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 Post subject: OT, perhaps: World’s oldest roller coaster in trouble
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 9:57 am 

Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm
Posts: 467
Lakemont Park in Altoona just announced they’re not going to open Leap the Dips or Skyliner this year. LTD is a 1902 wooden side-friction and the last of its once very common kind. Skyliner is neither as old nor as significant, though it does have its own interesting history. Lakemont was, of course, a trolley park, like many early amusement parks.

There is huge public outcry already and American Coaster Enthusiasts, who have a murky claim to LTD, are already trying to move fast enough to keep a hostile park administration from destroying both coasters the way Oglebay Park demolished the train layout without warning (and so far they didn’t get the casino license, either.) Lakemont’s kiddie rides already appear to have been quietly scrapped or sold off in the past few weeks. The water park was destroyed sometime between last fall and the annual light show, regardless of the wildlife habitat. Rumor is the city has some housing development offer on the land.

There are two parks that might take on the project. DelGrosso’s is nearby and LTD would fit perfectly into its family-friendly business plan. (“Intense” is not a word you’d apply. I can ride even with a bad back.) Unfortunately, they probably doesn’t have enough space. Knoebel’s has a strong preservation history and may help.

If any of you know how to get a stop demolition order for a National Registry structure, now’s the time to say something before the bulldozer moves in.

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 Post subject: Re: OT, perhaps: World’s oldest roller coaster in trouble
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 2:58 pm 

Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 8:46 am
Posts: 36
Location: Altoona, PA
Since I live here, it's worth noting that Lakemont Park is owned by Blair County--the land was granted to the county in 1937--and not the City of Altoona (Lakemont is in Logan Township, by the way).

Altoona Mirror article on the news.

Key note is that the operator's lease expires in 2066, and under its terms, Leap-the-Dips must be protected and maintained.

The county also has a first right of refusal on the Skyliner and the miniature railroad (which is a Chance Rides steam outline), and the county solicitor claims that also technically applies to LTD.

All of that said, I would personally prefer LTD to stay right where it is, or at least somewhere in Blair County. There's at least one other operating side-side friction coaster that travels around Europe, but LTD is the last permanent Figure Eight Side Fridlction anywhere, much less in its original location.

Edit: Not that I want to lnsinuate anything, but if someone wants something gone, then will find a way. See: Blue Streak. "Accidentally caught fire" my cabin car.


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 Post subject: Re: OT, perhaps: World’s oldest roller coaster in trouble
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 4:23 pm 

Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:22 pm
Posts: 467
T.E.P wrote:
Not that I want to lnsinuate anything, but if someone wants something gone, then will find a way. See: Blue Streak. "Accidentally caught fire" my cabin car.


That’s a lot of good information and I really wanted to hear from someone there. As for the “accidents” that have happened, that’s what we’re concerned about too. We’re about 160 miles away and don’t know exactly where all the lines are. I’d rather see LTD go to DelGrosso’s if it could work, but where would they put it? There’s not a lot of room even if they bought property.

Also, I must add that “my cabin car” is the most polite and snicker-worthy euphemism I’ve seen.

The Blue Streak behavior, the destruction of the Silver Spade after the preservation group had raised money and bought land…they’re all spiteful destruction that was in no way necessary. Relocating a bridge…phew, there’s one very complicated process. At least now we know the experiment at Wellsburg (start to build the bridge on shore, then finish on a barge, tow into place and lift onto the prepared ramps and piers) seems to be working.

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 Post subject: Re: OT, perhaps: World’s oldest roller coaster in trouble
PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:45 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:48 am
Posts: 1531
Location: Byers, Colorado
Most likely you folks are ahead of me on this, but I'd rather offer a suggestion when one isn't needed, than to keep quiet when I should have spoken up:

My suggestion is to surround that sucker with security cameras and WATCH it 24/7 as well as tape everything for the duration. If you can, you also might have fire prevention equipment handy, and make arrangements ahead of time in case you need to call in the troops in the middle of the night.

35 years ago, I had a wonderful project cooked up, to restore a park engine and use her on an out of service, but serviceable branch line. Besides a perfectly preserved rural terminal and station at the far end, the biggest scenic feature was a mile long timber trestle spanning a river valley which was twenty or thirty feet deep across it's entire width.

Many people supported the idea, but evidently not everybody. One night the trestle "mysteriously caught fire" along it's entire length and burned clear down to the ground. It sure looked to us like somebody drizzled diesel on the bridge deck from one abutment to the other and stuck a match to it. The creosote did the rest.

An ounce of prevention...

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Ask what you can do for your locomotive,

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 Post subject: Re: OT, perhaps: World’s oldest roller coaster in trouble
PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 5:44 pm 

Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:34 pm
Posts: 2758
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
This is an unfortunate result of long term decisions. You have a really small minor amusement park with no modern, large popularity rides to "pay the bills". Further, the land around the park has been developed with non-complementary uses. For example, the baseball park is nice, but who is going to ride the amusement rides while a game is being played?

There is not enough critical mass there to motivate someone to plan to spend a day there. The rides themselves only have a future as a museum exhibit with some kind of non-profit support structure and limited operations.

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 Post subject: Re: OT, perhaps: World’s oldest roller coaster in trouble
PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:41 pm 

Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:12 pm
Posts: 204
What a shame. I have fond memories of multiple summer trips to the park as a kid. It was our Being only 2ish hours away from Chambersburg; it was a fun affordable way to spend a day, and bring visiting cousins.
Yes Knoebels was a nicer park, and Hershy is the big name crowd puller; but Lakemont was in many ways more accessible. My parents didnt feel anxious about letting my sister and I just run around unattended.
I hope of the two coasters that Leap the Dips is saved... yes the other one would be nice to save as well; but having the space for either one will be the name of the game, and Leap the Dips has the smaller footprint.


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