Williams Grove Cyclone

Hey everyone. I'm a new member here. I'm trying to find information about what happened to the Williams Grove Cyclone Trains. Anyone who has been there recently or know anything please let me know. Thanks

Skyflyer - While I agree that every enthusiast should have RCDB bookmarked as a reference tool there is nothing on the site that answers Traver1927's question about the whereabouts of Cyclone's train.

I thought I had heard *something* about those trains being saved as part of a Palisades memorial effort. I don't know that there was anything solid about the rumor, or if the effort was successful, only that I'd heard about it shortly after Williams Grove sent the Wildcat on to its next home in MD...

I grew up at Williams Grove & Willows Mills, and haven't heard anything about the trains(Both past a present) I'd be curious to know if anyone else does. Lots of good memories.

Was checking the thread about flat rides, and Willow Mills used to have a Radar ride. I used to love that! Of course the Red Streaker is where I spent most of my day. Their bumper cars were exceptional as well! Good Times!

I miss visiting Williams Grove as an operating park. That was a good lil park. Especially for kids!

That being said, aside from the auction, has anything happened to the park and the cyclone, or is everything standing and abandoned?

I am curious to know what happened to the trains as well.

The Cyclone was by far one of the scariest wooden coasters I have been on. Each time I literally thought the thing was going to collapse or fly off the track!

-Tina

I found this link about a sale last november.

http://www.***************.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47731

In the text is says "2 wooden roller coaster" which I believes refers to the two roller coaster cars. I emailed this company but all they mentioned was that the park had their own auction before theirs and didn't have any information about the roller coaster cars. Which is strage because that URL specifically mentions a wooden roller coaster.

If anyone else wants to try emailing them they can @ wghsea@yahoo.com

From what I understand, The park had three trains for the coaster and was using the Palisades one.That coaster goes as one of th emost memerable coaster riding experiences I'll ever have. It was insanely bouncy and would beat the living crap out of you if you rode defensive or sat with someone. If you rode alone in the middle of the car and rode hands up. All you could do is giggle uncontrollably and it wasn't painful that way.Riding the front seat, I clearly seen a Coca Cola lable on the lifthill as they added steel and aparently tin to places the lift had shifted and the wheels missed the steel track. Didn't see any of that on the rest of the coaster but Id almost bet everything on the coaster except the brake run wasn't within two inches of its design. Had cables to the trees on the lift horseshoe.We split a day between dutch wonderland and there. Left early to try to make a steam train ride in Lancaster which we wer too late. Wish wed of stayed longer.Our ticket was a string of yarn on the wrist. A method I hadn't seen since the early 70s

There was so much craziness about that ride-- the "back" track riding directly under the structure of the "out" track, that little section of flat track near the end. Chuck was right about riding in the middle of the car-- I'd be nervous that if you got thrown against the side, the whole thing would break apart and take you over the side with it.

My personal favorite was seeing a ride op "fix" some torn threads on one of the seat belts by using a lighter to burn them off. :) It was one of those rides that was so bad it was good. I regret not knowing about that little park earlier, especially driving past it so many times down Route 15.

I drive by there every Friday to go to Williams Grove Speedway, and the cyclone still looks to be in pretty good shape, though practically every other ride is now sold and removed. I wish Knoebels could buy it and relocate the cyclone, it was no doubt a funky little coaster!

^ I think once they would take that coaster apart, it's not going back together again.

BLT 77 said:
I drive by there every Friday to go to Williams Grove Speedway, and the cyclone still looks to be in pretty good shape, though practically every other ride is now sold and removed. I wish Knoebels could buy it and relocate the cyclone, it was no doubt a funky little coaster!

Can you tell if the cyclone trains are still there, BLT 77?

I honestly haven't looked to see if the trains are still there, but next time I go there I'll see if I can sneak over there and have look.

BLT 77 said:
I honestly haven't looked to see if the trains are still there, but next time I go there I'll see if I can sneak over there and have look.

It's funny how the Internet works. I was just at this park for the Sunday flea market. It looked so eerie. I had to come home to look up info on the park as it's hard to believe the equipment was just abandoned.

In fact, the roller coaster train is in the chute and ready for riders to climb aboard. I didn't see any serious rust or anything as it was under the roof of the boarding platform. I don't know if they have others in storage, but there is still a lot of crap in the buildings. I'm going to go back again next week to take some pictures for decor. I'm hoping to capture the creepiness.

I'm not a coaster junkie or anything, but this was the first hit on Google for my query for "williams grove abandoned." I thought I would register to let you know.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brachphotography/sets/72157605842686121/

And here is another query in google. Photos of the train! This is pretty much how it looks now, but with a few more weeds.

Thanks for the info, jtabler.

Other than the vegetation, I don't think the coaster looks all that different from when it was operating. That may be a good thing, or a not so good thing.

I'd have to wonder if the wheel bearings would even turn after being out in the elements of winter for 3 years. But then again, it is under some form of cover.

The palisades cyclone train is still parked in the loading platform. I was just there last sunday 9/4/2011. The old coaster still looks in pretty good shape. Everything is still in tact. I wish I could find a way to save it. I had some good times there.

Awww... I really really want to ride this coaster the more I look at old videos and pictures.

I rode it during its last year of operation, and it severely needed a full retracking. It was a fun little coaster if you could get past the rumble strip effect the entire track gave. Strangest ride ever...