The Lost Coasters of Busch Gardens: The Old Countr

*Don't worry, this is not a Drachen Fire thread!

I recently found out that at one time BGW was home to a Schwarzkopf Wildcat and a Jumbo Jet.

Does anybody know the names of these two Coasters, and what years they were built?

I know the Wildcat clone was removed in '83 for BBW, but what about the Jumbo Jet?

Also, are either of these two still around at any parks?

Any info. would be appreciated.

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"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

the wildcat was named Die Wildkatze and was located on the current site of Big Bad Wolf's queue line, and the Jumbo Jet was named Glissade and I dont know where that was located.

At that time most (if not all) of the flats were located in the Octoberfest area. I do not remember exactly where Glissade was located, but, picture Wildkatz being where Big Bad Wolf's queue now is and having the loading area for this along the main pathway. If I remember correctly, if you would stand in front of the loading platform to Wildkatz and fact the main pathway and then turn around 45degrees to the left, I believe you would be looking in the general direction of Glissade. I do know that they were very close to each other... not sure if there was a clear line of sight to each other, but they were very close in the Oktoberfest area.

The other "lost" ride of BG:The Old Country is Catapult. Not sure if this was in the English or German area... but it was an indoor Scrambler (not to be confused with the current out door scrambler of the same name) with the inside of the building made to look like old castle walls with some very strange lighting effects. Sure was impressive to this then 11 year old kid at the time.
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

I read somewhere they were removed because they didnt look like a theme park rollercoasters, but more like coasters that belonged in fairs.

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Bring Back The Drachen Fire
*** This post was edited by twlvzrock 7/22/2003 9:06:19 AM ***

Not sure if that was the reason or not... but the idea is correct... they did look like fair coasters. If this was the case, could it have been planned? The dates for these two coasters differ depending on source, but most sources agree that by 1983 at the latest they were gone. Busch Gardens opened as the Old Country in 1975. In 1975 how many large steel coasters existed? Also, the park was in the initial stages of growth in the 1970's. Were they removed as an after thought because they look too "fair" like? Or were they put in simply to get some rides in and then later replaced as the park expanded? By the time they disappeared, there were two major steel coasters operating at BGW... Loch Ness Monster (1978) and Big Bad Wolf (1984).

I think the same situation sort of occured at Great Adventure when it opened in the mid 1974. While the Runaway Mine Train was there (and is still there), two other coasters that were there were Big Fury (Wildcat or Galaxi) and Alpen Blitz. Both are very fair like coasters... and both eventually were removed as the park grew.

Come to think of it... Dorney Park's first steel coaster was the very fair looking Flying Dutchman (a very large Zyklon... I think it was a Zyklon) that sat up on the hillside somewhere near where the Ferris Wheel now sits. While it looked very Fair like... when it was installed it was big news locally... "A Huge Steel Roller Coaster Comes to Dorney park..." or something like that was the lead into a story on WGAL 8 out of Lancaster. Funny how perceptions change over time.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"

I don't remember these coasters being at BGW when it first opened. Nessie was the only coaster at that time that I recall. I suspect that they were added later to beef up the coaster selection until more large coasters were built. Also to take some of the load off Nessie which could have huge lines when the park opened.

Glissade and Wildkatz pre dated Nessie by at least 1 year. They were both added in around 1976 with the opening of Oktoberfest. Nessie appeared in 1978. Not sure of the exact dates... except that in 1977 Glissade and Wildkatz were both there (I rode them... with Glissade being my first "big" coaster) but Nessie was not. I can vividly remember this because of how pissed I was when I sat the TV commercials the summer AFTER we had visited BG announcing the Loch Ness Monster (original commercials during the winter and spring were an image of the head of Nessie raising out of the loch (or in this case the Rhine River) with no real mention of a coaster... just a teaser)

... and it only took me 24 years for a return trip to the park to finally ride the darned thing.

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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 7/22/2003 9:48:14 AM ***
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 7/22/2003 9:50:32 AM ***

Kings Dominion also had a Galaxi, but I'm fairly certain it was removed due to a fatal accident (see 'Saturday, September 10, 1983'), and not because the ride resembled a carnival-type coaster. Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent added Scorpion in '81, and it still remains today. It certainly looks like a travelling ride as well, although maybe not quite as much as your typical Galaxi or Wildcat.

My feeling is, Glissade and Die Wildkatze were removed for the addition of Big Bad Wolf, since they both occupied the same general area.

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-Mike B.
Son of Hulk
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Remember, folks...rcdb is your friend.

mOOSH

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A random Mooshter's Dawntionary listing: Giraffiti [n.] Vandalism spray painted very, very high.

The galaxi from the old Kings Dominion went to the myrtle beach pavalion for many years, but has been removed in the past decade to parts unknown. It fit there at the time cause the pavalion looked more like a fair/seaside park, and this went right along with it.

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Beaver, The other White meat.

Glissade actually outlasted Wildcatz by a season or two. I recall attending Busch and riding both BBW and Glissade.

Also, Busch had a small Miller coaster called "Die Katzchen" or such located in the now defunct Grimm's Hollow area of the park.

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Shaggy

On the subject of removed rides, does anyone remember Gladiator's Gauntlet in the Festa Italia area. I believe it was located where the water balloon splashing game is now located. It was a fun flat ride that looked more intimidating than it really was, and it was actually a fun family ride disguised as a thrill ride.

I have only been able to find out that it was made by Vekoma and that it was removed in 1993. Does anyone know if another exists anywhere?

gardener14 said:

I have only been able to find out that it was made by Vekoma and that it was removed in 1993. Does anyone know if another exists anywhere?

I'm sure I heard somewhere that that was the only one of "those" ever built.

Kinda Oddly, it's appearance was the reason BGW removed it. It looked to wild to attract hardly anybody to ride it.

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"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

*** This post was edited by Dukeis#1 7/22/2003 10:34:31 PM ***

Yeah & wouldn't you know it,the coaster they replaced Galaxi with had a fatality as well,it seems that particular patch of land is cursed I tell ya.

As for the two early coasters at BGW they were indeed both installed well before LNM,most likely as a quick fix to fend off the competition that PKD was creating with their fledgling lineup of what have now become classic coasters for that park.

actually, Gladiators Gauntlet, and another attraction, the Sea Dragon, a boat-themed musik express type ride, both sat right where the ride photo, and entry queue area are for Apollos Chariot....GG was an awesome ride, a load of fun. i was sad to see it go.....

Tim....who things BGW is in the business of tearing out rides i like.....and who is STILL pissed aboutt DF's demise

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"Happiness is the City of Hudson!!"

Michigan r0x0rs! :)

vacoasterfreak said:

Tim....who things BGW is in the business of tearing out rides i like.....and who is STILL pissed aboutt DF's demise

My sentiments exactly.

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"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." e.e.cummings

vacoasterfreak said:
actually, Gladiators Gauntlet, and another attraction, the Sea Dragon, a boat-themed musik express type ride, both sat right where the ride photo, and entry queue area are for Apollos Chariot....GG was an awesome ride, a load of fun. i was sad to see it go.....

I thought the Music Express type thing was still there next to the Train Station in Festa Itaia. I didn't get a good look around there because I was so pressed for time.

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"The Mountain Slidewinder. Voted The #1 Non-Rollercoaster Ride in America Amusement Business Magazine, 1991"

Yikes, am I old. I've ridden Glissade, Flying Dutchman, and Galaxi. The only other version of Gladiator's Gaunlet that I've ridden (never rode GG), was in Wildwood, New Jersey. It was themed like a white-water rafting experience.
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If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.

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