OT. Carnie Rides

ndzied1

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ndzied1
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Aug 2002
Location
Chicago, Illinois
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I was reminded of Ron (patchn.com) last night when we took the kids to a local amusment park for younger children (Kiddieland in Melrose Park, IL ).

The wooden roller coaster they have and ferris wheel must be vintage 1950's.

The coaster still had the large wooden levers for applying/removing the brake shoes at the load/unload station and the ferris wheel is a cable drawn type with a wonderful, two shoe rotating clutch mechanism that decouples the cable drive gearing and wheel system from the motor drive based on a huge U frame (or something similar) motor.

Next time we'll have to go there in the day time so I can get some pictures.

Anyone else find amusement parks more interesting by analyzing the ride mechanics than actually riding on the rides? (I do love a great roller coaster)
 
I do.

Think of the physic involved in designing a good roller coaster. I think of the shift between kinetic and potential energy and how energy is dissapated due to friction and brakes. I think of how the G forces must be enough to keep the ride interesting and allow the coaster to do loops and spirals and yet not snap the necks of those on the coaster.

Those guys that designed roller coasters in the 50s were good. They did have all the math tools we have now that make designing these rides easier or allow for making the rides more exciting.

It is good to ask the young ones about how these rides work. Don't expect answers. Just get them to think. There isn't enough of that happening.

I will make this educational. If the roller coaster is moving at 60 miles per hour at the bottom of the loop, what is maximum diameter of a loop if the roller coaster is to get around the loop without falling off? Physic 201.
 
As a matter of fact . . .

South Elgin has their carnival and I took my youngest over this past weeknight. I really wanted to go into their generator trailer and see what was running there.

Having much more interest in what the "back room" rather than the what is supposed to be the primary show reminds me of when I was a volunteer firefighter in Mass. some years back.

One Tuesday night training session was a tour of the local state cancer hospital. An administrative aide (the classic bureaucrat) was assigned to take us on the tour so we could familiarize ourselves with the layout. Boring for us, until we came to the utilities room, with its back-up generator, boiler, lighting controls, etc.'

The aide opened door, sputtered the word "utilities" with a look of mild disgust on his face. He was shutting the door when the chief barreled on through announcing, "gotta check this one out. Safety, you know.

ALl the guys piled on through and spent the next 10-15 minutes checking things out. The aide stood at the door, rolling his eyes the whole time, in virtual pain.

Dan
 
Couple of years ago I was ofered a job with Union Pacific, as electrician for the locomotives. The job would have basically gone through the electronics, motors, and all the controls before leaving to go across the mountains again. I was really excited once I heard of all the high tech equipment used to operate a locomotive. All was good untill they broke the news I would proably on nights for the next 20 - 25 years. So I backed off from the job. But eversince then every time I see a locomotive go by on the track, my mouth waters at what is in there, and how it all works.
 
Nostalgia

I have been to Melrose Park, worked the Chicago are a few times. I believe their Merry Go Round and Ferris Wheel are truly antiques (ca 1925) but have a newer style drive system (ca. 1950).

I grew up around this stuff and it still fascinates me, do you realize that its more dangerous driving to an amusement park then it is to ride the rides?

My first experience with a roller coaster was Miracle Strip Park in Panama City Beach, FL, my dad helped build the park and worked there when it first opened in 63, I was 10. My mom worked in the arcade so I played everything free, like most 10 year olds I was very good at the games. My mom would take me to other arcades to play skee-ball and get items like coffee-pots, waffle-irons, blankets etc etc.

We also traveled on a carnival when I was young, back in those days many of the big rides used Allis-Chalmer gas engines with G-strings for acceleration so one small (KW) generator was sufficient for the lights etc. Some of the first trailer mounted (hydraulic) type rides were the Skydiver, Zipper and Trabant, I thought they were the neatest thing since the hula-hoop.

Alas, for me those were the days.
 
Here's a link w/ pictures showing the coaster. The first picture shown below highlights one of the large wooden lever handles operating the brakes.

http://www.coastergallery.com/2003T/Kiddieland.html

LittleDipper1.jpg
 
g-string was a string attached to the "throttle" of the gas engine, it was a term stolen from the burlesque shows. When you pulled the string the ride accelerated.
 
Jay Anthony said:
Here's an interesting link I found about a guy who built his own "backyard" coaster:

http://www.w2knews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=050815FA-Coaster
Click to expand...
What, no loops?... :D

Was "Kiddieland" a franchise? We had a Kiddieland on Rt.46 in Pine Brook, NJ, less than a 1/4 mile from the house I grew up in. It was small (maybe an acre or so), but they has quite a few of the 'kiddie' rides, including a small coaster and ferris wheel. They demolished it in the 80s to put in a cloverleaf at the intersection... :(

🍻

-Eric
 
BoxerBrats said:
Editted Quote: Couple of years ago I was ofered a job with Union Pacific, as electrician for the locomotives. I backed off from the job. But eversince then every time I see a locomotive go by on the track, my mouth waters at what is in there, and how it all works.
Click to expand...

I like trains (one track mind), and wound up at GM Locomotive's EMD plant near Chicago on contract for a couple of years, dealing withh the operator cab electrics, controls, traction motors, and some of the generation systems and switchgear. Intriqing how it works. Having had a background with diesel generators, controls and switchgear, plus mining trucks which use a locomotive control and traction motors on rubber tires, helped a lot.

My first "road trip" to the Canada plant, I took the train. After that I drove. Every one else flew. It is pretty cool, sitting there revving up 6000hp for o reason other then to have fun.

The railroads could pay better, and sometimes the job will even last long enough to retire from. It is hard to get out of your system.

Many years ago I drove by the Peoria Police Station and wondered what went oninside. So I went and got a FCC Commercial License and got a job fixing their radio and electronics stuph. Pretty neat, and pretty scary being on the "inside". Most fun was the "Presidential Security Assignments" and working with Vice Drugs and TAC groups. Lots of neat radio gear.


NORM: I go to carnivals to check out the generators, power distribution, (and scenery).

I think the model in your picture is using a g-string drive.

ERIC: Is this the distraction you mentioned???

regards.....casey
 
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Being a carnie was not an easy life in many ways. The pay was soso, no insurance, no paid holidays (had to work those) etc etc.

It did have fringe benefits though. The season was 6-8 months, you got "bonus" pay at the end of the season...depending on what you did this could be more then you made the whole season, it was nothing for me to end the season with 10-20k...that doesnt sound like a lot but be 25 with that in your pocket.

One year (79) I hooked up with a crazy woman (a story all its own) from New Joisey, her dad was a retired carnie with a warehouse full of old joints (games). He gave me the equipment and booked it for me all I had to do was get people to work...I cheated and went to the topless bars and recruited girls....I cleared 100k in 3 months. I wish I had the brains now I had back then.

The main fringe benefit for a 20+ year old young man was GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS.
 
I like trains (one track mind), and wound up at GM Locomotive's EMD plant near Chicago on contract for a couple of years, dealing withh the operator cab electrics, controls, traction motors, and some of the generation systems and switchgear.
Click to expand...
I still love steam trains and think they are the best toys around, very expensive though. Diesels suck!

Having had a background with diesel generators, controls and switchgear,
Click to expand...

Still sucking the fumes, major part of my business but not as profitable as swimming pools.
 
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