Shane's Amusement Attic

[Movieguy]

I love it. It's great to get a look at Circus World too.

 

After seeing that Knotts film, I immediately got the Heaven 17 album with that song on Itunes afterward.

[montezooma]

Here is some more raw Super 8 footage, this time of the old Yellow Roller Coaster at Dorney Park.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Dorney_Coaster_erk4[/coastertube]

[montezooma]

How about some more great wood! HersheyPark Comet and some classic a-ha for all my Euro readers.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=HersheyparkComet_1[/coastertube]

[disneyfan1313]

There really is a charm to the old Super-8 footage. Thanks for these, Shane.

[Guy T. Koepp]

These are great Super 8 vids Shane! Thank you so much for sharing them with us. There is just something beautiful and nostalgic about film. It reminds me of sitting around the living room when we visited the family in Arizona and watched my Grandfather's and Dad's films. Classic! I love it.

[BeemerBoy]

Shane, thanks so much for the Circus World footage. Wow, talk about memory lane!

[rollin_n_coastin]

Super 8 heaven. Thank you for being inspired to share this stuff. Wood coasters look especially cool in the format.

[Angry_Gumball]

Cool stuff, a nice change up from typical family home movie stuff I see at work all the time. I work in a video transfer lab where we put pretty much any format to digital formats/Blu-rays/DVDs and typically I end up editing footage or running their captured footage through a color enhancer. I'm lucky to run into decent theme park stuff shot by the typical GP. Sometimes I'll see clear footage of the ride and not just the kids but that comes by rare. And half the time I have a nerdgasm and get excited, the reel ends, gets blown out, or double exposed. So it was nice to see some actual super 8 footage actually focusing on the rides/parks.

[jray21]

Thanks for the updates Shane, awesome stuff! I'm going to see if my dad has any old theme park videos, he's got a ton of vacation film reels.

[montezooma]

Let’s start the week off with another Super 8 look back at World’s of Fun. Did you know that they used to have an Arrow Corkscrew??? I also took a little inspiration from World’s of Fun when building a new fountain in my front yard. Can you spot it?

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=OrienExpress[/coastertube]

[A.J.]

Here's a (hopefully) good question -

 

I see there's a block section (?) before the drop into Orient Express' second loop. Did Worlds of Fun ever time Orient Express to have two trains going around the loops at the same time? I know Loch Ness Monster did that for a time, but I don't know about Orient Express.

[KCForce]

Here's a (hopefully) good question -

 

I see there's a block section (?) before the drop into Orient Express' second loop. Did Worlds of Fun ever time Orient Express to have two trains going around the loops at the same time? I know Loch Ness Monster did that for a time, but I don't know about Orient Express.

 

As a former ride operator, and Orient Express geek extraordinaire, the answer is NO. The train immediately went from the first loop into the block brake and then into the second loop, which took less than 15 seconds. You can see from this over sized post card aerial view that there wasn't a whole lot of track between the first and second loop.

 

I worked there one of the last years they regularly ran 3 trains on the ride on busy days - it was quite a nerve wrecking experience...the ride was 2 minutes long - it was 120 seconds - you had to dispatch a train every 40 seconds or you'd end up having to do an E-stop as there was room for ONE train in the break run outside the station. The computer would stop the train behind it in that block section before the drop into the second loop if the track outside the station was occupied. It took exactly 40 seconds for the train to leave the station and clear the lift. For 3 train operation it took a crew consisting of a que main entrance greeter (to weed out the kids to small to ride so we didn't have a huge seen at the que house on busy days) a seat assigner at the que house entrance, 4 pedal pushers (there were no "automated" restraints back in the day and we certainly didn't check restraints back then either - no one did at any park!) 3 unloaders to get folks out quickly ("Push your harness up and step to left this way quickly please!", a driver (what you youngin's call panel or operator now), a manager and a floater to fill in where needed. My daytime crew I worked on never had an E-Stop happen any of the days I worked there. You just knew not to let it happen no matter what, cause if it did happen the maintenance crew had to come and reset the ride (the release for that brake was actually at ground level under the block break area - off limits to us - just the brake button, we could walk under the structure back then WHILE the ride was operating - and safety helmet, what safety helmet? - to retrieve lost items, though we usually did this late at night). Keep in mind this was done by mainly 16, 17 and 18 year olds. There was no time for any playing what so ever and if you messed up, you got the "death penalty" - removed from the Express crew forever - it was one of the most revered ride operator positions in the park back in the day. Okay back to the topic.

 

Love the Attic, as always, Shane. Ever seen this post card before? They did a whole series of 8 X 10 post cards at one point of all the major rides. I think this is the only one I have, I'll have to double check. Peace!

The awesome Orient Express, about 1985...note the trams on the service road next to the coaster that used to take you to the original main entrance in the Americana Section.

[Hilltopper39]

Those Super 8 videos are awesome! I've been going to Kings Island my whole life and am a huge fan of the Beast but I never realized that at one point that thing ran with 5 4-bench PTC trains, 40 passengers, WOW!

[Rollercoaster Rider]

That is the first time I've seen Orient Express's Layout

[thrillerman1]

Shane, who is the music by on the Worlds of Fun video? It reminds me of Alphaville and Simple Minds though I know it's surely not. Hopefully you've checked out some modern bands (Interpol, The Killers, et al) who are drawing inspiration from our beloved 80's bands.

[simon8899]

@KCForce

 

Quite interesting insight you provided!

 

When I was a kid all ride-ops were fulltime employees - so there were no teens/twens operating the rides. Some parks like Hansa-Park still do it with fulltime employees while others like Heide-Park now mostly hire teens/twens parttime - and I've to admit that the latter is at times reducing the turnaround time of the ride. The longtime employees really "know" their ride.

 

Another thing I've noted on Arrow coasters is that the operator has to stop the ride at the correct position inside the station which he/she is sometimes not getting right while Schwarzkopf coasters are automatically breaked right on spot without any human intervention. On checking restraints the Schwarzkopf system is also interesting: Except for the first gen looping-racer cars all cars have small lights on the side to indicate if restraints are locked. Next to that only if all restraints are closed a circuit is closed for the operator to get green light.

 

But even today here in germany not every restraint is checked manually - the ride attendant is only making a visual inspection and only intervenes if the restraint is visibly too loose. Next to that most modern rides have red/green LED indicators for restraints - added or secondary seatbelts are seldom seen on coasters here. The only ones I know are the seatbelts on wooden coasters by GCI and Intamin. All others - Vekoma, Schwarzkopf, Gerstelauer, Maurer-Söhne - have no secondary restraint system here. And honestly if a 2-point seatbelt would help much in the unlikely case if a train stops upside down with the main restraint failing is IMO highly questionable - you would need a four-point seatbelt system like in racing cars to prevent you falling off.

[jjune4991]

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. That's all I can say about this. I love the 8-film videos you've posted. All are fantastic. It's great, cause I can actually "feel" the transitions on Orient Express. Ouch!

[montezooma]

I am pulling even the bad stuff out of the attic, and by that I mean some of my early, early POV’s. This is the raw footage of The Beast shot in 1980. It does include the first drop before any brakes were added (what a ride that used to be…although still good today). Gets pretty rough near the end, but even bad super 8 is good.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Beast_Raw_Footage_1980_ivfb[/coastertube]

[montezooma]

Hey KCForce-

 

That was a great post. I love hearing the operational insight on Orient Express. I can’t believe that ride did not have auto lap bar release. That ride was pretty epic for the time and for that park. You would have thought that a ride like Orient Express would have debuted at a park like Great Adventure or Kings Island back in that day. It was pretty major for a mid-sized park like Worlds of Fun.

 

Thanks also for that great post card. I love seeing that ride from above. As a kid, all I wanted to be when I grew up was an Orient Express operator…you lived my dream

[KCForce]

Hey KCForce-

 

That was a great post. I love hearing the operational insight on Orient Express. I can’t believe that ride did not have auto lap bar release. That ride was pretty epic for the time and for that park. You would have thought that a ride like Orient Express would have debuted at a park like Great Adventure or Kings Island back in that day. It was pretty major for a mid-sized park like Worlds of Fun.

 

Thanks also for that great post card. I love seeing that ride from above. As a kid, all I wanted to be when I grew up was an Orient Express operator…you lived my dream

 

And all I ever wanted to do was be a park operator (I'd settle for a water park, but I really want to take over Worlds of Fun!). We were switched at birth!

 

You're living my dream, I want it back, lol.

 

Great super 8 of the Beast.

 

Okay, how many people were S T A N D I N G on the first drop at :25?! I can see the guy in the front and they guy behind him for sure are standing, looks like a few more in the back.

 

At 1:20, where it swings up into what today is a long flat stretch before the second chain lift, there used to be another dip? Wow, something I didn't know. I didn't ride Beast until 1988 during the 10th Annivesary. It was a great ride with all the brakes and modifications back then, even the year before last, but was there any air on that hill at 1:20? With those old buzz single position lap bars, I'm inclined to think the old boy had a pop in the track back in the day.

 

Keep the super 8 coming! Please (right everyone? This is e p i c !) Thanks!

[montezooma]

Keep the super 8 coming! Please (right everyone? This is e p i c !) Thanks!

 

Okay, that is easy enough. Here is a look at the first Arrow Launched Loop. I am not sure if it was the first to open at a park but it was the prototype ride that was built at their plant and later moved to Circus World where it was originally named Zoomerang. It went through several other names such as Flying Daredevil, Double-O and even back again to Zoomerang.

 

The film has suffered a little damage over the years which accounts for the graininess.

 

I always loved these Arrow Launched Loops (obviously not as much as Anton’s version) they really provided some good pops of air.

Enjoy

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=Zoomerang_FlyingDaredevil_zh4d[/coastertube]

 

And here is another clip that is uploaded to coastertube. Seems like a nice accompaniment to the one above.

 

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=ScreaminDemon_2[/coastertube]

[djw44]

That is pretty awesome! You have such a wealth of great old amusement park material.

[O-Town77]

Keep the super 8 coming! Please (right everyone? This is e p i c !) Thanks!

 

Okay, that is easy enough. Here is a look at the first Arrow Launched Loop. I am not sure if it was the first to open at a park but it was the prototype ride that was built at their plant and later moved to Circus World where it was originally named Zoomerang. It went through several other names such as Flying Daredevil, Double-O and even back again to Zoomerang.

 

 

Damn man, you're really bringing back some great memories.

 

I must have ridden this coaster a million times when the place was called Boardwalk & Baseball. My folks "owned" the 3 park annual pass (for B&B, Sea World and CG) -- I swear I was at this park like 364 days of 1988.

 

B&B was my home park during the late 1980's.

Thanks for the great footage.

[QueerRudie]

Outstanding Super8 there, Shane. If I recall correctly- it wasn't just the Beast that had the PTC 4 bench cars- but also the Texas Cyclone at opening (shortened to three-bench cars, then the Morgan rolling-coffin cars later on). It's interesting to see the Beast before it was 'tamed down' and with the Beast running full-out.

[BeemerBoy]

Here is a look at the first Arrow Launched Loop. I am not sure if it was the first to open at a park but it was the prototype ride that was built at their plant and later moved to Circus World where it was originally named Zoomerang. It went through several other names such as Flying Daredevil, Double-O and even back again to Zoomerang.

 

The film has suffered a little damage over the years which accounts for the graininess.

 

I always loved these Arrow Launched Loops (obviously not as much as Anton’s version) they really provided some good pops of air.

Enjoy

The "graininess" gets bonus points from me!

 

I remember riding it as Flying Daredevil and Double-O, but never as Zoomerang. Also, I never realized it was the actual prototype...which is pretty cool. The ride op at the far end of the track always had something funny to say to the riders before they launched backwards.

 

Any chance you've got footage of Wiener Looping?