DaveH80 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Hey Scott, excellent pictures as always. The Screechin' Eagle seems to have been a fun ride, it's a real shame it hasn't been relocated. I found a video that has some POV shots of the coaster, unfortunately not the entire ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 Welcome back to Scott's Coaster Closet! Though we've been in winter-mode for the past few months, the weather is warming and it's time to fire up the Wayback Machine (aka WABAC) for a glimpse at what our adventurous ancestors did for a good time. To kick off this edition, I scooped up a handful of vintage B&Ws from my collection and tossed them onto the scanner. There are several recognizable woodies here as well as a few mystery rides. Enjoy! -S The San Diego Giant Dipper using the proper trains. I can only imagine how much better this classic would be if these were still in opeation. A more detailed Tornado (Bobs) angle. Fred Church was an absolute genius. Coney's Tornado (Bobs). I missed riding this beauty by two years. Rye Playland. Check out that packed car park! Of course, that shot of the Airplane is the best. Another mystery ride. All I know is that it used early NAD rolling stock. Any idea where this one was? I'm guessing it's a typical John Miller ride. At first I thought it was Libertyland's Zippin Pippin (before the park was called that), but ... Train 3 on the Riverview Bobs. The Ocean View Rocket's early NAD trains. Riverview's Fireball. Park staff built these sweet trains. They are very similar to the Jetstream trains that operated on Carowinds' Thunder Road for the ride's initial seasons. Another, very similar Bartlett Flying Turns at Chicago's 1933 Century of Progress. This one went to Riverview and served as inspiration for Knoebels' FT, which will finally open in a few months. This is the Flying Turns when it was at the 1933-34 NY Worlds Fair. It was later moved to Coney Island as Bobsled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Great photos Scott! It is good to see the closet back, I thought you had gone away like a bad sitcom. Thanks for sharing. Now lets spark some healthy discussion about those great pictures of the flying turns, I sure wish I was old enough to have ridden one, they look like they would be nothing like todays versions. I hope that the Knoebel's creating captures the ride and feel of those older versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megamatt Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 The single headlite mystery NAD trains are from the Comet at Forest Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megamatt Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 The Orbit looks absolutely terrifying...and painful. I totally agree. Though I've sworn off most spinning flat rides, I can endure the Zipper for some reason. A Zipper can be great fun if operated properly, but I think the Orbit would be beyond horrific. I'd love to hear from someone who rode it ... The orbit was run slow, more like a sky wheel than a zipper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Those pics are amazing! Makes me wish those coasters were still operating, especially Riverview's Bobs, Rye's Aeroplane, and Ocean View's Rocket (that ride would be closer to my house, increasing my chances of riding it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 The single headlite mystery NAD trains are from the Comet at Forest Park. No, the FPH trains were from PTC and far more sophisticated and classy than these hammered aluminum. This ride remains a mystery until someone IDs it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 The San Diego Giant Dipper using the proper trains. I can only imagine how much better this classic would be if these were still in opeation.Amen to that! I loved this latest batch of pics. Great stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Great photos Scott! It is good to see the closet back, I thought you had gone away like a bad sitcom. Thanks for sharing. Now lets spark some healthy discussion about those great pictures of the flying turns, I sure wish I was old enough to have ridden one, they look like they would be nothing like todays versions. I hope that the Knoebel's creating captures the ride and feel of those older versions. Yeah, Shane, The Closet has been down for winter retracking/profile tweaking and such, but it's back online. Those are great FT pics. I'd like to dig up more on the Euro Turns in Denmark, Paris and Berlin. There's another thread on here about a FT mag NAAPHA recently produced. I have it and it IS quite excellent with info and pics we haven't seen before. I just wish some of the rarer shots could've been printed a wee bit larger. Still, check it out if you're a FT fan. If any Euro members can research the Turns that operated over there, I'd LOVE to see some images. These were VERY popular rides. Additional photographic evidence MUST exist somewhere. As for Knoebels Turns, I believe we'll finally be able to experience the new version within a few months. From what I've been told, it'll be worth the wait. The restructured team currently working on it has the expertise to make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Thank you Scott! Great stuff! --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH80 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Excellent pictures Scott, as always thanks for sharing. I recognize a few of these from your book, "The American Rollercoaster". I really love the areal pic of Rye Playland! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volt Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 These pictures remind me that being young sucks. Missing out on many classics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr.gumbo Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Awesome stuff, its nice to see these long lost classics considering they don't make them like they used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 Thanks, everyone. I'm just glad there's still some appreciation for history of this industry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Really stunning photos Scott. I love seeing old woodies in black and white. Thanks for sharing these and good to see you have shaken off the winter doldrums! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Wood Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 It's always fun to look at days gone by. I love people wearing "Sunday's Best" clothing to visit parks. Great update, wonderful old pics, Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycamps Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Those were great pictures. I can't say that I've ever seen any pictures of Flying Turns coasters, so that was neat to see. It gives me an urge to ride the one at Knoebels when it opens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gldude Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Hey Scott, excellent pictures as always. The Screechin' Eagle seems to have been a fun ride, it's a real shame it hasn't been relocated. I found a video that has some POV shots of the coaster, unfortunately not the entire ride. http://coasterz.co.uk/videos.html Just in case you are interested, here is a full POV of Screechin' Eagle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeti762 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Excellent pictures - thank you for sharing. I can't get over how similar some of those trains look like the GCI Millenium Flyer trains (single articulating bench). Of course, I'm sure that's where they got the idea from! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintballer Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Rumor has it Fred Church haunts that tower next to Tornado (Bobs) Who knows....?? EDIT: I actually found that out from one of my books I own... Was that yours? I saw the above comment saying that someone saw the pics from you book... LOL whoops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 old woodies I just threw up a little in my mouth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 Rumor has it Fred Church haunts that tower next to Tornado (Bobs) Who knows....?? EDIT: I actually found that out from one of my books I own... Was that yours? I saw the above comment saying that someone saw the pics from you book... LOL whoops. There WAS a legend that LaMarcus Thompson haunted that ornate tower, despite having died six years before it was built. The two pics from my books are the OV Rocket and COP Flying Turns shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 Really stunning photos Scott. I love seeing old woodies in black and white. Thanks for sharing these and good to see you have shaken off the winter doldrums! Thanks, Thriller. I've got a stack of postcards to add to your stellar thread, I just need to go through all yours so as not to post a dupe card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six Flags Enthuseast Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Wow.... this is classic stuff... amazing how cool coasters used to be, very experimental and apparently very fun! Too bad many of these classics can only be seen in those photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderguy345 Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 That last pic is very cool seems to be so much fun to ride a old rollercoaster BTW Intense coathanger action in the picture as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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