Old Rare Rides

^There's also a kiddie whip at Knoebels to bring the state total to 6.

I think Idlewild's Whip had a weird two-rider policy. Luckily I found a mom with two kids who both wanted to ride, and she was willing to share (or maybe was forced to - either way it's OK, I got to ride). Got lucky on their Eli wheel that had the same policy in effect.

Man, I've been to every park LdScotsman mentioned, and I only remember seeing the Whips at Hershey and Dorney. Shows you how observant I am...

Is Kennywood's Whip still in the open (since the storm/roof collapse)? Or have they put a new roof over it?

Vater, if you don't see Knoebels' Whip in the park (next to where the High Speed used to be), you should see it on the way out. It's right at the sharp turn in the access road.

KnoebelsGrandCarousel said:
^There's also a kiddie whip at Knoebels to bring the state total to 6.

Well, I guess PA can be considered great for Kiddie Whips as well! :) In addition to Knoebels there are two more, Dutch Wonderland and Kennywood!

Vater said:
Man, I've been to every park LdScotsman mentioned, and I only remember seeing the Whips at Hershey and Dorney. Shows you how observant I am...

Don't know what to tell you Vater. I'm not sure when you went to Kennywood but it used to be all the way in the back right by the Log Jammer. After the roof collapsed back in 2002 it was moved right next to Exterminator in Lost Kennywood. Knoebels is actually called Whipper, and it is right next to where High Speed Thrill Coaster was. Idlewild's is back between the Tilt-a-Whirl and Paratrooper. Of those three the only one covered is Knoebels. The other two are subject to the elements.

Tom

Actually the Kennywood ride was moved over to Lost Kennywood a couple of years before the macroburst took the roof off. (and yes it's still running topless) The original Whip pavilion is still over by the Log Jammer. For reference it (and the pavilion) used to be over across from the Pippen. When the latter was rebuilt into the Thunderbolt it was moved over to the east side of the park, where the pavilion remains. If you look at some of the pictures of the original installation of many of these rides, most were run in the open, or with a canvas canopy around the outside edge.

Holy crap, we have a lot of Whips. 5 adult and 3 kiddie, that's got to be some kind of record. Now I know why I thought this was a standard flat.

Dutchman,

Where is the pavilion exactly located? I've remember walking around Log Jammer but I don't remember a pavilion. Is it set back near the picnic groves?

It's now used as a picnic pavilion, on the edge of the picnic grove on the north east end of the park. It's a big round roof, steel framed structure.

:) That's the pavilion we set up shop in for our food on Memorial Day weekend. Thanks for straightening me out on the relocation. For some reason I always thought it was still back there when the accident happened. I went to Kennywood in 1994, then didn't go back again until 6 years ago after both the relocation and the accident.

Tom

I have been on many of the PA Whips that were mentioned. I am very lucky to live near Huntington, WV right now, and Camden Park has one of the best Whips in the country.

RCMAC said:
Here's your Rocket, also known as Moon Rocket.

Wow, that's it. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.

You're welcome.

Not only does Pa. have a lot of Whips, they also seem to have the largest collection of Paratroopers- in fact we took to calling it the Pennsylvania Paratrooper, cause you can hardly visit a park there without finding one. Kennywood, Knoebels, Conneaut, Idlewild, Waldameer, and yes, Chuck, Dorney used to have a great one on the top of a hill. I don't believe I've ever seen one at Hershey or Lakemont, but lord knows they probably each had one at one time!

Yes, but are they all made by Hrubetz, or the Garbrick version (which was made in Centre Hall, PA)?

DelGrosso's has one too.

I don't know who the manufacturer is but it is definitely a unique version.

All of the Paratroopers I have seen are Hrubetz except for the ones at DelGrosso's and at Darien Lake, both of which I believe are Reverchon rides, though I can't be sure.

I wasn't aware that Garbrick had built a version. The most common Garbrick rides these days, of course, are the Merry Mixers, such as the one at Knoebels. The Merry Mixer is a variation on the Scrambler, but it has four unit poles, four cars on each unit pole, and a hydraulic drive. In the portable configuration it comes on a cool trailer that disconnects from its axle and drops flat on the ground in a configuration similar to what Eli came up with for the Cycloid.

If you see an Eli-like Ferris wheel with eight or ten seats on it and no hair guards, it is probably a Garbrick.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I recall that one of the Garbricks built a couple of Paratrooper clones. I know that one was traveled, as that's where I saw it.

Lakemont had a Paratrooper at one time. It didn't have a lift and had to be loaded one car at a time. It was located across from the Toboggan, next to the Octopus. Oddly, I never rode it, and I lived in Altoona and visited the park almost weekly for around 15 years.

The Paratrooper at Delgrosso's is awesome. Instead of parachutes, the ride has blue hang gliders. The ride feel different somehow also, not so much in intensity, but in power. I prefer DelGrosso's over the others.

Funland in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware has one of those always lifted Paratroopers. They built the deck under the ride so that they can load 2 cars at a time.

Tom

Is the Paratrooper at DelGrosso's one that moves clockwise, rather than the usual counter-clockwise? I know I've only been on one Paratrooper that rotates in that direction, I just can't remember where it was.

Heres another rare one..Flying cages.

Use to be one at Conneaut near the Wild Mouse.

In case you have never seen one here is the link..

http://www.ride-extravaganza.com/intermediate/swingin-gym/swingin-gum-usa-1967/