1920s Roller Coaster Blueprints
Ever since I was a child I have researched roller coasters---especially historic ones from the 1920s.
Is there anyone here who is really into old wooden roller coasters like me and/or has an interest in old roller coaster blueprints?
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"My journey has just begun."
While I'm nowhere near as obsessed as I used to be, I enjoy both classic woodies and most modern steel coasters, but even when it comes to modern coasters, I'd rather ride a classic Schwarzkopf looper than a ten-inversion mega-coaster
I've been on all the classic wooden coasters at Blackpool Pleasure Beach (Grand National is a lot of fun if you have a large enough group) and Kennywood (same goes for Racer), and even a few defunct ones (Cyclone at Southport Pleasureland, and Big Dipper at Geauga Lake). I've yet to do the Coney Island Cyclone though.
What blueprints do you have? It would be fun to re-create them in something like NoLimits.
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"Tongue tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I" - Pink Floyd
(and then the tower cleared me for take off)
CockneyRebel---I too like the wooden roller coasters better.
Sluice---I see you appreciate the older roller coasters too.
WillMcC---I can appreciate the Schwarzkopf roller coasters. I do regard those as classics. I would love to go to Blackpool Pleasure Beach---you are lucky. I have been to Kennywood and love it there. I also rode the Geauga Lake Big Dipper---its closure saddens me. Like you, I haven't ridden the Coney Island Cyclone. Here are my blueprints:
Thunderbolt---1921 Revere Beach by John Miller. Closed in 1930. I have an original set of blueprints for it.
Thriller---1926 Fort Dodge, Iowa by John Miller. Closed in 1926. I have an original set of blueprints for it.
Spiral Dips---1928. Never built, was supposed to be in Newburgh, NY. Designer is probably Harry Baker. The plans I have are on linen-cloth paper actually drawn by the designer (but not signed). These are the only known plans of it. I am building an HO scale model of it out of balsa wood. It resembles the San Diego Giant Dipper.
The following blueprints I am listing are copies made off of originals:
Kennywood, Pittsburgh, PA Racer
Crystal Beach, Canada Comet (now in New York state)
Myrtle Beach, SC Swamp Fox
Knoebels, Elysburg, PA Phoenix
Miracle Strip, Panama City, FL Starliner (1963)---defunct??? in storage???
Bay Shore Park, MD Racer Dip (1920 or 1921)---defunct
Trenton area, NJ Roller Coaster (1922)---defunct
Idora Park, Youngstown, OH Wildcat (1929/1930)---defunct
Forest Park Highlands, St. Louis, MO Comet (1941)---3 plans not built, but heavily modified for the Comet that was built.
Crystal Beach, Canada Cyclone (1927)---defunct---layout for all bents---but no heights given for the bents.
There may be some more around the house. Thanks for asking. I did recreate the Roller Coaster from NJ in NoLimits---that was cool. But the computer I have that on crashed .
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"My journey has just begun."
I love old carousels too. Here is the 1911 Coney Island carousel known as El Dorado that was sold to Japan for the 1970 World's Fair in Osaka. It now operates at an amusement park in Japan. It has three seperate revolving tiers (moving at different speeds) on ascending levels. It was unusual to have operated in America since nearly all carousels in America turn counterclockwise---El Dorado spins clockwise. It is a menagerie.
And here is a video of it (taken from the middle tier) operating in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P-1BHn8 ... re=related
And another video of it in Japan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiba9hwG ... re=related
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"My journey has just begun."
Though I kind of got away from my searching for old blueprints, I thought I would update what I have collected so far. I would love to find others out there who have gotten a hold of any old roller coaster blueprints. Though I have a lot of copied blueprints, I am just going to list my collection of original roller coaster blueprints (blue paper with white lines, unless otherwise specified).
1921 Thunderbolt, Revere Beach Massachusetts. John Miller and Harry Baker designers and builders. Four layered ride.
1923 (blueprint says 1924) Giant Coaster, Lakewood Park, Barnesville, Pennsylvania. John Miller and Harry Baker design, H. A. Bauscher built. Out and Back.
1926 Thriller, Exposition Park, Fort Dodge, Iowa. John Miller designed and built. Curved Out and Back.
1927 Rocket, Ocean View Park, Norfolk, Virginia. Edward Vettel designed, H. A. Bauscher built. Two-layered twister featured in the movie Rollercoaster.
1928 Cyclone (proposed) Orange Lake Park, Newburgh, New York. Harry Baker design to be built by H. A. Bauscher. Never built. Blueprint is on linen paper (vellum) with Baker's ink marks on certain parts. Figure eight pretzel style two-layered twister (very similar to the Crystal Beach Cyclone and San Diego's Giant Dipper).
1929 Skyclone, Central Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. John Miller design, built by H. A. Bauscher. Freeform out and back with an over one hundred foot vertical drop into a ravine.
1978 (though built in 1980) Laser Loop, Kennywood Amusement Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Anton Schwarzkopf shuttle loop steel roller coaster (forward and backward through the loop). White-papered blueprint with a few Kennywood executives' notes written on it.
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"My journey has just begun."
1921 Thunderbolt, Revere Beach Massachusetts. John Miller and Harry Baker designers and builders. Four layered ride.
1923 (blueprint says 1924) Giant Coaster, Lakewood Park, Barnesville, Pennsylvania. John Miller and Harry Baker design, H. A. Bauscher built. Out and Back.
1926 Thriller, Exposition Park, Fort Dodge, Iowa. John Miller designed and built. Curved Out and Back.
1927 Rocket, Ocean View Park, Norfolk, Virginia. Edward Vettel designed, H. A. Bauscher built. Two-layered twister featured in the movie Rollercoaster.
1928 Cyclone (proposed) Orange Lake Park, Newburgh, New York. Harry Baker design to be built by H. A. Bauscher. Never built. Blueprint is on linen paper (vellum) with Baker's ink marks on certain parts. Figure eight pretzel style two-layered twister (very similar to the Crystal Beach Cyclone and San Diego's Giant Dipper).
1929 Skyclone, Central Park, Allentown, Pennsylvania. John Miller design, built by H. A. Bauscher. Freeform out and back with an over one hundred foot vertical drop into a ravine.
1978 (though built in 1980) Laser Loop, Kennywood Amusement Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Anton Schwarzkopf shuttle loop steel roller coaster (forward and backward through the loop). White-papered blueprint with a few Kennywood executives' notes written on it.
That's an extraordinary collection you have there! The only one I have is a blueprint for the Geauga Lake Big Dipper. It's blue ink on white paper and thought to be a modern one drawn around the time the ride was reprofiled in the 1990s (no date on the plan). However, it does show the original profile, complete with the double dip which was removed. I'm currently working on a NoLimits 2 recreation made from that blueprint.
I understand this is an older post, I stumbled across it by accident and found the contents very interesting. Im a huge fan of roller coasters and thrill rides in general. I have played all the Roller Coaster Tycoon games, as well as no limits 2 and Planet Coaster.
Im always interested in finding old blueprints for roller coasters, because I enjoy making scaled models as well. Haven't had much luck.
Your collections sound very interesting, many of those coasters I've been doing research on, but not much out there on the internet as far as actual plans with dimensions etc.
Recently in my area another classic coaster was torn down. It was heartbreaking for those of us in the area, who grew up here. Who would have the blueprints for this coaster??
Also grew up going to Geauga Lake, and remember all too well when it was unceremoniously closed forever. I'm looking to make a digital recreation if possible. Just got finished watching a youtube video about Idora Park.
Amy help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated