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Ron Toomer
Ronald Valentine Toomer (May 31, 1930 – September 26, 2011) was an American roller coaster designer credited for designing 93 roller coasters around the world. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering and was a part of the design team responsible for the Apollo program, Apollo spacecraft heat shield. Career Toomer was hired by Arrow Dynamics, Arrow Development founders Karl Bacon and Ed Morgan in 1965 to help design a mine train ride called Runaway Mine Train (Six Flags Over Texas), Run-A-Way Mine Train at Six Flags Over Texas. It opened in 1966 utilizing the tubular steel rail technology that had been developed by Arrow for Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds. The concept caught on quickly and Toomer designed 15 more mine train coasters for Arrow. All but one are still operating today. Following almost four years of development, Toomer introduced the modern looping roller coaster in 1975 with the opening of ''Corkscrew ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. Its population was 138,699 at the 2020 census, making it the 45th-largest city in California and the ninth-largest in Los Angeles County. Pasadena was incorporated on June 19, 1886, 36 years after the city of Los Angeles but still one of the first in what is now Los Angeles County. Pasadena is home to many scientific, educational, and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena City College, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Fuller Theological Seminary, Theosophical Society, Parsons Corporation, Art Center College of Design, the Planetary Society, Pasadena Playhouse, the Ambassador Auditorium, the Norton Simon Museum, and the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huss Maschinenfabrik
HUSS Park Attractions (legal name: Huss Park Attractions GmbH) is a German-owned company that specializes in developing and manufacturing amusement rides at a factory in Budapest, Hungary. History of the original Huss Company HUSS Maschinenfabrik was a German company founded in 1919 in Bremen and originally made new and replacement parts for ship engines. The company began to create amusement rides in 1969 and continued until 2005. In 1981, Huss Maschinenfabrik purchased Arrow Development from the Rio Grande Railroad, merging the two companies to form Arrow Huss. The company got into financial trouble partially due to heavily investing in Darien Lake theme park in New York and the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans.O'Brien, Tim. ''Legends: Pioneers of the Amusement Park Industry'', Ripley Entertainment Inc., 2006, p:225 Arrow Huss filed for bankruptcy protection in 1985, and 13 of the company's American officers negotiated a buyout. In 1986, the takeover was appro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Big One (roller Coaster)
The Big One, formerly known as the Pepsi Max Big One, is a steel roller coaster located at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Designed by Ron Toomer and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the ride opened to the public on 28 May 1994 as the tallest and steepest roller coaster in the world, featuring a height of and a drop angle of 65 degrees. It held the title as the tallest until 1996 when Fujiyama opened in Japan. Construction of the ride cost £12 million. The ride was sponsored by Pepsi until 2011, at which time Pepsi Max was removed from the name. History The Big One's construction began in 1992 by Arrow Dynamics with Ron Toomer as its lead designer, and by the time it was completed, the total cost had reached £12 million. The tubular track and supports were airlifted from Bolton to Blackpool and stored at nearby Blackpool Airport. During the start of the construction of the ride, the south of Blackpool promenade was closed and pieces of the structur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gemini (roller Coaster)
Gemini is a racing roller coaster with a wooden structure and steel track located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Built in 1978 by Arrow Dynamics and designed by Ron Toomer, it is one of the oldest roller coasters still operating at the park, with only Blue Streak, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, and Corkscrew being older. Cedar Point marketed the ride as the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster in the world, despite taller and faster coasters that had opened earlier. Ride experience The ride is considered a steel-tracked hybrid due to the track's use of tubular steel which sits on a wooden support structure. Two trains, red and blue, are dispatched on two tracks that run side-by-side throughout most of the ride until briefly diverging into separate helices and coming back together to finish the ride. It is common for riders on each train to give high fives through curves. The coaster's lift hill sends riders down a drop at a 55-degree angle up to . The layo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Bat (Kings Island; Opened 1981)
The Bat was a suspended roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio. Designed by Arrow Development, it was billed as the "first of its kind" in the world when it opened to the public on April 26, 1981. The suspended coaster concept was a radical departure from traditional roller coaster design, where guests ride below the track instead of above. Previous attempts to build coasters that hang from the track were unsuccessful and date as far back as the early 20th century. Arrow solved issues by utilizing modern technology in the design, including its tubular steel track developed in 1959 for Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds. Arrow constructed a working prototype in 1978 capturing Kings Island's interest, and their engineering department assisted with the development, construction, and maintenance of the ride. The Bat required 18 months of design and two years of manufacturing and assembly. The anticipation leading up to the reveal and opening was intense, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orient Express (Worlds Of Fun)
Orient Express was a steel roller coaster located at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri. Introduced in 1980, the ride was manufactured by Arrow Huss and designed by Ron Toomer. It was removed following the 2003 season. The red-orange track was located between the two entrances of the park. The station house was retained for use with a haunted attraction during the park's annual Halloween event. History On November 19, 1979, Worlds of Fun announced that Orient Express would be coming to the park. The ride officially opened on April 4, 1980. In 1990, Orient Express celebrated its 10th anniversary with a Coaster Mania event. During the celebration, visitors could receive a roller coaster guidebook with entry forms that could win them a variety of prizes including a vacation to Hawaii. For the 2000 season, the ride was repainted light maroon. It was originally painted dark maroon. On October 29, 2003, Worlds of Fun announced that Orient Express would be demolished. Demolition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, located approximately northwest of Virginia Beach. The park was developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and is owned by United Parks & Resorts as one of the two currently operating Busch Gardens parks. The park opened on May 16, 1975, adjacent to Anheuser-Busch's brewery and near its other developments, including the Kingsmill Resort complex. The park, originally named 'Busch Gardens: The Old Country', is themed to various European countries. In 1993, the park was renamed to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and briefly named Busch Gardens Europe from 2006 to 2008. In 2015, an estimated 2.78 million people attended the park, ranking 20th in overall attendance among amusement parks in North America. The park also features notable roller coasters, including Griffon, Verbolten, Pantheon, Alpengeist, and A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loch Ness Monster (roller Coaster)
Loch Ness Monster is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Arrow Development and designed by Ron Toomer, it was the first roller coaster in the world to feature interlocking loops. The roller coaster was opened within the park's Scottish hamlet, Heatherdowns, on June 2, 1978, and relates to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. The roller coaster reaches a maximum height of , with a maximum speed of , and a total track length of . The Loch Ness Monster is the only remaining roller coaster in the world with interlocking loops. In addition to the interlocking loops, located over one of the park's water features, the design includes a helix tunnel, two lift hills, and a drop. Upon opening, the Loch Ness Monster received generally positive reviews. The park has commemorated numerous anniversaries for the Loch Ness Monster and was designated as a Coaster Landmark by American Coaster Enthusiasts. History Busch Gard ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shockwave (Six Flags Great America)
Shockwave was a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, located in the Orleans Place section of the park. Manufactured by Arrow Dynamics, the coaster opened in 1988 as the world's tallest roller coaster and the fastest steel coaster, standing tall and reaching speeds of . It featured seven roller coaster inversion, inversions, a record at the time, including three vertical loops, a List of roller coaster elements#Batwing, batwing, and a List of roller coaster elements#Corkscrew, double corkscrew. Shockwave was the first of three coasters with similar layouts built at Six Flags parks, preceding Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Great Adventure), Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags Great Adventure and Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain), Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Shockwave's ride experience was later regarded as rough, and multiple guests reported minor injuries obtained by riding the coaster. In 2002, the coaster was dismantled to m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vortex (Kings Island)
Vortex was a steel roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, United States. Designed and manufactured by Arrow Dynamics at a cost of $4 million, the ride officially opened to the public on April 11, 1987. Vortex debuted as the tallest, full-circuit roller coaster in the world with a height of . It was also the first coaster to feature six inversions. Vortex occupied the same location in the park once held by The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster. Tied to the coaster's debut, attendance at Kings Island exceeded 3 million in 1987 for the first time. It accommodated more than 46 million guests throughout its lifespan, making Vortex one of the most frequently-ridden attractions in park history. It closed permanently on October 27, 2019. History On May 30, 1986, Kings Island announced that they would be adding a new roller coaster for the 1987 season. For the design and construction of the attraction, Kings Island turned to Arrow Dynamics, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Darien Lake
Six Flags Darien Lake (also known as Six Flags Darien Lake Resort and formerly known as Darien Lake Fun Country, Darien Lake, and Darien Lake Theme Park Resort) is a 1,200-acre (4.86 km2) amusement park and resort located in Darien, New York, off of Interstate 90 between Buffalo and Rochester. Six Flags Darien Lake features a theme park, water park, campground and lodging. It is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Six Flags. History Darien Lake Fun Country In 1954, Darien Lake was excavated and filled. The lake was a popular swimming destination for many years. In 1964, investor Paul Snyder acquired a 164-acre (66.37 ha) parcel of land bordering the lake and opened a small 23-site campground and picnic area. Snyder continued acquiring more land eventually increasing his holdings to almost 1,000 acres (4.05 km2) of land which included seven lakes, the largest of which was Darien Lake. He stocked one of the smaller lakes, Trout Pond, with fish, increased the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viper (Six Flags Darien Lake)
Viper is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Darien Lake amusement park in Darien, New York, United States. Built by the newly-formed Arrow Huss, the ride opened in 1982 as the first roller coaster in the world to feature five inversions, surpassing Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds which featured four. Viper retained the inversions record until Vortex opened at Kings Island in 1987. History On November 17, 1981, Darien Lake announced that they would be building a new roller coaster for the 1982 season. It would be built by Arrow Huss and be the park's first major roller coaster. This one would also be the first roller coaster to take guests upside down five times. The new coaster was set to be named ''Thunderbolt Express'', but this was changed to ''Viper''. Viper officially opened to guests on May 29, 1982. The track was originally all black, but it was repainted to a green track with black supports when Six Flags took over Darien Lake in 1999. In 2010, Darien Lake rep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
