Cairn
Posts: 156
Registered: 3/22/2004
Rank: Bronze Critic
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 6/27/2005 11:42:29 AM
I was going to post this last night,but there were some rumblings of thunder, so I had to log off. Yesterday morning I took a trip to a local amusement park. But what made it different was the fact that it was an abandoned one. Has not operated since 1988.
The park site I walked was once known as Mountain Park in Holyoke Massachusetts. While this post may be depressing to some, it may interesting to others, as what was left behind was like walking back into time. Mountain Park operated from the very late 1800's until 1988. As a kid and young teen, I spent alot of time up at the park pretty much living on the Mountain Flyer wooden coaster. It was a small park, located at the base of Mt. Tom, and featured about 20 or so rides. At one time a trolly line accessed the park bringing patrons in on the weekends, and in later years an access road from I-91 and route 5 was built.
I felt like taking a walk up to the grounds, as I was in the area. At the bottom of the access road, there still stands an empty marquee sign that once held the sign for the park. The access road up to the parking lot was the same as I recall, long and steep, where once long ago upon reaching the top, you would be greeted by the big long out and back PTC coaster....spread out in front of you just calling you in. When I reached the top of the road yesterday, there was of course no longer a roller coaster there, but rather a grown over field of asphalt that once was the parking lot. I looked both ways to be sure that I was alone and entered the former midway. Thhe fence has long been destroyed and arson fires, vandals, and the return of nature has taken alot of what was once there. But vestages still remained. At the entrance to the park was the base of an old ticket booth. Scattered all over were various remains of old pinball machines, pretty much broken up, but recognizable nonetheless. In an ironic state, the remains of a Ms. Pac Man machine was standing upright near the burned out foundation of what may have been the arcade. The game was just a shell, but you could still see paint and recognize what game it was. Walking through rather high weeds, I came across a pile of white timber, and seeing strips of rusted metal still attached to one section, I knew I had found what was left of the Flyer coaster. The cars, lift motor, breakrun, and alot of salvageable wood was sold to Arnolds Park in Iowa, and what was left of the coaster was partially taken down by Hurricane Bob in 1991, and finally laid to rest by bulldozer not long after. The foundation length of the coaster as well as where the station once was, was reclaimed by nature.
Walking through the rest of the park I came across the foundations of the Merry Go Round house which was burned by arsonists no too long ago. Burned and charred remains was piled through the grass. A small building still standing appeared to once house a snow-cone stand was plastered with paint ball stains. I then came across some melted and warped metal sheets piled in the tangled mess of a ruined building. I think it was the bumper car pavillion.
Walking towards the rear of the midway, I cam across what was left of the minigolf course. On one old stone arch I could read clearly "Mountain Golf". Under the arch ran the roadbed of the mini train ride of which I walked for a bit.
The tracks have been removed, but ties still are present here and there, along with ballast and a few spikes. To my suprise, I came across the remains of some old mini train cars themselves. The actual train used at Mountain Park was a streamlined Southern Pacific passenger train, which was sold immediatly once the park closed. The old cars I found where min frieght cars which I never recall seeing run during my visits. They were left standing in the woods well away from the park, so I assume they were dumped many years before the park closed. One car was a rusted wheel-less caboose, while the other two cars were flat-cars with seats mounted
Message updated 6/27/2005 11:48:08 AM by Cairn
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