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montezooma "Can I get clamshells out of this ATM?"
Joined: 19 Oct 2006 Total posts: 1284 |
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| SeaWhippet Full Fledged Donkey Enthusiast!
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Total posts: 272 Location: Pegasus Galaxy Gender: Male |
 Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:41 pm Post subject: Cascade Park Comet (1954-81) |
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The Comet at Cascade Park, New Castle, PA, was built in 1954 on the site of another woodie, the Gorge/Gorge Dipper. Using some of the structure from the first ride, park manager Paul Vesco reportedly built the ride with equipment obtained from National Amusement Device, including two 4-car Century Flyer trains.
I actually got to know Vesco rather well because of my interest in coasters. I recall how my friends and I walked into Cascade on a late summer afternoon in 1981 and found the park completely devoid of patrons. It was sad to see so many classic rides silent.
Upon entering the Comet's station, we saw Paul sitting alone on a bench beside the Comet's manual brake handles. He appeared grateful for the company and seemed to take pleasure in giving us our own private ERT.
The Comet was buried in the woods to such a degree that photos were difficult unless you walked the track or visited in winter. With the station perched on the edge of a ravine, the trains turned left out of the loading platform and plunged through the tree canopy into the valley. A couple of decent hills were followed by a tour of the rugged, densely forested ravine on the banks of a creek. There were very few other drops to speak of during this section. It was more of a turbulent scenic railway that had no pacing or flow. Riders were required to dodge low-hanging trees, limbs and vines. The highlight was the ride's finale: After the chain lift, the train made a 180-degree right turn and then dove down a VERY steep drop toward the creek. After a shallow, high-G pull-out, the train screamed out of the ravine, into a sharp left turn and finally back the brake run/station.
My last ride on the Comet ended prematurely. I remember the train speed seeming slower than normal as we left the lift, made the turn and plunged. At that point, I knew something was not right. Those heavy Century Flyers made it as far as the anti-rollbacks at the top of the last hill ... and stopped. A friend and I were riding in the last seat, which was now hanging over the abyss.
Shaking his head with dismay, Paul walked around the brake run, down to where we were stranded and manually released the lap bars so we could climb out. (See the following photos of that empty train hanging over the ravine.) I don't know if the Comet ever ran again, and I feel quite fortunate to have experienced this quirky, one-of-a-kind thriller.
-SR
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Last edited by SeaWhippet on Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:05 am |
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| SeaWhippet Full Fledged Donkey Enthusiast!
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Total posts: 272 Location: Pegasus Galaxy Gender: Male |
| Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:32 am Post subject: |
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| montezooma wrote: | | Going back to the Killer Coaster article, here is a little more that I found on the Lightnin Loops accident. |
Wow, Shane, that's such a grizzly description. It still puzzles me how the operator would push DISPATCH and not see this girl struggling with her restraint. Sad.
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| cycamps Donkeys are my way of life!
Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Total posts: 737 Location: Sterling, IL Age: 17 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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| ^I totally agree. There is the small chance that she thought she was restrained, so she didn't try to stop them from dispatching.
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| SeaWhippet Full Fledged Donkey Enthusiast!
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Total posts: 272 Location: Pegasus Galaxy Gender: Male |
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject: Anton Schwarzkopf 1980's brochure |
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From the day I rode my first Wildcat, I've been a major fan of coasters from Germans Anton Schwarzkopf/Werner Stengel. So, I thought I would share one of my all-time favorite manufacturer brochures, which I picked up at an IAAPA show. While not sure of the exact date of this one, I'm guessing it had to be the mid-to-late 80s since Thriller and Olympia are mentioned.
Enjoy
-S
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Last edited by SeaWhippet on Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:09 pm |
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| astroworldfan1 Dr. Creeper
Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Total posts: 2329 Location: Louisiana Age: 15 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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Why did Schwarzkopf only include loops on their coasters any other elements?
-Tatum
_________________
Coaster Credits: 44
Favorite Steel: Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)
Favorite Wood: Boardwalk Bullet (Kemah Boardwalk)
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| SeaWhippet Full Fledged Donkey Enthusiast!
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Total posts: 272 Location: Pegasus Galaxy Gender: Male |
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="astroworldfan1"]Why did Schwarzkopf only include loops on their coasters any other elements?
Though most of his rides utilized the standard clothoid loop, Anton (via Werner) did offer several variations. Check out the inversions on Thriller (especially the 4th), as well as Olympia Looping's first HUGE loop.
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| astroworldfan1 Dr. Creeper
Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Total posts: 2329 Location: Louisiana Age: 15 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="SeaWhippet"] | astroworldfan1 wrote: | Why did Schwarzkopf only include loops on their coasters any other elements?
Though most of his rides utilized the standard clothoid loop, Anton (via Werner) did offer several variations. Check out the inversions on Thriller (especially the 4th), as well as Olympia Looping's first HUGE loop. |
Besides loops, I mean like Corkscrews, etc. Elements other than a loop form.
-Tatum
_________________
Coaster Credits: 44
Favorite Steel: Goliath (Six Flags Over Georgia)
Favorite Wood: Boardwalk Bullet (Kemah Boardwalk)
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| DenDen Kicked out of the Homo No Mo' Halfway House!
Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Total posts: 1458 Location: Fort Lauderdale Age: 38 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| astroworldfan1 wrote: | Besides loops, I mean like Corkscrews, etc. Elements other than a loop form.
-Tatum |
There are MANY explanations as to why he stuck with 99% loops. (Thriller technically has a corkscrew in it in my opinion.) Some say it was just his design style, but I think it had lots to do with ease of portability with his designs. Ever seen a portable corkscrew from ANY company? I'm sure one exsists somewhere, but I've never seen any.
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| cycamps Donkeys are my way of life!
Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Total posts: 737 Location: Sterling, IL Age: 17 Gender: Male |
| Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| I didn't know that they made flats.
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