85 years and still rolling

[TR6oldtimer]

If you like roller coasters, and find yourself near Santa Cruz California, you must take a ride on this 85 year old wooden roller coaster. The Giant Dipper, while not as big as modern coasters, is still a great ride.

https://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid15376082001?bclid=1659839112&bctid=25731120001

 

[Brooklands]

Reminds me of Dorney Park's oldest coaster which is still going strong, the 86 year old Thunderhawk, which is still one of my favorites.

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[eejay56]

I grew up in Monterey and have ridden that coaster dozens of times. It is great! They used to have doors at the end of the tunnel and when you come out halfway up the hill it take your breath away. The wood creaks and you think that those crossbeams are going to take your head off. It's featured in the movie "Lost Boys"

 

[DaveatMoon]

I grew up in Pittsburgh, where we're lucky to have a mid-size, affordable amusment park called Kennywood Park.. It's also called "The Roller Coaster Capitol of the World", and not just as hyperbole (see coasters.net's park description). The park is built on the edge of a large river-valley/plateau, and all of their coasters make great use of the terrain. Their 3 older full-size coasters are (links are for YouTube videos of each):

The Racer, built in 1910 as the (then) largest coaster in the world, it was modified to it's present form in 1927. It's a twin train coaster that's rather mild by today's standards but still quite a ride. This is the only coaster in the park wher the first hill is the biggest.

The Jack Rabbit (my favorite), built in 1922 using then innovative doubled wheels (over & under track), it was one of the first modern "high speed" wooden roller coasters, The double-dip on the (next to last) largest drop is the best single hill I've ever been on. This coaster hasn't even changed the trains since 1947!

The Thunderbolt, modified from an older 1924 coaster it was one of the last wooden coasters built before the steel track era (1968). I still remember the headlines the first year when some putz got killed standing up on it, and it had to be slowed from 60 mph to somewhere around 50. However I believe that this had more to do with G-forces than the accident because this coaster really beats the he!! out of you in the spiral section. The 90' drop on the last hill is a killer, and the hardest jerk is coming to a stop afterwards.

I've ridden all three probably more than 100 times each, and once rode the Thunderbolt with my son 11 times in a row (with NO line!) inside of an hour. My kids are almost adults now, and they still beg to go back every year. :thumbsup: