A.C.E. coaster classic

How many of you have ridden an A.C.E. coaster classic? I have only ridden one. The Little Dipper at Kiddieland in Melrose Park Illinois. I like the idea of no individual lap bar and no brakes throughout the ride at all. Share your experiences. Paramount has 3 coaster classics but Premier and Cedar Fair have none. Its time for Premier and CF to aquire some. It is good to see the small parks possess these coasters.


*** This post was edited by Chitown on 3/20/00. *** *** This post was edited by Chitown on 3/20/00. ***

Correction: Premier has 2 coaster classics (SFO Big Dipper, Wyandot Lake Sea Dragon), Cedar Fair has 1 (Valleyfair! High Roller), and Paramount has 4 (The Beastie and 3 Ghoster Coasters).

The problem with coaster classics at major parks is that insurance costs are higher on rides with fewer restraints. That's why rides like the CP Blue Streak was removed from the list. Also, if you look at the list, a good poriton of the classics are PTC/CCI junior coasters that have trains that won't accomodate the new restraints.

I'm waiting for the day when ACE starts a list of steel coaster classics. Any steelie 30+ years old sounds good by me. If you can have a junior coaster built in 1991 make the list (Zach's Zoomer at MA), why can't he Matterhorn at Disneyland be on the list?

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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral

TPFKAGL: SFO has Big Dipper, right? That's always been one of my favorite woodies.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

I think I rode five ACE classics. Thunderbolt and Jack Rabbit at Kennywood. Ghoster Coaster at PKD. Cyclone at Williams Grove. And Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park.
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I can't wait for the 2000 season to start!!

I can account for 3 or 4:
Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, Cyclone (Coney Island) and also a former classic, Blue Streak at Cedar Point.

Not sure if the Racer at Kennywood, or the Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake are classics. Any one know?

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Neil
By popular vote, the official start
of the Millennium has been moved to
May 13, 2000

Yes, the Racer at KW and the CLP Blue Streak are Classics. If you want to see the entire list, go to www.aceonline.org and click on Classics.

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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral

Actually, Kennywood's Racer is NOT on the classics list (due to the seat dividers, I would guess -- the rolling stock on Racer is most definitely NOT original)

The classics list is at http://www.aceonline.org/classics.htm

I've been on the following classics:

Beastie, Paramount's Kings Island
Cyclone, Astroland
Jack Rabbit, Kennywood
Thunderbolt, Kennywood

I was on Blue Streak at Cedar Point many times when it still had classic status, as well. I'll be hitting Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, er, Six Flags Ohio, this summer for sure, and possibly a few others as well.

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Abandon all hope, all ye who...oops, too late. Bye! *** This post was edited by GregLeg on 3/21/00. ***

My bad. I thought it was on the list since Kennywood's other woodies were on there.

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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral

In front of Blue Streak it says it is a A.C.E. coaster classic. I think because they changed the cars it is not anymore.

Understandable mistake. Kennywood's Racer sure SEEMS like a classic :)

I never noticed if Blue Streak at CP still says it's an ACE classic -- I'll have to look when I'm there. If there IS such a sign, I'll have to leave a comment with park management -- leave the sign up and put the classic cars back in :)

(Now, the Blue Streak at CLP is still a classic -- same name, different rides at different (but similarly-abbreviated) parks...)
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Abandon all hope, all ye who...oops, too late. Bye! *** This post was edited by GregLeg on 3/21/00. ***

Been on:

Big Dipper - Six Flags Ohio

Thunderbolt and Jack Rabbit - Kennywood
(rode the back seat on Jack Rabbit and
kept my hands up and was almost thrown
from my seat on the double dip hill!)

Blue streak at Conneaut.

Rollocoaster at Idlewild.

Rode the Blue streak at CP before its
safety changes disqualified its "classic"
status.

Looking forward to Villian at SFO, it'll
be my first CCI woodie.
*** This post was edited by Jim B. on 3/22/00. ***

The Blue Streak when it was a classic was excelent! The orange lap bars took a lot of the fun out of being able to let out the bealt as far as it would go :) I don't think it should still be on the list until it's returned to its former glory. (which won't be anytime soon)

I also love the Big Dipper, the only good coaster at GLP.

Also been on the Jackrabbit and Thunderbolt. Both great rides.

I've ridden the Teddy Bear at Stricker's Grove.

I've also ridden Beastie/Fairly Odd Coaster/Woodstock Express but only after they added seatbelts which invalidated its ACE designation.

19 years, 6 months and 7 days later....

RMC Sea Dragon!!!!

Is this a record for the way back machine?

I’m not an ACE member and I wasn’t sure about this list, so I looked it up. I’ve been on 13 of the Coaster Classics, and several that have had their status rescinded (in deep shame, no doubt), since my first ride. I’ve also been on both Golden Age coasters listed.

That and a quarter...

Edit to add: I don’t see Knoebel’s Phoenix on either list. Unless I’m missing something, it seems to meet the listed requirements, so I wonder where they went wrong.
Wait... seat dividers?

Never would have thought in 2000 that Big Dipper and Six Flags Geauga Lake would be nothing more than history now.

And it's still the only good coaster at GLP. I mean, wait.

I'm an ACE member for, gods, going on 40 years. I support ACE's long term efforts at preserving historic coasters.

That said, the Classic and Landmark designations are interesting but, for me, not a major selling point.

For the record, there are no steel Coaster Classics, but there several that have been granted Landmark status.