Thunderhawk Turns 90!
Dorney Park is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the classic Schmeck roller coaster, Thunderhawk, tomorrow at 3:00 pm. I have such a fondness for this coaster (it was my first adult roller coaster), and this is such a great thing to see. I believe it is one of the last or THE last Schmeck rides in existence, and my last ride on it absolutely smoked through the track. May the Thunderhawk have many more years!
"Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster" - Dave Matthews Band
Yeah, that was a terrific lap after CFK.
The amusement park rises bold and stark..kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
http://support.gktw.org/site/TR/CoastingForKids/General?px=1248054&...fr_id=1372
Interestingly enough, there are 10 rides credited to Schmeck that are still in existence.
1.) Comet, Hersheypark
2.) Comet, Great Escape
3.) Comet, Waldameer
4.) Little Dipper, SF Great America
5.) Meteor, Little Amerricka
6.) Phoenix, Knoebels
7.) Rollo Coaster, Idlewild
8.) Thunderhawk, Dorney
9.) Wildcat, Lake Compounce
10.) Yankee Cannonball, Canobie Lake
There's also a SBNO one listed: Nightmare, Joyland.
Coulda fooled me - I didn't realize all of these were Schmeck rides. I mean, I guess I did, but I never sat down and looked at it this way.
Josh, you got me. I really thought I read something recently that said Schmeck rides were virtually extinct. It appears I was mistaken. And I didn't know the Yankee Cannonball was SBNO. I would imagine that is a real shame, though I haven't ridden it.
Well, I am still very excited for today and can't wait to ride Coaster...er, Thunderhawk. :)
With 5/10 in PA, I can see that PA still has attachment to one of its own coaster designers (I believe Mr. Schmeck lived in or around Reading for over half his life, though I don't think he is originally a PA native). Kinda cool.
"Look at us spinning out in the madness of a roller coaster" - Dave Matthews Band
Nightmare at Joyland is SBNO. Yankee Canonball is still running, to best of my knowledge.
I'd have guessed there were half as many schmeck rides as there really are.
Absolutely love me some Schmeckification. Phoenix and Comet (GE) are both solidly in my top 10 and the other Schmecks I have ridden are just plain fun.
Why did I think Wild One at SFA was a Shcmeck?
Hobbes: "What's the point of attaching a number to everything you do?"
Calvin: "If your numbers go up, it means you're having more fun."
To those concerned about Yankee Cannonball, it is still running, and quite well at that. That ride was epic.
13 Boomerang, 9 SLC, and 8 B-TR clones
ApolloAndy said:
Why did I think Wild One at SFA was a Shcmeck?
Because it was, mostly...
The three rides I am most disappointed that I never got to ride (that I seriously COULD have had I spent my first couple years in the hobby differently): Whalom's Flyer Comet, Clementon's Jack Rabbit, and Joyland's Nightmare - a Keenan, a Miller, and a Schmeck.
Happy birthday to T-Hawk...even if it's been largely tamed, wouldn't we all like to see our 90th birthday!
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