Clementon Jackrabbit?

Just wondering if anyone has ever ridden this classic. http://rcdb.com/installationgallery221.htm?Picture=2

Also, what happened a few years ago when it jumped the tracks and hit a building?

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Off with the trims!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
http://www.woodencoaster.com

I rode it, and it is a marginal ride, at best. It was a novelty in its day, with dips all the way to the ground, but it is a good family ride now.

It came in the station with minimal braking a few years back, and did not negotiate the 180' turn out of the station to well, and therefore 'derailed', and stopped against the adjoining office building. New trains replaced to damaged ones.

The park has unofficially looked into replacing the coaster with a more maodern steel, but they decided to keep it for now, and concentrate on updating their flat ride package.

Did the train actually leave the tracks, or just 'bump'?
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Off with the trims!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
http://www.woodencoaster.com

News reports claimed their was a 'stopping' against the office structure. I never saw with my own 2 eyes either way. The trains were in pretty marginable shape at the time.

Visit http://www.alexsplace.com for some great pics. This was the first coaster I ever rode.  The best part is that it was also my mom's first coaster when she was a little girl.  I would hope they never plan on taking it down.  It is the second oldest (or close to that?) operating coaster in the country (1919) and with the type of crowds that CLP attracts, it fits in perfectly.  (provided the operator remembers to stop the train first before they let people re-ride )

 Btw- you will notice one of the pics showing the "new" building next to the lift hill.  I live about 15 minutes from the park.  When this happened, it was all that was on TV.  The train did some pretty serious damage to the structure and the trains themselves were destroyed. (although they didn't look too bad visually)

*** This post was edited by RTneedsTLC on 2/16/2002. ***

are there upstops on that coaster? it looks like they would hit the ground and how could it derail with upstops?

I believe it ripped them right off of the train.  It then continued into the building by rolling (or sliding) on the ground.  Fortunately, the accident did not happen at a very high rate of speed but there are still some major forces involved in trains that weigh as much as they do.

Check out http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/Pueblo/Tech/ampkaccidents.htm

It contains more info than the local news let out.  I was unaware of the problems with the staff leaving and so on.  It also does note that it is the oldest operating coaster in the country. 

I live less than a mile from that park.  I grew up riding the jackrabbit.   I also have heard they were looking to remove the ride, but the township feels that it is part of the history of the town.   I know they have been trying to sell the falling star ride so they could open some space for a new Steel coaster, nothing very big.  The biggest thing the park could handle would be a Boomerang.

The Jackrabbit was originally built as a side frictions coaster.  Was it still a side friction at the time of the accident?

Even with an underfriction coaster, if you run it through a flat station turn fast enough, you are likely to break something off the under carriange resulting in the train coming off the track.  Even if something doesn't break, you are likely to injure riders from the high lateral forces.

OK, I know there are some better coaster historians than me around this place, but I can almost SWEAR that I remember this being the first coaster to utilize the Miller patent on underfriction wheels, or something VERY similar to that...Anyone?
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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

I just looked it up.  Jack Rabbit was converted from side friction to an under friction coaster in 1998 according to "Guide To Ride 2000".  You are correct that it is a 1919 John Miller design.  However, even though it was built some years after his under friction patent, it is indicated in several references as a side friction coaster.

That is pretty sad that they have considered replacing the Jack Rabbit.  It is one of three wooden coasters in the state of NJ, and it would be a terrible loss, especially at a park that is still operating.  I have always hoped to see Clementon construct a new wooden coaster to complement the Jack Rabbit.

Oh well, I better get serious about getting myself down there this summer before its too late...

I was always under the impression that Jackrabbit did not have underfriction wheels and that it was a sort of transitional coaster bewteen side-frictions (like Leap the Dips) and under-friction coasters.

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everything's better with a banjo

OK, I guess I'll have to tear through my reams of coaster lit and find out what the "claim to fame" for this coaster was...I remember when I first read the tidbit thinking it was referring to the KW JackRabbit, but then saw a picture where it referred to Clementon.  Originally from Joisey (spare the ridicule, LOL), I thought it was pretty cool to have some history other than Palisades Park (RIP)...
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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!