Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

Mark's Postcard Paradise


Recommended Posts

The Galaxy wheel. Was that a one-of-a-kind?

 

There was one at AstroWorld.

 

-Tatum

 

While many parks (including Hersheypark, both Great Americas, and AstroWorld) had huge multi-arm wheels, none that I have seen were exactly like Magic Mountain's Galaxy.

 

Here is an AstroWorld postcard from 1968 featuring the Astrowheel.

AW97b.jpg.50843edb664305ae4ec24a915adbc169.jpg

AW97.jpg.493c112da27b181b6fa79ebfe07913a7.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 972
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

^^ That card is gorgeous! It looks like there is some construction going on in the upper right corner of the card. Hmm I wonder what that was about. Also, don't forget Kings Island had one of the Intamin double armed wheels too on which I was fortunate to take a spin way back in the awesome 80's.

 

Thanks for the Magic Pagoda description on the previous page Bill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the way out of Ninja, you use part of what was the queue for Magic Pagoda. It pretty much took place underneath that upper patio area adjacent to Ninja.

 

Ninja itself uses the former upper station of the old Dragon ride as its queue/boarding area. You can still see remnants of the Dragon track when you're climbing Ninja's last lift hill.

 

The lower Dragon Station is still intact, but unused. It sits behind the Soda Shack next to where Spin Out used to be.

 

The Galaxy used what is now Buccaneer and Swashbuckler. It was actually a very troublesome ride, and the park didn't get it to work reliably till the second or third season if I recall. On most of my early visits, it was not open.

 

Eric

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More great old Magic Mountain stuff. It sure used to be easy to get around the park. Take note of the caption on the back side of the postcard.

 

"In-Park Transportation is provided to HELP guests experience the 260 beautiful acres..."

557691965_sfmmtransportationb.jpg.6ccda80ea81dee7db2db4b03b963e32b.jpg

32305188_sfmmtransportationa.jpg.7d90b40e0e64283c68f3867c8334c02f.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking back at the AW post card I started laughing. "Ethel" as the Intamin double wheel was known at AW, was one heck of a contraption. for basically a Ferris wheel. You got to hand it to Intamin for coming up with that massive beast.

 

Even the cars on this thing were massive. They later used those cars as employee picnic benches. They could hold a dozen people easily.

 

According to Intamins database the "Double Giant Wheel" only lived at AW and MM. I can Assume MM also took theirs out as well? What a beast Ethel was.

 

Do any of here sisters still operate?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't think that the wheels at astroworld and magic mountain were made by Intamin. The information that I have seen give the design credit to another(can't remember who but not Intamin) and manufacturer as Garland Steel. Maybe Intamin marketed them? or mabe these wheels were another ride originally made by another concern but rights were purchased later by Intamin (ie Air Race plane rides at Six Flags Georgia and Texas were built after the Brady and Kaye Rides at Opryland, Worlds of Fun and Old Chicago).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't think that the wheels at astroworld and magic mountain were made by Intamin.

That is debatable and some suggest Intamin only brokered the rides.

They claim the fame so I went with them. Call it made by who ever makes you happy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a great card, but I was wondering if anyone noticed that the actual pic is from the days when the ride was at Paragon ... an early cut-and-paste...

-S

 

That's a very keen observation, Scott. Certainly one that I missed. This ride doesn't reach the small numbers of many enthusiasts' lists, but it's certainly had a more interesting history than most.

 

Here is a card that was mailed in 1955.

paragon5b.jpg.da112ace0171fde2125fa58a122b9246.jpg

postmark July 28, 1955

paragon5.jpg.0a08b72f0ee093ad55f0323cdadc36be.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, Restoca, what a nice card! That's one I've never seen. I wish the ride had been redesigned in Maryland to run as it did when this before The Big Fire. Still, I agree; it's underrated despite the questionable alterations it's had to endure at the hands of SF. I was based at BWI when the Giant first moved south and I spend many, many summer afternoons in a near-vacant Wild World as the only rider for countless circuits. Although the rebuilt helix was always somewhat jarring, the Giant was still a very good coaster back then. I miss that ride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait is this postcard referring to the name of the coaster or the big snowstorm that moved through the south and up the east coast last week? Well...hopefully it's NOT referring to the cheesey 80's rock band!

 

So yeah I loved Morey's. I was totally unprepared when I drove up to this seaside wonder back in '05. I had been to a couple of other piers that morning and Clementon's in the afternoon, all of which were fairly dead. Then I drove to Morey's and discovered this is where all the action was happening. The place was jam packed with wall to wall people and amusements. It had a really great, lively atmosphere and is a place I would absolutely love to visit again someday. Once bitten, definitely NOT twice shy!

2040640392_GreatWhiteBack_800x565.jpg.56f428ad3f41e23851aecafdada23617.jpg

Second verse same as the first

1543071709_GreatWhiteFront_800x562.jpg.456309d3df2a7144957000981f49ebad.jpg

Myyyy my my

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/