SeaWhippet

Manual Brakes ROCK! And Robb, how heavy was that Comet train?!

Oh, the Closet is packed with plenty of retro coaster goodness. I've been on the road all summer, but I'm gearing up for Season II and will begin to post in the Fall. As for Mexico ... I'm working on it. Will let you know soon. I'm also checking with Isla San Marcos to see what Thriller's operating schedule will be in OCT. Just think, Kennywood's Laser Loop, Dreier Looping & Thriller all in one weekend! I feel like I'm back in 1989 in Munich/Stuttgart! (':b')

Yes, both Jetline @ Grona Lund und Knightmare @ Camelot use space-saving curved chain lifts. I always found these fascinating to watch. Mexico could be a workalbe trip in OCT. We need to look at details. Is Thriller open every day? I know it's out there near Baja Mexico, while Dreier sits next to Anton's shuttle loop and one of my favorite wooden racers in Mexico City.

Thriller has definitely had some strange color schemes over the years. I recall riding it in Stuttgart in September 1989 (on the same day I rode Wiener looping, Himalaya, and Olympia in Munich) and it had a cool blue track with white supports. That's when it was running like Anton intended. Well, it did have those accordion OTSR (thanks Edmonton!), but it was still quite intense. And ... Though I rode Thriller at AstroWorld, I missed it at Marine World. It was already in the parking lot when I got there. Despite the trains being bastardized and the neutered first drop, I still have a hunger to go to Mexico and check it out. Plus, Dreier Looping is in MC, and that's the ONLY portable Schwartzkopf I've never ridden. Ok, Shane, let's organize a pilgrimage to Mexico and give these beauties a go. I guess we could also include Columbia and see how Zambezi Zinger is faring. I'm just sayin' ...

Hey Shane, I was wondering when you were gonna drag the Anton material down from the Attic. As you know, we've shared a mutual love of the man's work since we were both little blond boys -- much like your sons! We need to head down to Mexico to check our Thriller and Dreier Looping! I've been on the road for much of the summer as well. Got to visit plenty of parks --- Waldameer (LOVE RFII), Canada's Wonderland, Darien, SFGam, SFSL, (EK's a great ride), Hard Rock Park, Family Kingdom, Universal Orlando, The Dells, Kings Dominion, and Carowinds (we'll talk about TRoad later). Next I fly out to Lakeside to cover the park's 100th! Yeaaaa. Once the season winds down, I plan to gear up for Season II of The Closet. Thanks for the Schwarzkopf summer bonus! Cheers! -Scott

Thanks! Despite the circumstances, it really DID make for a good shot.

Thanks, O! That Golden Moment ... at sunset & just before dusk ... is my fav time for park photog. It seems I happened to catch all three parks on this trip at that magical time of the day.

Woo-hoo! One of the oldest cars on the modern CTA system, made by Budd and going in service around 1969. I soooo wanted to climb aboard for a trip around the Loop but time was not kind. Maybe next time. Go CTA!!!

Yes, we were there SAT night and SUN morning and there was a bit of squealing going on. It had rained just before we arrived; perhaps the track oil had washed off. Does anyone who goes there often recall it squealing all the time?

Last week, Brian and I flew to St. Louis to cover SFSL's new Evel Knievel woodie (it'll be AT's cover story for AUG) ... then rented a convertible and drove to The Dells ... and finished up with an entire day at SFGam. It was his first visit to all three parks, and I hadn't checked out this trio in many years. A stop by Chicago's Navy Pier on the way to O'Hare completed the trip. We had a great time despite excessive heat/humidity and couple of cantankerous woodies that did their best to send us to the nearest ER. I'm just sayin' ... Briefly: Six Flags St. Louis EK: What a sweet machine! With just a month of regular operation under its belt, the ride seems to be breaking in as expected. Though built on flat terrain and topping out at only 82 feet, we found it almost as aggressive and entertaining as Thunderhead ... even more so in certain sections. The M-Flyers (with a smart red/white/blue paint scheme) maintain their speed well, and the various airtime pops were most surprising. Jeff Pike has said this ride was originally designed for an Atlantic coast park, and that it was inspired by both CA Giant Dippers as well as the Cyclone Racer and Savin Rock Thunderbolt. I can see that influence in some of the lower swoop turns. I'd like to return at the end of the season to see how much faster the second half of the ride becomes, especially that series of rapid speed bumps just before the last turn. We really liked this ride! The Boss: Though the layout is inventive and unique, especially that first drop/double-dip opener, the Boss could use some serious TLC. As it currently runs, riders take quite a beating. I was one of the few fortunate to experience the Boss when it ran the Eagle's PTC trains on media day back in 2000 (the G-trains were not … ready). I feel the PTCs handled the course with much less discomfort, but that was when the structure was all shiny and new ... Speaking of the Eagle ... WOW! It was flying on Sunday night. We got several rides without leaving the train and I'd forgotten how wonderful this John Allen beauty could be. Sustained float-time, strong laterals on the turns and just plain fun. With no tracers or any illumination other than the glow from the park, we had a blast aboard the Eagle as it dove into those cool, dark wooded ravines. I wish we had more re-rideable coasters like this one. River King Mine Ride: This remains one of my fav old-style Arrow mine trains. I would really like to have ridden it when both sides were operating. I find the remaining side to be much better than the ride they sent to Dollywood … The Dells Thanks to traffic/construction, the corn field-heavy drive from St. Louis to Wisconsin took a bit longer than expected. We arrived at the Dells at sunset … just in time for the resort’s neon-splashed tackiness to burst forth in all its glory. Timber Falls Avalanche: we were the only passengers on-board for our first-ever ride on this quirky S&S creation. Despite the $5.99 ticket price and the constant left turns, we LOVED this ride! That little three-car PTC train performed admirably well. The sustained momentum and absurd transitions made us laugh throughout the experience. Good stuff. Pegasus: Although a junior coaster, this ride has a satisfyingly long layout. It was great to see little kids riding alone and loving it. Cyclops: That last drop is STILL a show-stopper, and an excellent finale. Zeus: Holy s***, Apollo … what in Hades happened here? I rode Z. during its inaugural season and found it a great out & back ride, but now … not so much. Potholes, unexpected slams and bruising jolts are not fun. Ouch x 7. One circuit was plenty. Hades: This was our first encounter with the coaster from the underworld, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Though we’d seen all the photos, videos and read everything about the infamous tunneled sections, nothing aside from an actual ride could prepare us for what happens under that expansive asphalt car park. Those light-speed transitions in blacker-than-deep-space darkness were disorienting and exquisite. Kudos to TGG for creating such a mind-blowing experience. Six Flags Great America Batman: When did this one turn yellow and lose its wheel covers? Still as powerful as it was in its first year. Batman Dark Knight: Mouse-in-box with decent theming. I expect the park’s drama sect is not happy about one of their theaters being used for BDK’s queue/pre-show. Loved the subway-themed coaches. Raging Bull: I was sooooo looking forward to this one. Though still an impressive operation, that one overly-tight trim on the upside of the third drop totally robbed the rest of the course of its intended speed. Boo. American Eagle: Haven’t ridden this bird in more than a decade, but found it more impressive than I remember. B. liked it as well. Even though the mid-course trims were in use and the giant descending helix was a rattling, shuffling blur (more speed might eliminate this, but probably not …), the Eagle still delivered a decent ride with a couple of enjoyable pops. The trims before the final helix on both sides made for a rather anti-climatic ending, but the ride still remains quite a bit of fun. Viper: Who knew a Cyclone clone could be this good? Maybe it has something to do with the extra weight of the 5-car/3-bench PTC trains. Whatever the case, we could’ve ridden this one all night long. And to think, Viper was an in-house job … Whizzer: Easily our favorite SFGAm coaster. I find it hard to understand why CGA got rid of theirs. With three four-car trains expertly dispatched for our entire visit, this Schwarzkopf/Stengel beauty had a long queue ALL DAY LONG. Guests, especially families and couples, adore it. Even with the redundant and unnecessary seatbelts, Whizzer is pure steel coaster joy. I sincerely hope SF does whatever it takes to keep this classic ride running for many years to come. OK, now on to the visual portion of our presentation … For all the transit geeks - Train to O'Hare. Pier Swingin' Navy Pier's iconic McFerris Wheel. There was talk of bringing Olympia Looping to the Pier. Though unlikely, it would look great on the water. Wave Winger and V2's vertical hold brake Batman vs. the purple Polyp (or whatever they call this one ...) Whizzer - out of the station and onto the lift Whizzer - park's best ride! Long may it whizz! Raging Bull - nice opening, but that bloody third-hill brake ruins the pacing. Sad. One of the smoothest non-GCII woodies out there. I wish more rides used these big three-bench PTCs. Viper's first drop. Stacking Eagles: A common occurrence thanks to unnecessary seat belts. DKC coaches on the outdoor transfer Dark Knight entrance. This is the exterior themeing. Hades ... night flying II (that girl's hair could indicate airtime!) Hades ... night flying I MO's crowning glory - Hades at dusk. Coasters, coasters everywhere ... Zeus -- Decent layout but needs some love to smooth it out ... Zeus -- revenge of an angry god. OUCH! Great ride in an empty park Avalanche POV.MOV Timber Falls Avalanche POV. This was our first time on this ride and we were quite surprised how good it is. Intense and turbulent but relatively smooth considering what that little train is doing! Loved it! Eagle at sunset Eagle was screaming that night! Excellent rides! Freezing Not the Boss of me! Let's go again! On the brake run Final turn/drop prior to the brakes Love the Flyers' paint job High station turn Nice rabbit hop First drop EK's first drop taken from the park's railroad tracks before the train started up for the day. (Thanks, SFSL, for the backstage access!)

When I drove over in May, the Canadian border guard didn't ask for any ID at all. I was surprised. On the way back, my DL got me back into the US. No problem. However, it's always a good bet to keep your passport with you anytime you leave the country ... even to Canada or Mexico. -S

Dorney's Doppel Looping should stay right where it is. I was there last SAT and it had a decent queue with plenty of people eager to ride despite Voodoo having only a two-train wait. That alone speaks volumes. With the ex-Conklin unit also on the market, I'm hoping an enterprising traditional park (Knoebels, Lake Winnie, Canobie, Camden?) gets one of these beauties. The previous night we stopped by Hershey. Haven't been there in years, but SDL has aged quite well. Although the trim brake along the creek is annoying and unnecessary, it was still a joy to ride with only a ratcheting lap bar -- just as Anton intended. Schwarzkopf coasters have staying power like few other rides ... anywhere. That's a fact. Now it's time to book passage down to Baja Calf. Sur to see how Thriller (with its neutered first drop) is behaving in its new home ... -S

I agree, Robb. The accordions were tolerable in TX. As with the WEM Mindbender, we endured them with no problem in Germany several years before. SF's unholy butchering of the first drop and the addition of those diabolical OTSRs were completely unnecessary. Most American parks (SF especially ... ) are simply unqualified to operate a ride of Thriller's caliber as it was designed by the mfg. Period. I had hoped the Mexican operator might rectify the terrible SF mistake, but I see this is not the case. The last time I saw Thriller in person was when it was scattered around a Vallejo parking lot ... see pics. At the very least the ride IS operating ... -S How we feel about Thriller being tossed aside like an unwanted four-looping German stepchild. ;( Train interrupted. Love the yellow rope. Scattered memories ...

I've been hoping this thread would be re-invigorated! I'd really like to see images (from within the structure) of the ride with track intact and BEFORE the mountain's outer skin was applied. And Shots of the ride operating in "the old days" when the mountain was partially "hollow." -S

Agreed.

E- We were told that they're now working on the "audio aspect" of the ride (everything has a speaker ), and they plan to have it running by 02JUN. That was it. -S

We just returned from the two-day Media Tour of Myrtle Beach's Hard Rock Park. While the place is impressive, the ride we were most intrigued by – Premier's Maximum RPM - was not yet operational. It "should" be ready to roll by 02JUN, but as of today (08MAY) they have not cycled a single vehicle. During our tour, we were taken into the station for a peek at at the ride vehicles and the track section that transports the six-seat cars onto the Ferris wheel lift mechanism. For all the other techno geeks out there, I'm positing a few pics of this complicated machine. Numerous tire-driven boosters move the cars from the station onto the wheel where they'll be locked into place for the trip up to the mainline/first drop. 16 motors are required to operate the wheel. It'll be a fascinating operation once it comes on-line. At the top of the page is a video of the wheel in motion (sans cars). Enjoy! -S Transfer track / maint. area Here's Donny Osmond and his crew working on the vehicle's on-board audio system. Can you say ... "COMPLICATED" ? Note vid cameras and pin locks to make sure the track sections are positioned correctly. Station track leading to wheel lift

Schwarzkopf's test track at the Bavarian factory. I always wondered if they raised the test vehicle up by crane each time ... I actually have this pic in a mag ... somewhere in The Closet's dark recesses. -S

I rode the Dipper MANY times during the last two years of its life. It was a brilliant little coaster. Actually, it wasn't that "little." It was enlarged by Andy Vettel in the mid-50s and became the wonderful ride some of us remember. I loved that quirky flat section during the approach to the brakes. I wish contemporary parks had the guts to offer junior woodies with one-of-a-kind thrills like K'wood's Dipper. Is it really in storage? Perhaps they could remove that dated rapids ride ... I expect the Dipper would fit that space rather well. -S

Great commercials, Shane. Thanks for sharing. The two that stood out for me were: Wildcat at Frontier City (why did John Pierce have to jack around with NAD's original Fairyland design?) ... and ... Conway Twitty at WOF: -S

Agreed. It would be a great job, though I'd be soooooo tempted to say ... "Hold on, people. This is gonna be a ride you'll never forget!" And then, just release those brakes for the whole circuit and see what happens. I'm just dreamin'! -Scott

Well, yes, I do have a bit of a "thing" for the brake handles. And the only woodie I've ridden with a big strapping brakeman was England's Dreamland Scenic Railway, which some bloody idiot recent torched. I'm just sayin ... -Scott

I KNEW I wasn't alone in my brake handle obsession!

Ok, this is one of my more obscure offerings from The Closet, and it will probably appeal more to the wooden coaster purists out there. With that said, I've always had a fascination with wooden roller coasters with manual braking systems. In the old days, this is the way virtually all coasters were operated. There's something terribly romantic about a loaded train roaring into the station and having its momentum arrested by an operator using his weight and skill to manipulate various wooden levers, eventually bringing the train to a smooth stop. There was a certain grace I associated with the whole affair, and I miss that. Sadly,most of the wooden levers and skid brakes have been replaced with with harsh squeeze brakes and soulless magnetics. At least we still have Camden Park and a few others ... Enjoy, -Scott Camden Park Big Dipper - Beautiful Century Flyers! They use a rare manual squeeze-brake system. Camden Park Big Dipper Lake Winnie Cannon Ball Me again! Williams Grove Cyclone R.I.P It's ME! Waiting for the Giant Dipper's P&C train that will never arrive ... Ponchartrain Zephyr -- The Last Day '83 Crystal Beach Coment Playland Coaster (Vancouver) Rye Playland Dragon. Miss those trains ... Whalom Park Flyer Comet Geauga Lake Big Dipper -- (R.I.P.?) Conneaut Lake Blue Streak Ahh, the good old days when the CP Blue Streak was operated in a classic manner.

Rob, When I rode LMR prior to the overhaul, the six 4-car Century Flyers featured seat belts with heavily padded lap bars. Due to the ride's extreme negative-Gs, the park added a vertical iron rod that was hinged to the car's floor. After the single lap bar was lowered over both riders, an attendant locked it to the iron rod. After one ride, I understand the need for the hardware. During the overhaul, I believe the NAD chassis was used with CCI modified bodies, seats, and individual ratcheting lap bars with an extra chain on lap bar. Rather uncomfortable due to the bar ratcheting down during the ride. I hope CCI didn't trash those beautiful headlighted fronts and side-panels. But I expect they probably did. Yet another crime against history. -Scott