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Oldest coasters you've ridden

ECG

ECG

East Coast(er) General
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One of our new members got me thinking. Ryan Smith (aka CoasterWild) is from Adelaide, Australia - the home of Scenic Railway at Luna Park, the second oldest coaster in the world that's still operating.
So what are the oldest coasters you've ridden (steel &/or wood)? How were the rides? Does the thought of riding a very old coaster excite or bore the crap out of you?

Here are few of mine:
Leap The Dips, Lakemont Park, Wood, 1902 - Really enjoyed dipping on world's oldest
Rutschebanen, Tivoli Gardens, Wood, 1915 - Two fantastic rides with Slayed
Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, Wood, 1920 - Great double down & nice tunnel, best during Fright Nights
Jack Rabbit, Seabreeze, Wood, 1920 - Another fun woodie & one of my favorites
Thunderhawk, Dorney Park, Wood, 1923 - Not worth the pain even tough it isn't very painful
Thunderbolt, Kennywood, Wood, 1924 - Really like this one even though others don't
Racer, Kennywood, Wood, 1927 - Some good airtime, but not as good as 1-4 above
Wildcat, Lake Compounce, Wood, 1927 - Ouch! worst one on this list so far
Cyclone, Astroland, Wood, 1927 - Rough, but in a good way: a classic!
Dragon Coaster, Playland Park, Wood, 1929 - Dragon cool, coaster meh
Bobsleds, Seabreeze, Steel, 1952 - Oldest steel I've ridden, but nothing compared to most of the woodies above
Matterhorn Bobsleds, Disneyland, Steel, 1959 - Historic & my 200th

Old coasters really aren't too bad & nowhere near as rough as many newer ones. Steel ones are ok, but just don't get me pumped as much as the woodies.
I'd make the huge excursion to Australia just to ride Scenic Railway because I really like riding the classics. To me they're not just nostalgic, but actually plenty fun to ride (in most cases). Can't wait to add the Big Dipper at PBB to my list this summer! :--D
 
When you go to Adelaide, I'd go via Melbourne if I was you.

http://rcdb.com/1136.htm

Americans; geography was never their strong point! ;-)

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To add to the interesting topic though, the Kennywood and Dorney ones above, Santa Cruz Beach and Blackpool's would be my oldest (thats "wood" be the oldest).

Perhaps "wood" stays "good" - the old steel just rusts and falls apart?

To my shame I've been to Melbourne (and Adelaide) and didn't (at the time) have the inclination (nor information) to go out to the scenic railway. :-(

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All my coasters that are older than I am; :-(

1921 Kennywood Park - Jack Rabbit
1923 Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Big Dipper
1923 Dorney Park - Thunderhawk
1924 Kennywood Park - Thunderbolt
1924 Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Giant Dipper
1926 Six Flags World of Adventure - Big Dipper
1927 Kennywood Park - Racer
1933 Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Roller Coaster
1935 Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Grand National
1941 Six Flags New England - Thunderbolt
1946 Hersheypark - Comet
1955 Knoebels - High Speed Thrill Coaster
1958 Blackpool Pleasure Beach - Wild Mouse
1961 Tibidabo - Montana Rusa
1964 Cedar Point - Blue Streak
1965 Toshimaen - Cyclone
1966 Six Flags Over Texas - Mine Train
1967 Six Flags Over Georgia - Dahlonga Mine Train

Steels only start appearing last, with the (now gone) HSTC at Knoebels being the oldest.
 
Good topic! I was thinking about this earlier in the year after riding Roller Coaster at Great Yarmouth. Which is my oldest.

I'm sure many of the Brits will say Big Dipper, but it was closed when I went to Blackpool. Making the Roller Coaster there my second oldest, then Zipper Dipper in 3rd place.


I'm unsure about steel coasters. It's gotta either be Corkscrew at Alton or Skyways at Clarence Pier, both 1980. I'm not sure which came first.
 
david morton said:
When you go to Adelaide, I'd go via Melbourne if I was you.

Americans; geography was never their strong point! ;-)
Click to expand...
Don't know what I was thinking. Goes to show how your brain starts to turn to mush towards the end of your third straight 12 hour overnight shift. :oops:
 
Hmm. I think the oldest I've rode is Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasurebeach. Apart from that, there's not many in terms of old age that I've actually rode, which makes me sad :(
 
Leap the Dips - Lakemont Park - opened in 1902.

I ****ing loved it. I thought it was so much fun and such a great laugh. So glad Jerry surprised us with the visit!

The rest... meh... Leap the Dips <3
 
I can't get past the 1920's - 1920 and the Margate Scenic for me.

What's a little gutting is that I had the opportunity to go to Shipley Glen when I was going out with a girl from Yorkshire, but we went to the Old Mother Shipton's petrifying caverns (or whatever that crap was) instead.

That would have had me on 1900 with the oldest steel coaster:
http://www.joylandbooks.com/shipleyglen/

Dammit. I'm not going to repeat the same lists, but Scenic is my oldest, followed by Big Dipper.

Oldest (definite) steel is Cyclone at PBB, 1974 (Pinfari Cyclone of some kind).

There was this silly little Supercar thing at Ffrith beach too, but it's difficult to date. Probably between 1930 and 1955. Though nobody knows anything about it.

For those thinking their oldest steel may be Corkscrew or Revolution, remember Steeple Chase opened in 1977 (so that's three you have there ;) ) and Wildcat at Southport opened in 1978.
 
Lists! I'm going to stick with before the '30s though.

Leap The Dips, Lakemont Park, 1902 - A lot of fun when it really shouldn't be. It doesn't really do very much, so not really sure what it is about it that I liked.

Rutschebanen, Tivoli Gardens, 1915 - I wasn't raving about this as much as a lot of other people. I wish I would've got a couple more rides on it really and **** ed off the backstage tour.

Jack Rabbit, Kennywood, 1920 - I've said a few times now that I was disappointed by it. Saying that, I had no idea how old it was, so I should maybe give it a bit more credit. For its age it's decent, but that's about it.

Thunderhawk, Dorney Park, 1923- Can't remember anything other than "Awww, it's closed" followed by "Yay, it's open" a bit later. The ride? No idea, which probably sums it up.

Big Dipper, Blackpool, 1923 - I like it. I don't love it. Never found it rough though.

Thunderbolt, Kennywood, 1924 - Probably my favourite coaster at the park, even if it does beat you up a bit.

Giant Dipper, Belmont Park, 1925 - I love the whole "American Boardwalk" atmosphere, but the coaster itself is s**t. It really doesn't do anything. The area it's in (not so much the park) is cool though.

Racer, Kennywood, 1927 - Awful. Quite possibly the most boring woody I've ever been on, and that's including the kiddy variety.

Wildcat, Lake Compounce, 1927 - Don't remember it. It's very hard to give it any attention when you've got Boulder Dash right next to it.

Cyclone, Astroland, 1927 - Loved it, but it's absolutely brutal. No exaggeration, my thighs were killing me for days afterwards.

Dragon Coaster, Playland Park, 1929 - S'alright. That's it.

My oldest steel, and the oldest coaster in Asia as far as I know, is Roller Coaster at Hanayashiki from 1953. It's not the most forgiving on the knees if you're on the tallish side, but it's a really fun coaster which circles the whole park on top of the buildings. There's an excellent (small) drop into a tunnel as well.
 
gavin said:
Big Dipper, Blackpool, 1923 - I like it. I don't love it. Never found it rough though.
Click to expand...

I dont exactly find it rough either, but if you're in the back seat, the bottom of the 'big' drops can be pretty harsh on your spine.
 
Jack Rabbit, Kennywood - 1920
Thunderhawk, Dorney Park - 1923
Thunderbolt, Kennywood - 1924
Big Dipper, Geauga Lake - 1925
Racer, Kennywood - 1927
Matterhorn Bobsleds, Disneyland - 1959
 
Leap The Dips is mine, and **** all this talk about it being fun it was one of the utter worst and most painful rides of my life...

Being built in 1952 I think Bobsleds at Seabreeze is my oldest steel as well then. That was fab <3
 
Ben said:
Leap The Dips is mine, and <img src='http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_censored.gif' /> all this talk about it being fun it was one of the utter worst and most painful rides of my life...

Being built in 1952 I think Bobsleds at Seabreeze is my oldest steel as well then. That was fab <3
Click to expand...

Or maybe this little fabby?

http://rcdb.com/677.htm

<3.
 
My "top 3" are:

Rutschebanen at Tivoli Gardens from 1915
Just a really great coaster, I really hope that they are going to keep it running as it is for several years still, and not destroy the ride by trying to remove the brake man like they have done at Bakken...

Big Dipper at Pleasure Beach Blackpool from 1923
A real piece of ****, I wouldn't mind hearing that it have burned down...

Rodelbaan at De Waarbeek from 1930
A really nice little steel coaster in a small park in the Netherlands. Rides a lot better than you expect it to :)
 
1920 Kennywood Park - Jack Rabbit

Been meaning to get over onto Leap the Dips.. but it is a smidge of a drive. Hell.. might go by next year before the Live! IDEAS!! :D
 
Um, pretty sure Bobsleds at Seabreeze was a woodie when it opened in 1952, guys.

Especially since Matterhorn at Disneyland was the first ever coaster with tubular steel rails.
;)

My oldest steel coaster is either of the Little Dipper models built in 1952 that are still operating at Memphis Kiddie Park and Quassy. Roller Coaster at Hanayashiki opened in 1953, which I've also ridden.

Anyways, here's my list of wood older than 1940:

Leap The Dips - Lakemont 1902
Jack Rabbit - Kennywood 1920
Jack Rabbit - Seabreeze 1920
Roller Coaster - Lagoon 1921
Thunderhawk - Dorney Park 1923
Big Dipper - Blackpool - 1923
Thunderbolt - Kennywood - 1924/1968 (1924 is the date for Pippin. Thunderbolt was the 1968 expansion of that ride.)
Giant Dipper - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 1924
Giant Dipper - Belmont Park 1925
Racer - Kennywood 1927
Wildcat - Lake Compounce - 1927
Cyclone - Astroland 1927
Dragon Coaster - Rye Playland 1929
Legend - Arnold's Park 1930
Roller Coaster - Great Yarmouth 1932
Cyclone - Williams Grove 1933 (SBNO)
Roller Coaster - Blackpool 1933
Zipper Dipper - Blackpool 1934
Grand National - Blackpool 1935
Yankee Cannonball - Canobie Lake Park 1936 Was relocated, originally built 1930
Cyclone - Pleasureland Southport 1937 Demolished 2006
Blue Streak Conneaut Lake Park 1938
Rollo Coaster - Idlewild 1938
 
Thunderhawk, Dorney Park, 1923- I didn't like this at all, nearly gave my uncle a concussion as well. :lol:

Dahlonega Mine Train, SFoG, 1967- This was okay, I rode it while little, so I thought it was fun.
 
Jake said:
Ben said:
Leap The Dips is mine, and <img> all this talk about it being fun it was one of the utter worst and most painful rides of my life...

Being built in 1952 I think Bobsleds at Seabreeze is my oldest steel as well then. That was fab <3
Click to expand...

Or maybe this little fabby?

http://rcdb.com/677.htm

<3.
Click to expand...

Ohhh, fab. I still think that one on the beach that was my 200th was meant to be REALLY old, but, RCDB just says 1975 or earlier :(
 
These are the oldest coasters I've been on:

1. Scenic Railway - Luna Park Melbourne 1912 - really loved this and would like to go back on it again one day.

2. Big Dipper Blackpool 1923 - Despire others not liking it, I actually enjoyed it :D
 
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