Williams Grove Amusement Park

 

Williams Grove - Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

By Kayla Miller

September 13, 2021

Photo Credit: Public Domain

There is something haunting about an abandoned amusement park. You can almost imagine the smells of popcorn and the sounds of rides in motion mixed with laughter and memories forming. It always amazes me that something so special and magical in nature can come to a screaming halt. A coaster, sitting in the station patiently waiting for its next riders that will never come. This brings us to Williams Grove amusement park in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Photo Credit: Williams Grove Amusement Park Facebook Page

Williams Grove Amusement Park has been drawing in visitors since around 1850. It started off as a little picnic area in a grove that was maintained by the Williams family. The first transition this area experienced was the growth from a small family picnic area into the Mechanicsburg Fairgrounds in the 1870s. It would be almost another 60 years before the first rides made their way to Williams Grove. The park even further expanded in popularity when they opened the Williams Grove speedway across the road from the amusement park in 1938, only ten years later. 

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Photo Credit: Public Domain 

1972 was an eventful year for Williams Grove. First, the Williams family made the decision to sell the amusement park and speedway to Morgan Hughes. That same year more rides were brought in from a freshly defunct amusement park, New Jersey’s Palisades Amusement Park. The park had a promising path ahead of it with the new management and the new rides, however, nature had other plans. Hurricane Agnes of 1972 almost completely destroyed the amusement park. This, mixed with the frequent flooding from the nearby creek, provided a devastating setback for the amusement park. 

Photo Credit: Williams Grove Amusement Park Facebook Page

Luckily, the amusement park was able to recover with a fresh batch of rides. The most famous ride being the old Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) manufactured coaster, Cyclone. Cyclone opened in 1933 under the name Zipper. The coaster underwent a name change when they got new cars from the Palisades Park Cyclone. The ride featured a height of 65 feet and a top speed of 45 miles per hour. Towards the end of its lifetime, the coaster had gotten particularly rough. This seemed to only ramp up the adoration and excitement of coaster enthusiasts even more. You can find a Cyclone point-of-view video on youtube. The link will be at the end of the post. As of 2017, the retired roller coaster is still standing along the edges of the ghost town amusement park. However, there were rumors that the park had planned to relocate the trains to a museum in New Jersey for display. At this time, I have not been able to confirm if this ever ended up happening. 

Photo Credit: Williams Grove Amusement Park Facebook Page

Of course, there were numerous other attractions at this small amusement park. Another honorable mention was the park’s only steel coaster Wildcat. The coaster operated at a number of other parks before reaching Williams Grove Amusement Park. These parks included: Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Playland Park, and Steel Pier. In 2005, when the park shut its gates for good, Wildcat was relocated once again to its present location of Adventure Park USA in Maryland. As previously mentioned, the park had a number of other rides and attractions, these will also be listed at the end of the post. 

Photo Credit: Williams Grove Amusement Park Facebook Page

Ultimately, what happened to this cute family-oriented amusement park? Truthfully, it did not deserve the ending that it had. In 2005, the Hughes family chose to focus solely on the speedway. They attempted to sell the amusement park, however, there were simply no buyers. With that, they closed the park for good at the end of the 2005 season and it never reopened. They did end up selling a good portion of the rides that were on the property, but not all of them. To this day, the owners of the park live on property and attempt, half-heartedly, to maintain the historical buildings. With the park still subject to flooding and undergoing frequent visits from trespassers that have left their marks of vandalism, the park is in a rather rough condition and is still off-limits to the public and visitors. The only exception to this rule, as far as I know, was in 2016 when the park had a Halloween event on the grounds. This event included a walk-through of the abandoned location. Hopefully, we’ll see a revisit of this event in the upcoming years. If so, you can guarantee I’ll be there. 

Wrap-Up Information

List of Rides at Williams Grove Amusement Park

• The Cyclone (Zipper): 1933 - 2005 The wooden coaster, 65 ft high and 45 mph

• Wildcat: 2001-2005, Steel Coaster, 45 ft high, relocated to Adventure Park in Maryland

• Kiddie Coaster: 1992-2005, kid-friendly coaster

• Little Dipper: 1950-1963, a little family coaster

• Dante’s Inferno: Dark Fun House Ride, featured a walk through portion called “Allotria”, still standing today

• Two Water Slides: Built in the 1980s, the slides have been removed but the platforms are still standing

• Flat Rides:

• Twister

• Tilt-A-Whirl

• The Octopus

• The Carousel

• Kiddie Train Ride

• Kiddie Whip

• Bumper Cars

• Laser Tag

• Airborne

• Musik Express

• The Swing Ride

• Go-Karts

• Show Boat

• Heartbreaker

• Kiddie Rides

• The Dream

• Convoy

• Helicopters

• Motorcycles

• Antique Cars

• Spinning Teacup Ride

Important Links

• Cyclone POV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ut3eb84bY 

• Wildcat POV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmQ4GTIA-go 

• Williams Grove Amusement  Park Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Williams-Grove-Amusement-Park-509151325835451/?ref=page_internal 

• Further information and photos regarding the actual day-to-day operations of the park can be found here

Sources

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.net/pages/williams-grove-amusement-park 

https://www.abandonedspaces.com/public/pennsylvanias-creepiest-abandoned-amusement-park-williams-grove.html?chrome=1 

https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/pa/attractions/williams-grove-amusement-park 

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/pennsylvania/abandoned-williams-grove-pa/ 

https://rcdb.com/718.htm 

The Final Launch - Wicked Twister

The Final Launch - Wicked Twister

By Kayla Miller

September 6, 2021

Photo Credit: Kayla Miller

“Break the scream barrier” (cedarpoint.com) On May 5, 2002, Cedar Point launched their brand new coaster, Wicked Twister. When it opened it was the tallest and fastest impulse coaster in the world, manufactured by Intamin. On top of that, it was also the first of its kind to feature a twist on the back spike. This coaster features a total of 5 launches; the fastest launch being 72 mph. Overall, I have always found it to be a very enjoyable ride. 

This summer I have gotten the opportunity to work at America’s rockin’ roller-coast. I was to ride Wicked Twister 35 times in my lifetime. When the season began, along with practically everyone else, I had no idea I was witnessing Wicked Twister’s last season. On my days off, I often found myself riding the impulse coaster. This was mostly due to the fact it almost always had the shortest wait in the park. However, there was a certain charm to the ride. 

Photo Credit: Kayla Miller

Throughout the season I had heard multiple rumors from my co-workers and guests about the removal of Wicked Twister. I was always the one who insisted that Wicked Twister’s life was far from over at the park. I don’t think I will ever forget when Cedar Point made the announcement. I was working in the Guest Services office at the front of the park, my supervisor pulled the announcement video up on the computer and we all gathered around to watch. Sure enough, Wicked Twister was leaving Cedar Point on September 6, 2021. 

Photo Credit: Cedar Point

Fast forward, what was it like to be there on Wicked Twister’s final day? I was lucky enough to be there. My roommate and I showed up at Cedar Point around 9:30am. At this point, the line stretched all the way to WindSeeker. By the time the queue was about to open at 11am the line had stretched all the way into a snail-like shape in the grass between Wicked Twister and WindSeeker. Nothing can describe the energy in the queue lines, everyone was excited and nostalgic over the coaster’s last day. After riding, there were associates standing at the exits handing out farewell buttons as guests left the ride. It was after our first ride that my roommate and I decided to purchase the regular fast lanes, this enabled me to ride a total of 10 times on its final day. 

Photo Credit: Kayla Miller

At the end of the night, a large group of people had surrounded the station to watch the coaster on its final launches. I was lucky enough to ride the coaster on the second to last general public launch. After the regular queue line had finished filtering out, the final riders were able to board. These final riders were guests that were lucky enough to find a manager wearing the “golden ticket.” This ticket allowed them to reserve the final ride. The coaster ended its journey with a round of applause and cheering from the crowd. I can truthfully say that this coaster received the honorable send-off that it deserved.

Sources

https://www.cedarpoint.com/rides-experiences/wicked-twister

https://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/wicked-twister

Defunct Coasters: Thunder Express

 Defunct Coasters: Thunder Express at Dollywood

By Ashley N. Schaffer

May 24, 2021

Credit: Michael S. Horwood

    Thunder Express at Dollywood is widely regarded as the very beginning of the Dollywood we know and love today. Before Wild Eagle and Lightning Rod came Thunder Express, the first outdoor coaster at Dollywood. To go with the theme of the surrounding area in the park, Thunder Express was, of course, mine themed. Situated in the back (where Tennessee Tornado is today), Thunder Express brought many riders joy throughout the years, and who could ever forget their ride on such a monumental coaster? 

Before Dollywood

    Unlike many of the coasters I have covered and will be covering in the future, Thunder Express did not have a life at just one park. Before coming to Dollywood, Thunder Express had a very lengthy stay at Six Flags St. Louis as River King Mine Train. Thunder Express had a very confusing history at the start. When it opened at Six Flags St. Louis, it actually had opened as two different mine train coasters side by side. By today’s standards, Thunder Express was not anything to write home about, but when it had originally opened in 1971 at Six Flags St. Louis, it was exciting enough to warrant two different tracks. In 1988, the second track was sold to Dollywood. Before that had happened, however, there had been a devastating accident on the ride while it was at Six Flags St. Louis, so no real changes have ever been made to the very simple ride model (as it is believed that shifting the ride to a standup car style instead had caused the fatal accident). The second track was not removed because of this fatal accident, but because Six Flags St. Louis had gotten another coaster to take its place. Rumors still circle around that they chose which track to remove because of the fatal accident, seeing as though the second track that was sold to Dollywood shortly after was the one that had been involved. 

Dollywood Era

Credit: Michael S. Harwood

    Unfortunately, even though Thunder Express was Dollywood’s first outdoor coaster, there is a serious lack of information about its time at the park. We know general specs about the ride, like its manufacturer and when it opened and closed, but documentation on the history at Dollywood is nowhere near as extensive as it was at Six Flags St. Louis. This is because it had less of a controversial history at Dollywood. We do know a few things about this coaster, however. One thing we do know is Dolly Parton’s reaction to the coaster being “My brothers and sisters and me came up with some pretty odd contraptions when we were little, but our imaginations had never conjured something up quite like this.” Dolly Parton’s reaction was pretty common for the coaster at the time of its’ opening. By today’s standards, the ride is extremely underwhelming, even compared to what is apart of Dollywood’s lineup today. It only reached about 32 feet in height, had a drop of 41 feet, and reached speeds of 37 mph. The only thing that people consider special about this ride is its feature of 3 different chain lift hills. That is often not enough for people to write home about it, especially considering the general consensus is that Thunder Express had more lift hills than actual ride time. It might be because of all of these reasons why documentation of its time at Dollywood is weak and the eventual removal of the ride for something “bigger and better”. 

Where is it now?

Source: Martin Valt

    At the end of the 1998 season, Dollywood announced that Thunder Express would be closing. Thunder Express would be closing because a new coaster by the same manufacturer would be taking its place, Tennessee Tornado by Arrow Dynamics. Thunder Express would now be moving to a small amusement park in Arkansas, Magic Springs. It arrived and became operational at Magic Springs in 2002, and got a new name, Big Bad John. This would be the first name change in over 20 years. Big Bad John still operates at Magic Springs today! 

Sources: 

https://dollyparton.com/family_destinations/dollywood/thunder-express-first-roller-coaster/4557

https://coasterbuzz.com/RollerCoasters/thunder-express

https://www.sixflags.com/stlouis/attractions/river-king-mine-train

https://rcdb.com/587.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJPvoMgexAo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_King_Mine_Train

   

   

“Braking” it Down! (Part 1)

 Preface: The brake run is one of the most important components of a roller coaster. In the modern amusement setting, brake runs are crucial to the successful operation of high-capacity roller coasters. This installment of Coaster Chat will serve to explain what brake runs are, the different types of brake runs, and how each of them works to keep the roller coasters up and running.

Coaster Chat 2: “Braking” it Down! (Part 1)

Introduction

What is a brake run? A brake run is a fundamental element of roller coasters. It is what allows the coaster train to be stopped before the station. They also prevent trains from crashing into each other midway through the ride. Brake runs have changed in design as technology and coasters have changed. Originally, on wooden coasters, brake sections were operated manually. This is still found on a handful of classic roller coasters, such as Sea Dragon at Columbus Zoo or Leap The Dips at Lakemont Park (the world’s oldest operating roller coaster). In the modern era, brakes are operated automatically, using sensors to monitor the speed and position of a train, slowing or stopping it accordingly. There are three primary types of brake runs worth discussing: trim brakes, mid-course brake runs, and final brake runs. The latter two are types of “block brakes,” A concept we will also discuss.

Trimming and Blocking

To understand brakes as a whole, it is important to understand what trimming is. On a roller coaster, the act of “trimming” a train means slowing it down to a desired speed. Trim brakes, specifically, are brakes that serve only this purpose. In practical use, trim brakes work by using two sensors in succession to calculate the speed of a train. The brake follows these sensors and applies enough pressure to bring the train to an appropriate speed. Although some people don’t like the loss of speed, trim brakes are an important tool to help roller coasters undergo less wear-and-tear, as well as providing a more comfortable and less intense ride. That being said, rides like Intimidator at Carowinds (Charlotte, NC) have so many trim brakes that some coaster enthusiasts have nicknamed it “In-trim-idator,” a rather fitting jab at the design.

Trim brake on Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, IL) (VF15, themeparkreview.com)

Before we cover mid-course and final brake runs, we will briefly talk about block zones, or “blocks.” When a roller coaster runs more than one train, it is important to divide the track into blocks. A block is an individual area of track that can only be occupied by one train at a time. Each block is separated by a block device. Block brakes include mid-course and final brake runs, but lift hills also have the capability of preventing a train from progressing. Blocks allow more than one train to travel along the track by providing a method to stop each train at the end of any given block zone. If for any reason, a train enters a block brake and the following section of the track is not clear, the block brake will stop the train until the train ahead has finished clearing the section. This occurrence is known as a “cascade.” In most cases, cascades are uncommon, as the Standard Operating Procedures used by operators take into account how early a train can be dispatched to prevent them from happening. Some other common reasons that block brakes might stop a train include “valleying” (when a train fails to maintain the required speed to clear the layout and gets stuck), “ghost trains” (when the ride’s computer detects the presence of a train that is not actually there, leading to a fault*), and power outages. Block brakes play a crucial role when it comes to safe roller coaster operations.

A “block map” of a sample roller coaster, in which each color represents a different block zone (John German)

Mid Course and Final Brake Runs

Now that you have learned about trimming and blocking, we can combine these two concepts to talk about mid-course brake runs (MCBRs) and final brake runs. As the name implies, MCBRs are found in the middle of a roller coaster’s layout and final brake runs, at the finale.

Roller coasters can feature any number of MCBRs, but the most common ratio is one MCBR for three trains operating (this leaves a final brake run and station as the other two block brakes for the other two trains). MCBRs serve as block brakes, but may also serve as trim brakes. To an untrained rider, MCBRs are the most noticeable form of trim brake, as roller coasters often undergo a large deceleration when traveling across them. The speed they bring you to varies, but it is typically easy to tell if you are being slowed down on one. Rides like Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia, CA) slow riders to a near-stop on their MCBRs, whereas rides like Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) often have minimal to no trimming at all. It should be noted that although MCBRs can be used as trim brakes, they are not the same as stand-alone trim brakes. However, using MCBRs as trim brakes may eliminate the need for trim brakes later in the layout.

Gatekeeper at Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH) corkscrewing over its MCBR (Incrediblecoasters.com)

Final brake runs may also serve to trim a train, however, the purpose of trimming on a final brake run more or less brings a train to a reasonable speed for the holding/station brakes to stop it. On most coasters, the final brake run, any holding brakes, and station are integrated onto one straight section of the track. In general, the final brake run is generalized as this straight section (minus the station) but may include enough block zones to hold the remaining trains that are not in the station. This is also a type of cascade but is referred to as “stacking” in this scenario. Stacking generally occurs when operators are not dispatching trains quickly enough, and lowers hourly capacity if left unresolved. Solutions for stacking include increasing the speed of operations (through practice) or putting one or more trains into storage.

A train enters Scorpion’s final brake run at Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL)

Fail-Safe Brakes

If you ever worry about the power going out on a coaster and the trim/block brakes not working, this is the purpose of fail-safe brakes. All brakes that are operated electronically will automatically close in their unpowered position. This will ensure that the train comes to a stop and doesn’t crash. From there, riders can be evacuated from the ride. In some cases, trim brakes may be used (sometimes exclusively) to slow down a train during a power outage. In this case, they can force the train to valley without rocking back and forth for too long, allowing for the evacuation process to begin sooner. 

Conclusion

Next time you are at an amusement park, watch the roller coasters carefully. With a little practice, you can easily identify the different brakes on a roller coaster, point out block zones, and maybe even see how trimming is being utilized. Now that you know the functions of brakes, lookout for a future post when we discuss how brakes have evolved mechanically, and the different types of brake devices.

Ride-On,

John

*Broadly, a fault is any occurrence in which a ride’s computer malfunctions, leading to the ride being stopped automatically as a safety precaution.

Fun Mountain - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

 Fun Mountain - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

By Kayla Miller

May 1, 2021

Photo Credit: Kayla Miller 

Hiding in plain sight, in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, lies the fading remains of Fun Mountain, a family amusement park. Before this land housed the remnants of Fun Mountain, there was an admired hotel called Mountain View Hotel. How do you find this location? What’s there now? Why did this location falter? Stay tuned, I will be answering all of these questions! 

Mountain View Hotel

Photo Credit: Digital Commonwealth 

Once upon a time, a man named Mr. Andy Huff owned multiple sawmills in the area. He had so much love and compassion for his employees that he often opened up his own home to them. Over time, the demand for housing became too much for him and he felt it rude to charge his guests for staying in his home. In order to accommodate them, he opened up a small hotel under his home. Once the demand outgrew this location, he opened up the Mountain View Hotel in 1926. At its largest, the hotel was 3 stories and had 100 rooms. 

Photo Credit: Public Domain

The Mountain View Hotel quickly became very popular. In its day it even housed some celebrities. It was the place to work for young people, and most people in town had at least one memory to share of the location. After the hotel was passed down a couple of generations, one of the owners used the popularity of the location to start up some new hotels and resorts in the area. It is unclear exactly why the Mountain View Hotel went out of business. However, my hypothesis is that the hotel lost the favor of the owner. This might have led to him neglecting to update and refurbish the establishment. If this were the case, it would also cause the business to suffer as people started seeking out better accommodations. 

Photo of one of the rooms in the Mountain View Hotel, 1951

Photo Credit: Tim Wynn 

Ultimately the hotel closed in the 1980s. Due to the nostalgia and history wrapped up in the building, the community tried to save the building by repurposing it as the town’s Chamber of Commerce building. Unfortunately, this never happened and the building was demolished in 1993. 

Fun Mountain

Photo Credit: Brandy Amos 

Fun Mountain was opened in 1993 with the intention of being a family-oriented amusement park. Some of the attractions located here included: bumper cars, bumper boats, an antique carousel, go-karts, minigolf, scrambler ride, a swing ride, tilt-a-whirl, electric train ride, ferris wheel, a large arcade, and the famous chair lift. According to an old ad, the chair lift was the longest in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, taking guests up the side of the mountain to enjoy the beautiful view of the town below. 

Photo Credit: Jordan Liles 

Unfortunately, the family amusement park had financial struggles since the moment it opened. By the year 2000, only 7 short years after it opened, Fun Mountain closed for good. The rides and attractions sat there halted in time for another 8 years until the rides were either sold or demolished. Now, all that’s left is the lonely chair lift. The chairs hang overhead as if waiting for their next guests to hop on in. 

Photo Credit: Allie McAdow

My family, best friend (Allie McAdow), and I visited the Gatlinburg area for a vacation in April. While looking for places to go explore, I stumbled across stories of the abandoned chair lift. I was instantly obsessed with learning everything I could learn, and how to find it. Little did I know that it was only 5 minutes from where we were staying. Allie and I quickly headed to the location and were surprised to learn that the area had been turned into a public parking lot. Although the other attractions are long gone, the chair still sits there, overgrown and waiting. 

Sources

https://www.facebook.com/AbandonedThemeParks/photos/?tab=album&album_id=311826678973114 

https://gatlinburginn.com/fun-mountain-gatlinburg/ 

https://www.jackhuffs.com/about-us/history/#:~:text=The%20hotel%20soon%20grew%20to,born%20into%20this%20Gatlinburg%20family.&text=It%20changed%20from%20a%20sleepy,sophisticated%20gateway%20to%20the%20Smokies. 

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/fun-mountain-tn/ 

http://web.archive.org/web/20040216195350/http://www.reaganresorts.com/funmnt.htm 

https://williambritten.com/wordpress/gatlinburg/history-of-the-smokies-mountain-view-hotel/ 

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/compass/all-that-s-left-of-this-tennessee-theme-park-is-an-abandoned-chairlift-235331402.html