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Author Red Streaker and Williams Grove - July 24
Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002

Rank: Experiment 626
7/30/2004 8:38:27 PM
Well, running a bit late this week, I've been really busy. I think it will be worth it, since this is a pretty interesting little report.

About three weeks ago, Tom Smith, the Eastern PA ACE rep, sent out a call for some help moving components of the old Red Streaker roller coaster. The Red Streaker was a small wooden coaster that used to live at Willow Mill Park near Harrisburg. Some of it was saved by Dave Pickstone about eight years ago, including the cars and must of the operating components, as well as some of the structure and track. He lived on the property for several months working to dismantle the ride single handedly.

What was saved was moved to an old barracks building in Carlisle, PA, and stored there. The building has been condemed by the town, however, so the parts had to be moved out. That is where we come in.

About eight of us got to the building at about 10 in the morning to start the move. It went pretty smoothly, and with the help of a bobcat with a fork, we were able to get the parts moved over to the new building by about 2.



A pile of the lift chain. This is very valuable because there are very few companies that are willing to make these chains anymore. They are also very heavy.



So we had to drag it out with the bobcat and lift it onto a pallet to move it.



The cars were tucked in with several of the chain's working gears. It has been here for a while, and a vine was growing on the rear car.



We draged it out with the bobcat (the wheels still spun freely), and lifted them over to the new building.













This is the flywheel assembley, still greased up and in working order.

After the move, we all grabbed a bite to eat, and Pat and I headed over to Williams Grove Park, which is about 15 minutes away.

Williams Grove is a strange little park, but always worth a quick visit. It is a family owned park, and as such has it's own little charm, as well as some interesting stories.

The park also has two coasters, a recently added Schwarzkopt Wildcat (think Cedar Point, but older and not a pretty), and the classic Cyclone wooden coaster, the ride I contend is the scaries coaster anywhere, simply because I am not sure if the train will make it back to the station.



After paying our two dollar admission and getting a few ride tickets (at the above mushroom) we headed over to the Cyclone. The Cyclone is an ACE Coaster Classic, so it has buzzbars and no seat dividers. It runs just one, two car train, but that is all it really needs, and running it is a one man affair.



It is an interesting ride, it is an out and back, but the return leg runs directly under the out bound leg, making for some great head choppers. It is a rough ride to, it really throws you around. I have found the front seat is the best on the ride, and the third seat will break your back. It is truely a ride every true coaster enthusiest must experiance.

After getting off the Cyclone, we noticed they were having a problem with the train...

Message updated 8/4/2004 6:25:12 PM by Cyclonic
yfz450
Posts: 1743
Registered: 3/13/2004

Rank: Platinum Critic
7/30/2004 8:53:04 PM
that's intresting I like the idea of going right under the other part of the roller coaster that would be fun.
Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002

Rank: Experiment 626
8/2/2004 5:54:23 PM
Yeah, it makes the ride unique, though I don't understand why it was done, there is plenty of room, and the tracks could easily be put side by side. I guess they just wanted it to be different. Ivana had mentioned that it took six years to get this little coaster built, just a little bit at a time.
adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003

Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
8/3/2004 9:51:09 AM
Very cool little documentary, Cyclonic - the photos are great. I would love to check out that park - hopefully soon. Is it anywhere near Knoebels or Dorney? That crazy Cyclone is calling me, as is their carousel - a real shame that it's falling behind on upkeep, as it seems to have some great menagerie figures. Looks like a total restoration is in order...
3r1c
Posts: 5466
Registered: 6/7/2003

Rank: Platinum Critic
8/3/2004 11:00:38 AM
Isn't Williamsgrove just outside of Harrisburg? That's about a 30 minutes drive from Hershey then.
Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002

Rank: Experiment 626
8/3/2004 5:32:54 PM
Yeah, about that. It is just off route 15, south of the Turnpike. It is easy to get to though, and would probably be less then 2 hours from Knoebels.

None of the animals on the carousel are original from what I can tell. My understanding is the originals were replaced years ago with fiberglass figures. The machine would be worth saving, as it is original, but in bad shape, it has no roof panels (or they are covered with the blue tarps), and the brakes don't work, the operator has to physically slow the ride down.
adriahna
Posts: 4692
Registered: 6/4/2003

Rank: Site Moderator
Skooter Junkie
8/4/2004 10:58:29 AM
Yikes - that does need serious help! A shame that the figures were replaced - an all-too-common trend...what with the money I'm sure it must have raised, the least the park could have done would be to refurbish the mechanism...
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