11 replies to this topic

[Webmonster]

I'm getting tired of older coasters being scrapped. It's getting ridiculous. Six Flags is the main culprit, though others have done so as well. They buy rides and then if something is wrong with it, instead of fixing it, they scrap it. Or, it just seems that way. But, we've lost a lot of one-of-a-kinds because of them. We nearly lost one of only two extended jumbo jets, the Whizzer. That would have really sucked.

I understand that sometimes they're aren't buyers for these rides, and that sometimes they're expensive to fix or maintain, but still you think there might something they could do instead of scrapping them. Well, as that goes, there are certain coasters that deserved to be scrapped--Drachen Fire I dunno, it's just disheartening when you see a ride get scrapped that is in perfectly good working order, or might just need a part or two.

[Trainman 2000]

I agree- coasters should be preserved, or fixed, not scrapped

[GigaFanatic]

i agree as well, but some of the coasters are just plain old and outdated, and can barely run anymore so they HAVE to scrap them. but for those coasters that are fairly new and are still running fine, there is no need at all to scrap them, they should be preserved.

[ekimmel]

I'd love to see someone put together a roller coaster museum and save a lot of the coasters that are currently being dismantled. Probably would cost way too much money so it will never happen but how cool would it be to have a bunch of the old coaster types all in the same park?

[Leonardofury]

I can think of at least two of those parks, Knobels and Little A-Merrick-A. Little A-Merrick-A is more just a small park that can only afford second hand coasters but they have a Chance Toboggan, Hershall Mouse, an old Kiddie coaster and are currently building a John Allen Junior Woodie they have relocated from a closing picnic park.

Knobels have been relocating and saving designs for ages. They have the only Overland coaster left in the world plus the relocated Phoenix. They also have Twister, a slightly altered copy of the now sadly destroyed Mister Twister and are currently building a Flying Turns based on a design from the 1930's.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Britian has a selection of oldish coasters including 4 classic wooden coasters (Grand National, Big Dipper, Rollercoaster and Zipper Dipper) plus an Arrow Shuttle Loop, Arrow Special Coaster System (Steeplechase), and an enclosed Zierer Flitzer (Space Invader 2 although it has been fitted with new cars after a fatal accident in the old ones).

Parks often attempt to sell their old coasters after they decide to replace them as it helps to subsidise their new attractions. Sadly buyers can not always be found, or sometimes a ride is in too poor a state to save.

ACE is trying to set up a rollercoaster museum at the moment, details can be found here http://www.aceonline.org/museum/.

So everyone off to Knobels!

Edited by Leonardofury, 28 August 2006 - 03:32 PM.

[Webmonster]

Wow, I had no idea the ACE was planning on building a museum! It's about time somebody decided to do something like that. And, I know there are others who are still trying to preserve old rides. Black Pool Pleasure Beach does a good job at keeping up what they got. So does Knoebels, who is building an actual flying turns wooden coaster.

[Leonardofury]

Just realisied I've forgotten Kennywood, they do a good job of preserving their old wooden coasters.

[Eh!Steve!]

Yeah, how they revamped Pippin as Thunderbolt and changed Steel Phantom into Phantom's Revenge. I just hope SFMM doesn't scrap Revolution, Tatsu, or Gold Rusher. Those rides just can't be moved; they're terrain coasters. If Magic Mountain does go away, I hope Six Flags doesn't tear down those rides. Revolution has too much history: first ride to have a successful loop and it appeared in National Lampoon's Family Vacation.

[FearSinistr]

So many coasters have met the wrecking ball over history. In the old days, the country had so many more coasters, (over 1500!) but many of these rides have now been forgotten. Many must have been able to stand toe-to-toe with any modern coaster, but now they have been lost, without leaving any legacy behind. It is possible, that if the economy had not crashed in the 30's that not only would the landscape of America's amusement parks be different today, but maybe even other events (such as WWII) may not have happened. I belive that in this day and age, we should preserve our amusement heritage. Unfortunately, the cycle is still not ending. Parks (and coasters) are still being smashed. (such as Whalom Park and its Flyer Comet, which was featured in a documentary (Great Old Amusement Parks) only one year before the park was closed down and Whalom looked just fine in said documentary. And don't even get me started on Palisades or Riverview.

[Sambo]

How many of these do you see today - Tucker Torpedo, Studebaker Golden Hawk, Ford Skyliner, Buick Marquette, Chevrolet Fleetside Woodie, Lincoln Zephyr, Cadillac LaSalle? There were quite literally thousands produced, yet only a small number survive. Mostly being owned and preserved as "classics".

The reason they are for the most part gone is because they have a useful lifespan, and when that is reached there is almost always something better (in the eyes of the purchasing public) to replace it with.

It is unreasonable to think coasters would be different. Except in that they are much fewer in number and several hundred times as expensive to keep and maintain in working order. I agree we should keep and preserve historical coaster specimens for future generations, but it could never be commercially viable enough to happen.