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Scott's Coaster Closet


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Scott-

 

If you have this "thing" for the brake handles that are in the station...How do you feel about the coasters that actually have the brake person that rides along on the coaster train???

 

I'm just sayin...

 

-Shane

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Scott-

 

If you have this "thing" for the brake handles that are in the station...How do you feel about the coasters that actually have the brake person that rides along on the coaster train???

 

I'm just sayin...

 

-Shane

 

Well, yes, I do have a bit of a "thing" for the brake handles. And the only woodie I've ridden with a big strapping brakeman was England's Dreamland Scenic Railway, which some bloody idiot recent torched.

 

I'm just sayin ...

 

-Scott

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That was a great collection of brake handles, I have to admit I have a thing for that too. It sure is a rarity these days to see those around.

 

I too have ridden the Scenic Railway at Dreamland as well as the one (I don't know how to spell it) at Tivoli in Denmark. I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking WTF? I never even knew such a thing existed until I saw it in person way back in 1980. What a cool job that would be...you actually get paid to ride a roller coaster!

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That was a great collection of brake handles, I have to admit I have a thing for that too. It sure is a rarity these days to see those around.

 

I too have ridden the Scenic Railway at Dreamland as well as the one (I don't know how to spell it) at Tivoli in Denmark. I remember seeing that for the first time and thinking WTF? I never even knew such a thing existed until I saw it in person way back in 1980. What a cool job that would be...you actually get paid to ride a roller coaster!

 

Agreed. It would be a great job, though I'd be soooooo tempted to say ... "Hold on, people. This is gonna be a ride you'll never forget!" And then, just release those brakes for the whole circuit and see what happens.

 

I'm just dreamin'!

 

-Scott

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  • 3 months later...

Scott:

 

I just found this while browsing yesterday on my favorite topic, "The Bobs." After looking closely at the pages, it appears as if you have two desperate articles - and on the page numbered 15 at the bottom it says, continued on Page 41. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a page 41. and thus the article is incomplete . Nonetheless, it's a great addition to my collection of Bobs memorabilia.

 

I spent a lot of time on the Bobs as a young adult... lot's of "Let's Ride Again," trips from in the front seat on one of the three trains. My reason for responding is that I do have some of the photos that appear in the article. If you would like some copies email me at armagnac@sbcglobal.net. Did you ever ride the Bobs? Just curious.

 

One other thing to mention. In the same year that The Bobs was constructed, another coaster was built from a similar set of plans by Prior and Church. Actually, the other coaster has about 2/3rds of the same track layout, hills and dimensions. It's still in operation, and I live in the town where the coaster is.

 

Armagnac[/color]

 

Back before the Web was commonplace, roller coaster/park research meant going to libraries and historical societies and digging through tons of meaninglessness to find little hidden treasures. In the early '80s, I discovered this article on the infamous Riverview Bobs in a university microfiche collection.

 

Sorry for quality of the images but that was the best their printer could produce. I don't even know what magazine it came from now, but I would love to see these photos in the original. There's mention of Chicago (mag?) on the bottom of page 6, but I don't think every page came from the same mag. If anyone can ID this publication, please let me know.

 

Enjoy!

-Scott

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I was so excited to see Scott's Amusement Closet back up at the top again. I was hoping for some juicy bit of Roller Coaster history...

 

I sure hope that your closet is not empty and is still full of historical goodness!!!

 

PS- Mexico City???

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Oh, the Closet is packed with plenty of retro coaster goodness. I've been on the road all summer, but I'm gearing up for Season II and will begin to post in the Fall.

 

As for Mexico ... I'm working on it. Will let you know soon. I'm also checking with Isla San Marcos to see what Thriller's operating schedule will be in OCT. Just think, Kennywood's Laser Loop, Dreier Looping & Thriller all in one weekend! I feel like I'm back in 1989 in Munich/Stuttgart! (':b')

 

 

I was so excited to see Scott's Amusement Closet back up at the top again. I was hoping for some juicy bit of Roller Coaster history...

 

I sure hope that your closet is not empty and is still full of historical goodness!!!

 

PS- Mexico City???

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This is awesome! Thanks for sharing.

I too share this fascination with Good 'Ole Hand Brakes.

 

I was going to add a couple photo's that I recently took of Meteor's and Comet's Hand Brakes, but it looks like Rob beat me to it.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what else gets brought out of the closet.

Thanks again for sharing.

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I love the Big 'Ol Brake Levers as well, such a great way to slow n stop a coaster.

 

The trains for Rye Playland Dragon are sexy, I bet there they don't have a seatbelt to hold you in, just hold-on to those "bars"

 

I assume you mean the Church trains in the thread's photo, right? The Morgan stock currently running on the ride (although sans seat belts) are a far cry from the Dragon's original trains. They were big, roomy, tracked oh so well ... and yes, rather sexy.

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Having just ridden Rye's Dragon for the first time a couple of weeks ago, it rode more like a "Scenic Railway" which is fine and all for what it is, but did the old trains give it any more "oomph?"

 

--Robb

 

Robb,

 

I know what you mean about The Dragon feeling like a Scenic Railway. It was built the year after the infamous Airplane as a more "traditional" ride. Seems the first Church ride was a bit too much for Playland's typical guest.

 

As for the original trains, I feel it did give the ride a little more pep and seemed to handle the tracking better. The Morgan trains -- just as they do on both CA Giant Dippers -- subract "something" from the overall experience.

 

One of my dreams is for someone to grab a train from the Puyallup Coaster (the only existing ride that still runs the original Church rolling stock) and sneak them onto the three remaining Church woodies.

 

 

-S

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I saw those old brakes, and when I saw them on photo's I thought they were for decoration.

When I was in Cedar point 7 years ago, I rided blue streak to. Were the brakes still there that year?

Nice update, brake fanatic

 

No, I'm pretty sure the Blue Streak at CP lost the manual brake quite a while ago. The first time I went to Cedar Point was 1994, and although I can't quite remember if it had them then (probably not), I'm certain that by 2001 they had been replaced by the computerized brakes.

 

Regarding your first point about the handles looking like decoration, the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake had its manual brakes right up to the time Six Flags turned the park into Six Flags Ohio. When it was converted to computerized brakes, they left the handles still in the floor, inoperative but still there as decoration.

 

One final note about another "gone but not quite" coaster, it always amused me how the brakes on the Conneaut Lake Park Blue Streak curved around before reaching the station- which is not possible to do with squeeze brakes. Or Waldameer's Comet curved station. With hi tech squeeze brakes we lost the more interesting station and brake designs.

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Again, you guys with the historic coaster lessons are just sheer coaster gods! Love this stuff, and I have a brake lever fetish as well.

 

Brake-men almost never made mistakes. My exposure to them were at West View, Conneaut, Kennywood, Coney Island, Geauga Lake, and Idlewild, and it really does add to the experience for me, it's watching old-world mechanics at work.

 

Damn you Kennywood for putting magnetic brakes on the Jack Rabbit. But at least they still utilize the old skid brakes on Thunderbolt and Racer, and the sound of the old hissing hydraulics that control them is another "characteristic of old technology" that's being lost as well.

 

Dennis

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Damn you Kennywood for putting magnetic brakes on the Jack Rabbit. But at least they still utilize the old skid brakes on Thunderbolt and Racer, and the sound of the old hissing hydraulics that control them is another "characteristic of old technology" that's being lost as well.

 

Dennis

 

If I remember correctly, they got rid of the old brake system because it stopped the trains rather violently. The new magnetic brake system, while it may lack nostalgia, slows the trains smoothly and consistently.

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Dennis,

 

Glad you enjoyed this one so much! And here I thought I was the only one with this shameful obsession.

 

Oh, and cherish those memories you have of the West View coasters. Though I never to ride the Whippet, I did walk the tracks for an entire day the year before it came down. I loved the swoop from the valley up into the L-shaped brake run. Do you recall if there a one brakeman for each track or did one guy handle the operation?

 

-S

 

Again, you guys with the historic coaster lessons are just sheer coaster gods! Love this stuff, and I have a brake lever fetish as well.

 

Brake-men almost never made mistakes. My exposure to them were at West View, Conneaut, Kennywood, Coney Island, Geauga Lake, and Idlewild, and it really does add to the experience for me, it's watching old-world mechanics at work.

 

Damn you Kennywood for putting magnetic brakes on the Jack Rabbit. But at least they still utilize the old skid brakes on Thunderbolt and Racer, and the sound of the old hissing hydraulics that control them is another "characteristic of old technology" that's being lost as well.

 

Dennis

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