Three-Question-Thread. Old Flat Ride(s)...

I rode the Top Scan at the Ohio State Fair last year too and it was the best ride there IMO. I would love for it to travel to Tennessee.... I doubt it will though lol. For all who haven't rode it... IT"S A MUST!

Ohio State Fair opened today. The Space Roller is back with new seats that have a seat belt that connects the harness to the horn on the seat. (Thank God- maybe I'll be less fearful of flying out!)

Also of note on the midway-

Gee Force - Bates Bros. (manuf by A.R.M.) billed as a drop tower/coaster ride. An odd compact ride with a u shaped track- seating is in four cars, with 2 cars on each side of the track, riders sit back to back. The train is pulled up one side by cable- maybe 50 feet, not quite vertical, then released to roll down through the station and up the other side. The train rolls back and forth a few times before coming to rest back in the station. I haven't been on it yet, but I did watch it go. Plenty of screaming from the riders- I also heard comments like "ouch my back".

Two Bertazzon Rock and Roll rides- one is the Himalaya/Music Express style, the other is the Flying Bobs style. I think both come from Belle City Amusements. They also booked on their Power Surge, and portable drop tower called Drop Zone.

Enterprise- Wade Shows

Wave Swinger, Spin Out, Banzai, Ali Baba, Scooters, Chance Giant Wheel, Crazy Mouse, Avalanche Coaster (formerly Firecracker at HW), Fire Ball. A few smaller rides- Gravitron, Tornado, Tilt, Cliff Hanger, and a bunch of back end pieces, fun houses and the like.

Fair runs through the twelfth- y'all get here if you can.

^I had an amazing time at Ohio State Fair last year...WAY highly recommended. Dark rides and coasters rocked...food, not as much....

As far as flats....amazing collection.... is Hang Ten still there? We have an aficianado of those in AV Matt...

There is some good food at the fair if you venture beyond the carnival section.

Good darkrides and bad food? Sounds like the "opposites" fair to me.

The darkrides are bad unless you're into a ride through a dark emtpy corridor.

Did I fail to mention I loved Dark River at Morey's as well as Pirate's Hideaway and Wizard's Cavern at Casino? Lake Winnie's Boat Chute is simply fabulous! Dark empty corridors are spooky...LOL.

No, seriously, the darkrides/walkthrus at Ohio State Fair are more quantity than quality...but where ELSE can you find an MTV-sponsored(?) - well, MTV-themed walkthru....I saw Billy Idol, and I cried "more, more, more"... ;)

*** Edited 8/1/2007 9:17:23 PM UTC by rollergator***

Yeah, it is impressive that they drag 4 or 5 of those things to the fair, plus a couple of walk through funhouses.

RCMAC said:
I would imagine the Whip rides at Knoebel's and Idlewild are very old. Knoebel's Whipper still has the original tubs and are very unique. If I recall Idlewild actually calls theirs the Antique Whip. True flats and really old.

Idlewild's Whip dates back to 1941 and it is simply called the Whip. The cars used were purchased in the 1990s because the other ones were damaged by weather (I believe a flood).

Arthur Bahl said:
The Kennywood Whip dates from around 1915 or so. It is the oldest flat ride in that park.

Actually, the current 16 car model of the Whip was added to Kennywood in 1927. A 12 car model which pre-dated it, opened in 1919.

In fact, the park just recently celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Whip, along with the Turtle, Carousel, Kiddieland, and Racer - all of which opened in 1927.

Rob Ascough said:
I think we have a winner.
That's pretty freakin' old. And impressive.

You referring to the carousel or to millrace? :)