robbalvey Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Here's the story: http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=121225 It's a big job, moving an amusement park; the folks at Bell's Amusement Park have been dismantling rides and the Midway since the middle of January. The News On 6’s Rick Wells reports most of the small rides are gone, and the real heavy lifting is just beginning. A familiar site is missing from the Tulsa County fairgrounds, most the rides from Bell’s Amusement Park have been dismantled, and many are sitting stacked in a Tulsa warehouse. Most of the kids rides and arcade games are in storage, while some of the bigger rides are still in the park. Bell's most famous ride is Zingo, the wooden roller coaster people from all over the country have come to Tulsa to ride. Robby Bell says his dad built it in 1968 for about $240,000, it would cost at least $3 million today to duplicate it, so it's coming down piece by piece. "You'd be surprised how much material you'd keep off of it,” Bell’s owner Robby Bell said. “We will lose what we call the trackbed." The trackbed is the part above Zingo’s rib-like cross pieces. That will be tossed, the rest will come down like an erector set. Bell says it will take 12 weeks to tear down the ride, and five months to rebuild it somewhere else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHole2005 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Awwwwwww man! That Coaster looked really fun to ride and also retro which I like! I am sad it's going though cause I really wanted to ride it. The Bit that looks especially fun is when it dives under that gift shop. Arn't Bells Getting a new gravity group coaster or something like that? I dont know but I heared some rumours about happening on other forums. Can Someone please enlighten me on this one? Cheers, BlackHole2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dailey Enterprizes Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Really cool, I'm glad to see that this park is being reborned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I'm glad zingo is being saved and also the park, but what about phantasmagoria? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdad Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Glad to see there going to save it. Hope they can work a deal out with one of the local area city's. I know at one time Robbie's dad had land in Broken Bow but I don't know if anything ever came of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Great to see that the park will relocate and that Zingo will be saved. It looks like a fun ride, and it is nice to see that the owners take pride in the ride. I remember reading that this has some historic significance, but does anyone know what is historic about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Ah man, you have no idea how happy I am at hearing this. Zingo always has been one of my favorite wooden coasters, and was my first ever major coaster. It's great, not only is it very smooth for it's age and situation, but also it does indeed have some air and retains that special classic woodie feel and just the right amount of roughness. It's extremely good-looking as well. This news implies not only that Zingo will live on, but also shows that they do have an interest at re-building the park. If they didn't, they wouldn't bother taking down Zingo for a future re-build. It is kinda sad though, I've been on 're-built' woodies before and they are usually only a shadow of their former selves... but maybe this will be another Phoenix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 I'm glad it has a chance, I wish the park the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrider06 Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Glad to hear that they aren't just tearing another ride down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeezus Juice Posted February 27, 2007 Share Posted February 27, 2007 Looks like it will be totally retracked when they rebuild as well. i'm glad there are finally getting away from the stupid Tulsa local government. Let's hope this time they find some land without any lame neighbors! Still, it's sad that while they may be saving the log flume, all of the homemade dinosaur themeing will be destroyed. Stupid Tulsa! And your Waffle House sucks! -Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h20polo Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Does anyone have any pictures of this coster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 ^I posted some a while back > http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29708&highlight= I have more of Zingo and the rest of the park on my site if it ever gets back up. Still, it's sad that while they may be saving the log flume, all of the homemade dinosaur themeing will be destroyed. -Don They're saving the log flume? I was under the impression that everything besides Zingo and the movable rides were toast. Anyone have any more info on what all is moving? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snuggles Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Maybe Joyland can buy some of the phantasmagoria things to refresh the whacky shack After all, it basicly is a clone of the WS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayjay719 Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Thats great news! It's nice to see that ride will be rebuilt somewhere, I hate seeing roller coasters get retired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollercoastermayhem Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I hope it does not just get put into storage or left in a field to rot. So many times this happens and the coaster just heads into folklore. However, i feel Zingo has more chance of being rebuilt providing Bells do find a new suitable location, as they were looking at building another wooden coaster on the old site. Fingers crossed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verticalzero Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Just seen the pic's of this coaster, it looks lovely and certainly a "Classic". Good luck to the Park to find another home and so glad "Zingo" is not getting destroyed. There have been enough "classic" woodies razed over the last few years, which could of been saved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 Great news, just glad this park isn't pulling off an "Elitch Gardens" and build a mediocre clone of an old classic wooden coaster at their new location! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shavethewhales Posted March 2, 2007 Share Posted March 2, 2007 I've posted even more photos for those of you who never got to see the place - http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=33629 Err, I really want to get out there to take some last shots before its all gone, but its a bit far... can anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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