The Sesquicentennial Cyclone was a steel-framed

wooden Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...

which was operated at the

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Sesquicentennial Exposition The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its purpose was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversar ...

in 1926. Designed and built by

Harry Traver Harry Guy Traver (November 25, 1877 – September 27, 1961) was an American engineer and early roller coaster designer. As the founder of the Traver Circle Swing Company and Traver Engineering Company, he was responsible for the production of ...

Traver Engineering Harry Guy Traver (November 25, 1877 – September 27, 1961) was an American engineer and early roller coaster designer. As the founder of the Traver Circle Swing Company and Traver Engineering Company, he was responsible for the production of ...

, it was a medium-sized prototype of Traver's later

Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters were a model line of roller coasters designed and marketed by Harry Traver and his company Traver Engineering in the 1920s. Despite their name, they had a reputation of being dangerous and are regarded by many historia ...

History and design

The coaster was built as a smaller-scale prototype to the larger Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters (the "Terrifying Triplets") which Traver built in 1927. In addition to its innovative all-steel frame (described by promotional material as being " rong as the Rock of Gibralter "), the coaster was also innovative in its use of aluminum-body roller coaster trains. The aluminum alloy used in the train bodies was said to be one used in aeronautical engineering. Construction of the Cyclone took approximately half the time of a comparable wooden roller coaster. After the Sesquicentennial Exposition, the Cyclone was removed from the fairgrounds. Some sources report that it was put into storage for several years at the Traver Engineer Company's factory in

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Beaver Falls is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 9,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Pittsburgh, the city lies along the Beaver River (Pennsylvan ...

, whereas others report that the coaster was moved to the Alabama State Fairgrounds where it operated for several years. The Cyclone coaster which operated at the

Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Exposit ...

exposition between 1933 and 1934 in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

is also thought to be the same coaster. While at the Century of Progress, the coaster was first built near what is now Burnham Park, then later moved to a pier just south of the

Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium is a public museum in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by local businessman Max Adler (Sears), Max Adler. Located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan ...

. A number of sources suggest that this coaster was the first to ever bear the name "Cyclone", though other sources argue it was the Revere Beach Cyclone or another coaster.

Ride experience

As with the later Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters, there was very little straight track in the Sesquicentennial Cyclone. The coaster was shorter and more compact than the "Terrifying Triplets" however. It was tall and operated in a footprint of . It included the rapidly undulating "Jazz Track" which was characteristic of earlier Jazz Railways and the later Giant Cyclones. The coaster grossed over $28,000 during the course of the Sesquicentennial Exposition while running at or near full capacity. It grossed over $75,000 at the Century of Progress in Chicago.

References

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Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...