Zip or Zipp 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 operated at

Oaks Amusement Park Oaks Park is a small amusement park located south of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in May 1905, it is one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country. The park includes midway games, about two dozen r ...

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. The coaster was a more compact variant of the

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 ...

which were 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 ...

of the Traver Engineering Company in the mid to late 1920s.

History and design

One of Harry Traver's more obscure coasters, the Zip was modeled on the larger Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters (the "Terrible Triplets") but was smaller and more compact. The coaster was originally planned to be in length, but this length was reduced so as not to impinge on a nearby trolley

right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

. The undulating jazz track characteristic of Traver Cyclones was also shortened by . The coaster was also built on a wooden deck to protect it from

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

flooding. The coaster was removed in 1934 as a result of high maintenance and insurance costs. The coaster was dismantled and the steel sold to Japan in that same year. Few photographs were preserved of the Zip. Robert Cartmell, in his book ''The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster'', described the stunned reaction of attendees at an

American Coaster Enthusiasts American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is a non-profit organization focusing on the enjoyment, knowledge, and preservation of roller coasters as well as recognition of some as architectural and engineering landmarks. Dues-paying members receive th ...

meeting when photographic slides of the Zip were first shown. " t wasas if some primeval nightmare had been projected on the screen" Cartmell wrote, and called the coaster "a ride bordering on the macabre".

Ride experience

While most Traver Cyclones had 10-car trains, the Zip differed by having shorter 5-car trains. The way these shorter trains zipped along the track is thought to be responsible for the name of the coaster. Like other Traver coasters, the ride had very steep banking. The first curve had an angle of 80 degrees. It has also been suggested that the shorter trains may have created an even rougher experience than was typical for a Traver Cyclone. It was described as a "rib tickler", where the side-to-side motion of the cars (particularly on the coaster's rapidly undulating "Jazz Track") would slam riders' ribs to either sides of the cars. This led to problems of low ridership (and particularly repeat ridership) that plagued the other Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters. The smaller-than-usual trains, which like the other Cyclones could only run one-at-a-time, also contributed to this problem.

References

{{Sellwood-Moreland, Portland, Oregon 1927 establishments in Oregon History of Portland, Oregon Oaks Amusement Park Tourist attractions in Portland, Oregon Former roller coasters in Oregon