Rare Classic Rides

I rode that thing several years ago at the Minnesota State Fair. It must have been the early 90's. What a bizarre ride! I had totally forgotten about it until this thread.

Does anyone have any more pictures/information on the Boomerang?

-Nate *** Edited 8/11/2006 8:06:22 PM UTC by coasterdude318***

In 1989 I was at Paul Bunyon Center in Brainard, Minnesota. They had a ride there called the "Space Ride" where you sat in a capsule that shot up a Glass tube about 50' tall on a cushion of air. I have never seen a ride like it before or since. Dreamland Park in Margate, England had a ride called "Apollo 14" where you sat in a car shaped like a space capsule that roted with four other cars Ferris Wheel style aroung a huge globe of the Moon. The best way to describe this ride was it was kind of what would happen if you crossed a Ferris Wheel with a Carousel. Dreamland closed a few years back but was supposed to re-open. I don't know what happened to this unique ride.

Does anyone remember the Hell Hole at Conneaut? That was an original arena style rotor with an awesome devil on the front that freaked me out as a kid. Another ride that you don't see anymore that was at Conneaut was an original Ben Schiff Wild Mouse. Those were built at tons of parks in the '50's and '60's, but there are none left in the world. (Except for the one at Chippewa Lake that stands rotting.)

---

coasterdude318 said:
Does anyone have any more pictures/information on the Boomerang?

---

Here's an excerpt from the article in Carousel Magazine about the Boomerang. The pictures are hard to make out unless you have them right in front of you.

http://members.aol.com/k9660r/boomerang3a.jpg

Wow...wonder why it never caught on?

WOW! I was away for a day or so and this thread blossomed! Anyway...

Bushkill's "Merry Mixer" is not. It was built by Indian Trail Park (defunct)for Bushkill in exchange for a carousel, I believe. Effectively it is a home-built ride. It uses the rear out of a White truck as it's drive.

There is a Monster at Williams Grove. I was told this was from Kennywood. Sound right?

Dartron is Hrubetz. I believe DelGrosso's Paratrooper is a Dartron. They are also building the Super RoundUps (RoundUp is another vanishing ride).

Twin Grove Park has a Cuddle Up. It is in storage--don't know why they say it is in the park--was just there and it was no where around. This CU is from Rocky Springs Park in Lancaster. It was running when removed in the late 1980's, but was outside in a field for many years after. I have a hard time believing it will ever reappear, but it might. For the record, the Cuddle Up is a 5-table ride. The other version is a 2-table ride (such as Knoebel's) which is either a Crazy Dazy or Teacup. There were no 7-table Cuddle Ups. I believe there are some still around in storage (such as Hershey's) but don't know where. While we're on the subject of TGP, they are supposed to have bought Whalom's Satellite Jet and Looper. They actually have quite a collection of stuff in storage--if they would only decide to restore it and install it. I can't figure them out.

Hershey has a Klaus RotoJet (Starship) which was restored (except the cars) last year. Whalom's is privately owned.

Whalom's Bug is (or was) at Edaville Railroad in South Carver, MA. Last I knew it was for sale. Anyone know if it's still there?

Kennywood's Flying Coaster is the last one in existence (probably for good reason). Hershey had one up to the early 1970's until it finally fell or perhaps flew apart. It was removed without a trace overnight.

I saw Calypsos mentioned...Conneaut Lake used to refer to theirs (privately) as the "Collapso"--probably with good cause.

There's lots more and I'll be in touch with Rob to update the list.

Excellent thread--keep it moving!

On a related subject, some years ago I put a poll up at MisterPoll about classic flat rides. If you're interested it's still there at:

http://www.misterpoll.com/poll.mpl?id=1493907630

You can view the results at the end.

If that Whalom Bug is up for sale, I know just the park that should buy it. Lake Compounce. KW Entertainment has one of the other remaining bugs so they would know what needs to be done to get the ride into shape.

Since the Lake is going to focus on water in 2008 and 2009, a flat ride might be what could be added to keep the landlubbers happy without blowing the budget. Tumble Bugs are a great family ride so this would be in keeping with LCs image. It might even attract some nostalga seekers that used to go to Whalom.

Gosh! Just when I can't think of any more rare flat rides, ANOTHER one pops into my head.

SATURN 6

Right now, I believe the only one in existance is at Coney Island. Some people think the newer Dartron Hurricane's are the same thing but the Saturn 6 cars are fastened directly to the arm in a manner so as they do not pivot when they are raised.

This is one of those rides you can hear from way down the midway. The loud pop of compressed air being released as the arms raise up & down.

Here's a cool photo of the one at Coney Island from years ago.

http://members.aol.com/k9660r/Saturn6_Hurricane_Coney.jpg

I remember Saturn 6 from my college days. We had a carnival on campus every spring and had a traveling company bring some rides in. One of these rides was a Saturn 6. This was back in the early 1970s.

Another ride with similar movements is the Swing Around. KW took theirs out this year. Are there any other parks that have this ride? *** Edited 8/11/2006 11:15:32 PM UTC by Arthur Bahl***

Huss Swing Around? PCW still got one. They sadly sacrificed their Bayern Curve to keep it... In 2001, they moved the Swing Around to the Bayern Curve spot, to add the Mondial Top Scan.

The Conneaut Hell Hole was great,they would let you ride it any way you wanted(upside down,sideways).

Someone bought the Schiff Wild Mouse when I was at the auction they had back in the 90's,its still suppose to be in storage.

Conneaut use to have a flying coaster also,it was about where the Music Express is now.

Something that is also becoming rare that was very popular(sorry its not a ride)..

Fascination,I use to play that game so much!

Waldameer had a Flying Coaster when I visited the park in 1983. Does anyone know if it still exists? If not, when was it removed?

Going back to the hand cars...I think Sesame Place has a set. They are in the corner near the Family Slide by the big "Rubber Duckie."

Is Dorney's Apollo considered a "Swing-a-round?" Great Fun!

Kennywood I believe is the only flying coaster left in the states

Chuck

Yes, Chuck...that has already been discussed. Only one in the world, actually.

There is one ride that I'm allways looking for at the amusement parks. And, that is the spider ride. There used to be one at Michigan's Adventure years ago, and it was the best ride in the park...loved it! The park claims they removed it because it did not meet their idea of a good capacity ride....that bites!! (I recently heard on the news that MA's Spider is at Michael Jackson's neverland Ranch.) I see that Holiday world has one, but, I have yet to visit.

Another ride I like, is the Hymalaya. Some parks have one. But, most tame it down, or only run it in one direction, and offer a very short ride...at Cedar Point!

Indiana beach has a very good Hymalaya. And, they run it like is was intended to be run. With the "Do ya want to go faster." If you do let me hear ya scream!" They do it forwards and backwards...and, if there's no line...they whip you around again!!

I aslo remember riding the Saturn Six ride. It was pretty cool. Great America has a ride that offers similar motion in the southwest territory. But, I can't remember the name of it. However, The Saturn Six was a much more intense and better ride. *** Edited 8/12/2006 2:07:25 AM UTC by Timber-Rider***

Speaking of Paratroopers. I remember going to a state fair once when I was a teenager, and they had a paratrooper ride called the parashooter, where the cars could spin freely as the wheel turned. And, man was that ever a scarey ride! My sister and I rode it, and she was white as a ghost when we got off from it. Haven't seen a ride like it since then.

At the same fair, they had an Octopus ride with cars that spun insanely. They also had a bizzare upsidedown ferris wheel that consisted of four wheels. Only the wheels were grouped into two seperate groups of two. Kind of like a double-double ferris wheel. The whole ride turned fairly slowly, but the individual wheels turned normally. Six cars on each wheel, that could be flipped upsidedown...sort of like the rock-o-plane. But more bizzare.

Another ride that was at that fair was the Cobra. My sister and I wanted to go on that..but, it was closed. I also rode my first rollercoaster at that fair...The Toboggan. Kind of fun...but real jerky.

^^ The Cobra was the first ride that almost made me puke(it was at a fair running on insane mode).I can take just about any flat ride,but that one was really intense.