in the park to visit! I have snapped some photos, so I hope you all enjoy. "Super Dodgems", the worlds largest Dodgems! The exit of "Super Dodgems". Lovely gardens in my opinion. "Lookout Tower", offering an amazing 360 degree view of Northern Arkansas! "Manic Mouse", a wooden wild mouse, is my personal favorite, it gives a great feeling of being totally out of control! The ride has 8 cars, each mouse themed car has room for 2 adult passengers, don't be fooled by it's top speed (34MPH), and highest drop (22 feet), this ride is one of the more intense I have ever been on! Coming soon: "The Miner's Lodge" Whitlock Gardens' first buffet, for those visiting the unique Lookout Island! Word is, an alcohol license has been obtained for the restaurant.. Unfortunately, little progress has been made on Whitlock Gardens' largest project to date. Opening day 1977 saw record breaking crowds! An overview of Northern Arkansas' favorite destination! That's all for now friends, I'll be sure to update you all on "The Miner's Lodge" construction in my next update, and hopefully some construction photos on our super sized project. Happy ridings! See you all at the park! -James Francis Whitlock

Amazing work, I look forward to more updates.

This is awesome, always wanted to see someone do something in RCT.

Update tomorrow, so hold tight!

Looks awesome! Nice work on the station, and I especially love "the vortex"!

--Thank you all for the comments/suggestions. I read over them all and it's great to know I have you all following Whilock Gardens faithfully! Update #10: End of year one November 1st, 1976 Wow, I cannot believe our first year is in the books! Quite an amazing year it has been. October saw record breaking crowds through out, "Blackout" was an instant success, the vertical loop seems to be the future of roller coasters. I would like to thank all of you who made i out the Whitlock Gardens for our first season, this amusement park would not be possible with the support of you all! I have a few announces for you all, the last of which coming at the end of my post, so let's get right to it. First, during the off-season Whitlock Gardens will be working on 4 projects. 3 of which should be ready for opening day 1977. As to what they are, that will be a highly guarded secret until next season! The fourth project the park will be undertaking is the largest, and most innovative the park will see. I don't want to give out too many details, but expect big changes to the park. The project is slated to take just over a year and a half to complete, so that means you will all have to wait until 1978 to see the finished product. But that doesn't mean I wont tease you all until then! Here are some photos I snapped just so you all can have idea what is going on at Whitlock Gardens during the off-season. Hmm, I wonder what could be going here.. Located between Whitlock Gardens Carousel, and Whizzer Snacks. The pathway has been expanded leading past Whizzer Snacks now, to what I wonder.. Seems as if a bridge is being built to Lookout Island.. And ground has been broken on the Island! What could possibly be put here? And the biggest project of them all... Finally an overview for those who wish to see the parks progress. On to my last announcement, advisers close to me suggested that I create a board of directors, now instead of creating a board of fancy suit businessmen, I asked myself: "What would make a better board of directors then a group of 5 people who love Whitlock Gardens as much as I do?" So I would like to announce the Whitlock Garden board of directors open call. The first 5 people to express interest in the board will be added. What does this mean? As a member of the board, you will have control over what is next in the park, through annual meetings, the group of 6 (5 of you, and me) will hold votes on which direction to take the park next. This is a truly unique experience. How it works: I will present the board with a few options on opportunities presented to Whitlock Gardens yearly, each board member will decide which option they like best, and the board will hold a vote. A majority will win the vote, and the idea will be put into action at Whitlock Gardens. So act quit, this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity! Please send a letter of intent (private message) to myself as soon as possible! -James Francis Whitlock

I have fallen in love with Thunderbird's turn around.