Favorite pre- 1980's coaster

[coasterbill]

Easily Phoenix. It's still one of the best in the world after all these years.

[bottom_feeder_13]

Coaster - Playland for wood and Loch Ness Monster by a significant margin for both.

 

EDIT: Wow I'm stupid, Magnum was 1989, thanks

Edited February 24, 2013 by bottom_feeder_13

[jjune4991]

Magnum XL200

 

Magnum was built in 1989...

[larrygator]

I'm not counting Phoenix, as it was built in 1985, so I pick Coaster at Playland.

[jray21]

For me, Whizzer at SFGAm, Mindbender SFOG, Montezuma's KBF, Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz, and Space Mountain WDW.

[cstrfrk67]

I'm not counting Phoenix, as it was built in 1985, so I pick Coaster at Playland.

Technically, The Phoenix is circa 1947, just relocated in 1984-1985. I think it still counts as pre-80's....JMO

[larrygator]

I'm not counting Phoenix, as it was built in 1985, so I pick Coaster at Playland.

Technically, The Phoenix is circa 1947, just relocated in 1984-1985. I think it still counts as pre-80's....JMO

 

I consider it designed in the 1940's, but built in the 1980's. I'm not completed versed in wood relocations, but my understanding is only a percentage of the original structure ends up in the new place.

[MFJorts]

For wooden coasters I'd have to say Santa Cruz Giant Dipper.

 

For steel coasters, Mindbender (SFOG) is probably the best, followed by Montezuma's Revenge and Gemini at CP.

[Geauga Dog]

Steel: Mindbender at SFOG, Whizzer at SFGAm, Gemini at CP

 

Wood: The Beast at KI, Screamin' Eagle at SFStL, GASM at SFOG, Phoenix at Knoebel's

[A.J.]

Technically, The Phoenix is circa 1947, just relocated in 1984-1985. I think it still counts as pre-80's....JMO

 

I consider it designed in the 1940's, but built in the 1980's. I'm not completed versed in wood relocations, but my understanding is only a percentage of the original structure ends up in the new place.

 

I'm not sure that they could have used a new wood structure because they didn't have the Rocket's blueprints when they relocated it. Didn't they number all of the boards and ship them to Elysburg on a bunch of trucks?

 

Now, granted, they had to come up with some way to create new footers, so I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure that the Phoenix's wooden support structure is original.

[markysharky17]

Rolling thunder!

[larrygator]

Technically, The Phoenix is circa 1947, just relocated in 1984-1985. I think it still counts as pre-80's....JMO

 

I consider it designed in the 1940's, but built in the 1980's. I'm not completed versed in wood relocations, but my understanding is only a percentage of the original structure ends up in the new place.

 

I'm not sure that they could have used a new wood structure because they didn't have the Rocket's blueprints when they relocated it. Didn't they number all of the boards and ship them to Elysburg on a bunch of trucks?

 

Now, granted, they had to come up with some way to create new footers, so I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure that the Phoenix's wooden support structure is original.

 

I should have phrased my comment differently. I remember listening to John Fetterman speak at an event a few years ago and I recall him saying all the vertical supports can be reused in a relocation but all the track has to be new.

[cstrfrk67]

Technically, The Phoenix is circa 1947, just relocated in 1984-1985. I think it still counts as pre-80's....JMO

 

I consider it designed in the 1940's, but built in the 1980's. I'm not completed versed in wood relocations, but my understanding is only a percentage of the original structure ends up in the new place.

 

I'm not sure that they could have used a new wood structure because they didn't have the Rocket's blueprints when they relocated it. Didn't they number all of the boards and ship them to Elysburg on a bunch of trucks?

 

Now, granted, they had to come up with some way to create new footers, so I could be wrong. But I'm pretty sure that the Phoenix's wooden support structure is original.

 

I should have phrased my comment differently. I remember listening to John Fetterman speak at an event a few years ago and I recall him saying all the vertical supports can be reused in a relocation but all the track has to be new.

 

If you go by the news article that was posted in the San Antonio Express News, about the sale and move of The Rocket in 1985, it states that "every piece of the track and support structure, was dismantled and labeled, then loaded onto flatbed trailers and shipped to Elysburg, PA". I remember seeing pictures of the trucks that were loaded, and there were track sections on some of them. They may have replaced the steel on the rails, though. I guess its just splitting hairs, really. I rode it in 1973 the first time, at the age of 6. It was my first coaster, and I've been waiting for the day when I can get to Knoebel's and ride it again. Hell, we could probably start a whole new thread just pertaining to this, and other coaster relocations.