Knoebels, December 31st, 2006, last trip of the year!

Ok, this is going to be a quick and dirty TR with TWO different links. One to my photos, and one to Coastin' Steve's photos, which are updated regularly.

Our family went back to NE PA this past weekend to visit my wife's relatives. I managed to find a four hour window to shoot down to Knoebels and have a look not only at the Flying Turns but at the park in general when it is in complete winter mode. I arrived and pulled into the Phone Operators parking spot, right next to Dick Knoebel's spot, I didn't think they'd mind. :) I proceeded to take a shot of the Turns looking at the lift, then drifted over to the Flyers to take a shot of it, and of the Turns in the background. I was making sure to stay off-site because I hadn't talked to John Fetterman before our trip and I didn't want to get in trouble. During this time I did notice that there was some kind of work being done because I could hear it, and a radio, blasting from underneath the tarp they had covering most of the lower portion of the ride. Anywho, I saw someone walking toward me and they waved me over. I figured, ok, I haven't done anything wrong, Knoebels actually lets you stroll around the park in the off-season as long as you aren't causing trouble or it's after dark. I walk back towards this hard hat wearing gentleman and he proceeds to tell me that he had been doing some paperwork in the trailer, but he saw me walking around camera in hand and that he'd take me onto the site to get better pictures! Ok, this was nice, but it was about to get a LOT nicer. We walked around the outside of the structure and came around to where there was a rectangular hole in the tarp marked "DOOR". We went up a few steps and there I was actually in the trough of the ride. I know I'm not the first fan and I surely won't be the last to do this, but seeing as how it was New Years Eve AND a Sunday, I did not expect ANYONE to be there to give me a tour, much less to actually ascend the entire trough right up to the top. We rounded what I believe was turn number 8 and my tour guide turned off the gigantic heating device which was making the air inside the tarp nice and toasty. We came across another gentleman, named Steve, who was working on the lower bumper wall. After a quick introduction we continued up the trough all the way to the top where the lift dumps you off. Seeing the angle at which the ride will kick off was eye opening, it's a lot steeper in person than what it looks like in a picture. After a few shots from the top we started to make our way down the ride when I realized I hadn't caught my guides name, and hadn't noticed it on his shirt either. My tour guide was Leonard Adams III, son of the construction Foreman! Then we ran into Steve again, who it turns out is Coastin' Steve from the RRC! He just happens to drive 2 1/2 hours up from Philly every Saturday to work on the ride, and goes home on Sunday night. Ok, I am now officially having a good day. It's lunchtime for the crew of 3(I never did get the name of the third person), but we step out of the structure and Steve tells a story about Coney Island and another enthusiast that he met by chance at two different parks two weeks in a row, and a few other pieces of information are exchanged before the guys head out for lunch and I head into the park for some more shots. Before I get going, Steve stops and shows me a Flying Turns book from the late 80's that he purchase from Gunther Hall, and it's his second last copy and he doesn't think there are any more available. Do I want to buy it at a discount rate? Um, you got change??!! :) So I bought the book and we talked for a little while longer until he had to get some food or lunch would be over, I then went around the park and snapped some shots of most of the major rides in their full winter modes before I left.

Both Twister and Phoenix are getting some retracking done. Phoenix work was being done on the turn over the brake run, and I have no idea where Twisters work was being done because it was off in the woods somewhere and I wasn't about to go off track to find it.

Anywho, here are the two links, the first one has the pictures that I took on Sunday: http://tmcgill1.photosite.com/KnoeblsGroveDecember31st2006/

The second link is for Coastin' Steve's pictures, in which he explains things much better than I, posted with his permission: http://community.webtv.net/Coastin_Steve/FlyingTurnsFotosbyCS

Hope all of you enjoy the pics!

Tom

Coastin' Steve is da BOMB!

If not for him, I'd probably be doing something more productive with my vacation time...LOL! ;)

Great pictures, thanks very much for the update and huge ammount of pics!

Hey, what better way to spend a few New Years Eve hours than taking pictures at a closed amusement park that's also 350 miles from my home? :) I had a great time and it was almost a mid-winter fix being able to climb to the top of a coaster in December!

Tom

I find the "shelters" built over some of the flats to be rathe rinteresting.

Can't wait to get back there and snap the flyers, oh and ride the Turns. :)

^Did someone call my name? ;)

Great pics!

-Tina

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
I find the "shelters" built over some of the flats to be rathe rinteresting.

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I agree, I wondered what all those extra round roofs were that you could see from Scenic Skyway. Whats going on with the HSTC though? It was just repainted last year. *** Edited 1/4/2007 3:42:39 AM UTC by P18***

Unfortunately I took the rest of those pictures AFTER I had my tour, and although the guys were back from lunch I didn't want to bother them with another round of questions. I'm guessing that HSTC just needed some TLC. The ride is 57 years old and it's a one of a kind so I am guessing when it needs a new part or two they have to make it themselves. Kind of like how the Bug at CLP has to have parts specially made for it.

Just a guess, I'm no expert.

Tom