Who/What Kind of Coaster Is This?

I've meant to post this probably a year or so ago.

Over in Central Ontario, there's this decent sized Family Entertainment Center called "Wild Water & Wheels" with a huge mile-long go-kart track, a mini-golf, some water slides, dry slides... and then there's these:

Coaster Picture #1

Coaster Picture #2

Can anybody tell me:
- Who is the manufacture of this coaster?
- Do they still manufacture these kinds of coasters?
- What other parks or FEC's have them around the country?

I noticed that you have to walk to the top of the "lift hill" yourself, you sit in these little "cars", and then given the nod from whoever is supervising on top, you go down the hill, then up, and then down few other little hills until you make it back. It's simplistic, but looks fun.
Anybody with any info on this type?

That looks like the Alpine Coaster from Geise Engineering.

http://www.alpinecoaster.com/

I believe they are building one somewhere in Colorado this year, but I don't know where exactly. They are meant to run down the sides of mountains to create a year round attraction for sky resorts.

Edit: But the Alpine coaster is not this.

http://www.rcdb.com/installationresult.htm?column=1,10,3,4,5&order=1,2&model=142

Looks like this ride was built by a company called Bailey.

*** Edited 3/16/2004 12:38:25 AM UTC by Black 7***

Man this looks fun. Maybe a little unsafe, but fun has heck.

Will those cars fit on SFMM Viper (or any other Arrow/Vekoma)?

That is a Bailey Pipeline Express coaster. There were three of these in the U.S., and they were made of PVC not steel. This one looks like it has rust on it though, so I'm wondering if it is steel instead of plastic. I didn't know any of these coasters were still around, I thought they had all closed. The three plastic coasters in the states were in Ohio, Texas and South Carolina. And yes, they were unsafe, someone fell off the one in Texas and was seriuosly injured.

I tried a couple of times to ride the one in Ohio but it was always closed. A friend of mine rode the ones in South Carolina and Texas and said it was like riding a coookie sheet on rails.

Dawg:

Would that pic be from the park very near lake Heuron (sp?) by any chance?

I saw something very similar driving past there once.

Best,

B

Wild Water & Wheels is in the city of Peterborough which is on the north side of Lake Ontario.

That looks a bit didgy if you asked me. Fun, but dodgy.

That looks to be bigger than the one at Putt 'N Pond...

That is most certainly a Pipeline Express coaster, and indeed, some were built with PVC track (steel spine and track ties). All of the PVC-tracked models were apparently switched to steel except for the one at Putt 'N Pond Action Park in Fostoria, OH, which was SBNO last time I was up there. I've ridden the one at Putt 'N Pond, and took a few photos. Let me see if they still exist...this was back in the days when coaster nuts swapped photos via FTP sites...

...Awwwww...I can't get into ftp://elvis.rowan.edu/pub/coasters/Images via web browser, and going in via shell FTP client I see that the old image directories are gone. :( I had three photos up there of the old Pipeline Express.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
I wonder if I have those here someplace...

I want one of those in my back yard!

This is the first time I have seen one. They do look dangerously fun. ;-)

-Tina

Too bad I don't have a working 8mm video player...I have POV video of the one in Fostoria. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I've never ridden/seen a coaster like that. Reminds me of the Alpine Slide at Attitash in New Hampshire. Not sure if it's still operating, but it was basically a concrete trough down the side of a ski mountain that you rode down in sleds with wheels. Talk about dangerous! Fortunately, the sled had a handbrake, but it was only a few signs that told you to use it. A friend of mine decided not to heed the signs and ended up smashing into the slowpoke ahead of him. I just remember coming up on the both of them lying in a concrete trough covered in blood. Fun!

~me

The Bailey Pipeline Express in Texas was at a small amusement park in Grand Prarie called Boardwalk Fun Park. Now who ever thought it would be a good idea to build a small amusement park about 5 minutes from Six Flags Over Texas, I dont know. Apparently the park was not failing too badly, but that changed when a small girl fell from their roller coaster (The Bailey Pipeline Express) which landed her in a coma for 7 months I believe. The ride was immediately closed and never operated again and the park was quick to follow. The park sat dormant for close to 6 years and it was finally razed in 1997(?) for a Ford Dealership.

Well, it's not like those things are fool-proof, tell ya that much.

It almost looks similar to the same kind of big yellow sleds you use at waterparks when you're dumped down a 60+ degree angle. The only safety it APPEARS are just your hands, holding on for your life on the handles. There has to be a seatbelt there for your protection...

...but then again, these rides (judging from RCDB.com) were built mainly in the late 80's, and safety standards were definately not as tough as they are now. If you're not careful and don't follow the safety warnings, you could easily hurt yourself on those rides...

...but either way, they at least look fun for a try. I kind of regret that I didn't go on it, when I had the opportunity.

Check this out:
http://www.7springs.com/summer_alpineslide.shtml

this is at a ski resort near Pittsburgh.

Now thats what Dutch Wonderland should add!

Yeah. It looks interesting. Where at Dutch Wonderland would they put it, though?

I don't know right now. it was just a really cost effective thought.

That thing looks totally unsafe! lol Who would come up with a concept and who would build this death trap and open it for guests? However, yes, it does look like a awesomely fun coaster.