montezooma Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Here's a detail of an old postcard. Shouldn't be too difficult to guess the park. I'm stumped. It looks like Paradise Pier...is it DCA? ha ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Here's a shout out to an old long gone park...AstroWorld. Hey what has happened on the site where this park once stood, anything??? Sky Screamer, AstroWorld's Intamin Free Fall ride Sky Screamer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginzo Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Cedar Point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 ^^^^ Bill I think it's a gigantic insect of some sort attacking the beach goers! restoca...I will also guess Cedar Point since I doubt it's Dollywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffy Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Cedar Point at one time did have a swings ride in the Ocean. I think Cedar Point sells a history video that I saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restoca Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Those who guessed Cedar Point are correct. Though the card is postmarked 1941 I would have guessed the photo to have been much earlier. I suppose it still could be, maybe a little earlier. rcdb.com lists eightpast wooden coasters for this park. postmark is July 2, 1941 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 7, 2009 Author Share Posted April 7, 2009 This was a great idea restoca! I hope we see another one of these "guess the postcard" games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 I have no idea where ^ is, but what the heck is that in the bottom right-hand corner of the postcard? It "looks" like a swings ride... but in the ocean surf??? Back in the days of sea-side parks, many of them had circle swings in the water. They were people powered, you hung on to them like a trapeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroworldfan1 Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 Here's a shout out to an old long gone park...AstroWorld. Hey what has happened on the site where this park once stood, anything??? It's now being used as a parking lot for the rodeos across the street. -Tatum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nrthwnd Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Ahhhh, progress. (But I'm glad I got to AW in the fall of 1992.) And thanks Mark and Dennis, about the "sea swings" lol. I'm not sure if I ever saw them in any other postcard. Strangely familiar, but I just wasn't sure. Kewl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 The circle swing in the water reminds me of this playground contraption near me when I was a kid. It consisted of a circular wooden plank/platform suspended on wires about waist high from a central steel pole. You could spin and rock the whole thing as you sat or stood up on it. It was really quite awesome, but I'm sure many a kid's jaw was busted good on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restoca Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 OK, here's another. Maybe a little tougher. Again, park is still in operation. I think both buildings pictured are still there, but not the circle swing, of course. In this case, the background topography might be the best clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Is it Lake Compounce? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 Quassy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restoca Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Lake Compounce it is! No idea of the date of this photo, but the cars look really old. Wildcat opened in 1927, so it might have been taken near that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 restoca...I just noticed it looks like both your Cedar Point and Lake Compounce cards were made by the same company. Also, the same company name appears on cycamps' Riverview and CP Ballroom cards from p.43, so this company must've been one of the major park postcard makers back in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restoca Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 ^ You're right, Mark. I noticed the similar numbering system on the lower right of most cards with a white boarder. I'd sure like to see a catalogue of all this company produced related to amusement parks. Here's another beauty they did. Although it's not identified on the card, I think this must be the Dips coaster, which began operation in 1909 and was designed by Edward Vettel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 ^ LOVE those colors. That is gorgeous! I would love to have tried out the wicked looking hairpin turn on the Dips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 One of my rare Idora cards became part of the discussion over at my Closet. I thought I'd share it here as well. Idora fans will notice the white-painted structure instead of the later, more familiar deep yellow/turquoise color scheme. Though its been gone for 20+ years, I still miss the wonderfully intense and powerful Wildcat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Here's another old ride that deserved a better fate – The Mountain Park Flyer. I was lucky to ride it many times during its last few seasons. It was always fast, loose and entertaining. The Century Flyers made this classic extra special. I miss it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montezooma Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Here's a great old ride that used to be a staple at every Six Flags park. Some still have them but not Six Flags over Texas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillerman1 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 One of my favorite parks on the US west coast is Bonfa...err Gilroy Gardens. Those Circus Trees are amazing! You can see one of them forming a garden gateway arch in the lower right corner of this card as well as on the back side of the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restoca Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Here's another beauty, and one of my favorite cards. This is the Coaster Dips, which operated from 1921 to 1968. This photo is prior to 1949, when new streamlined NAD trains were installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaWhippet Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 That's a sweet card! I've always been intrigued by Glen Echo's Coaster Dips. It was notorious for being a wild ride and suffered at least five fatalities during it's long run ... including decapitations. I find it amusing that the Do Not Standup warning is on the "front" of the lead car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 ^ Decapitations??? Anyway, these postcards are amazing. Seeing all these defunct coasters makes me feel kinda sad though. I'll post whatever I've got when I can get my scanner back up and running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now