Flat Ride History Needed

All you flat ride historians out there : Help. I'm researching an old ride, probably 1920s vintage. It was basically a flat square tilted sharply up toward the back edge. The cars were round, kind of like the Cuddle Up, Teacup cars, or maybe smaller versions of the Turtle or Tumblebug cars. They held about six people. You loaded the car at the bottom, and a chain lift took you to the top along the left side. Then a series of low rails guided the car back and forth in a zigzag pattern all the way back to the bottom. As the car came around the corners and dropped to the next channel, it usually rotated, so riders found themselves spinning around kind of like a white water rafting boat. This ride went by names like Pinball, Rebound, and Ricochet. There were three sizes that I know of : a small size for kiddielands, a middle size, and a giant size. Every once in a while, I'll catch a glimpse of one on old black and white footage.

l. Who made this ride? I'm thinking Mangells but that's only a guess.

2. Are there any of them still operating ?

3. Are there any photos of them available anywhere?

4. If none are still operating, where were the last ones seen ?

5. Are there any in storage anywhere ?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Was it an old Tickler coaster, like this?
http://naid.sppsr.ucla.edu/coneyisland/mapsdocs/lu08-map8.htm

That sounds to me like a Virginia Reel. The last one in operation
I believe was in the UK and was removed from service a few years ago
(don't quite remember the particulars). They've come out with new
versions based on the crazy mouses or spinning mouse coasters, but there
are no original rides known to exist...

There's a kiddie version at the Kiddieland Park just north of the Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth England. We rode it back in 1996. Some people compare it to a small Virginia Reel but I personally feel it compares more to a Tickler. As far as I know, there are none in storage anywhere. I have no idea who made these but many parks had them back in the 20's.

Here is a postcard view of the one at Lakeside Park in Denver.

http://members.aol.com/coasting2/tickler.html

What you described sounds like a Tickler to me, don't know a great deal about them though.

It is indeed a Tickler, also called The Virginia Reel. It was featured in the W.F. Mangels Carousell Works catalogue No.3, which dates from about 1905 or so. According to the catalogue, Mangels held the patent for this ride.To my knowledge there are none left operating. I have seen some old newsreel footage of one, probably at Coney Island, NY. One of the major ride builders contemplated building a modern version, but their liabilty underwriter shot it down before it got beyond the development stage.

---

Dutchman said:
It is indeed a Tickler, also called The Virginia Reel.

---

Actually, Ticklers and Virginia Reels are 2 separate rides but many people think the Tickler was the precursor of the Reel. The Reels were much larger and tracked a bit differently.

Here are a couple pictures of the small Ticker type ride in England which I rode in 1996. See how it just free wheels on the track?

http://members.dca.net/dtorok/coasters/uktour/Cva-reel.jpg

http://www.americanmidway.com/pictures/GreatYarmouth/tubtwist2.jpg

Here is a wonderful 13 page history of the Virginia Reel at Blackpool.

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/themagiceye/reelfirstpage.html