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Unsolved Coaster Mysteries

Not confirmed but it seems possible one of the 2 boomerangs mentioned earlier in this thread (Knotts and Pleasure Islands old ones) could end up in Indonesia at Trans Studio Bali
Transmart/Trans Studio have been buying up lots of old Vekomas (along with 48 new junior coasters) and the artwork shows a boomerang at this new park.
As I said not confirmed but not a bad bet.
Bali1.jpg Bali2.jpg Bali3.jpg
 
Not that much of an unsolved mystery but a question
When Superman: Krypton Coaster was announced, it was meant to have a 96 foot tall Dive Loop. I wonder what happened, and if there was any pics of the layout from the announcement with the dive loop.
 
Ah, Speed the Ride. Was a fun cosster. I was lucky enough to ride it three times back in 2009. After Sahara closed, the ride was disassembled and moved to a vacant lot across from Mandalay Bay. They were supposed to build a giant Ferris wheel, I believe it was called Voyager. They built the frame to hold the wheel itself and then the project ran out of money and its now just abandon. (both the coaster track and the incomplete wheel were still in place as of last September when I was there) A little further down the strip another wheel started construction and actually opened, becoming High Roller, the tallest ferris wheel currently in the world. Although that UAE project will surpass it. And as far as RCDB be calling it London or whatever.....It's had like three other potential names. So who knows.
 
CanobieFan said:
Ah, Speed the Ride. Was a fun cosster. I was lucky enough to ride it three times back in 2009. After Sahara closed, the ride was disassembled and moved to a vacant lot across from Mandalay Bay. They were supposed to build a giant Ferris wheel, I believe it was called Voyager. They built the frame to hold the wheel itself and then the project ran out of money and its now just abandon. (both the coaster track and the incomplete wheel were still in place as of last September when I was there) A little further down the strip another wheel started construction and actually opened, becoming High Roller, the tallest ferris wheel currently in the world. Although that UAE project will surpass it. And as far as RCDB be calling it London or whatever.....It's had like three other potential names. So who knows.
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The wheel was called "Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel".
 
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Don't know if I'd have much luck here, but I've always been interested in this "inverted Tobbgan" ride from the Long Beach Pike in California. There's very little information on it out there. RCDB pretty much only says it operated from 1902-1915. Anyone know any more, or have other pics of it?
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Speed was a great (not so little) ride. Really enjoyed it when I got to ride it. Easily the best coaster on the strip.

@CanobieFan the Voyager was actually a different never finished project. Vegas is littered with them it seems. The one with speed was the Skyvue as mentioned by Cranedude.
The Skyvue would have been phase one of the London casino. It's a shame the London never got finished but it started construction at a difficult time one where many other projects much further along stalled too. At least Echelon Place and Fontainbleu look like they will be finished now arbeit under different names, owners and visions I guess the Cromwell further up the strip also usurped the British theme the London was going for as well.

As an aside there was another london themed resort proposed for Vegas which also had a big wheel. It was called "The London Resort".... It never opened..... Not sure why that sounds familier....
london_WEB.jpg


There are still some bits and bobs about the old Voyager project online but I'm not sure it ever really got beyong the proposal stage.
http://www.clenetclub.com/ajd_voyager.html

This page oddly has concept images of it at 6 different locations on the strip.
http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/voyager.htm
 
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Ohhh that's the world's largest clock face I think. I remember reading about that when it was being built. Looks ace tbh
 
That building bothers me since I want to see it and will never be able to, along with the spiteful, yet crappy, +1 creds scattered around the same area.
 
This is a proper old post but thought it would be interesting to do a bit of an update since some of the original mysteries have since been solved.

First up this classic

The Phantom Boomerang
Boomerangs are everywhere these days but in 1984 they were new and interesting. There is some confusion as to which was the first boomerang although I think its generally accepted the first to be built was at Rafaela Padilla in Mexico but the first to actually open was at Bellewaerde in Belgium. Two more also opened that year at La Ronde and Moreys Pier but a little known 5th ride was also built at Tivoli Park in Gran Canaria and possibly would have opened before Bellewaerde. Although that would have relied on it ever being finished.
Palmas.jpg


The boomerang at Tivoli can be seen here in front of the Ferris Wheel.

Tivoli had a troubled history and was originally due to open 1974 but failed to open due financing problems. Several attempts were made to finish the park all he way into the 2000s until what was there was finally demolished in 2013. Source: http://www.parqueplaza.net/2013/08/las-palmas-de-gran-canaria-derriba-un.html

Now in relation to the boomerang this is where things get murky. One of those attempts was in the early 80s and the picture above shows both the Ferris Wheel and the Boomerang at the park. The Ferris Wheel is also of Vekoma origin and is in fact still operating as Grande Roue at La Ronde in Canada. There is no date on the photo above but Grande Roue opened in 1984 meaning this picture must have been taken at the latest in early 1984.

The Boomerang that was there was also dismantled at the same time as the Ferris Wheel and promptly vanished too. There are many theories as to where it went. I've read it went to Parque de Atracciones in Barcelona before it went to Six Flags New Orleans to learn to snorkel but that leaves a 6 year gap between parks which seems unlikely. My personal theory is that this went with the Ferris Wheel and is what ended up as Boomerang at La Ronde, It wouldn't be the first time a ride company has sold a New Ride which Isn't really that "New".

The problem here is that no one at Vekoma now worked at Vekoma then. And even if they had I doubt records would have been was well kept as they are now. While its not really important it is a nice little historical mystery that I like.
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Thanks to some great work by Duane over at the RCDB who tracked down someone who worked at Vekoma from the time, this one was solved.
The ride was indeed packed up from its original location on Gran Canaria and sent with the Ferris Wheel to La Ronde. If it had opened as originally planned at Tivoli it would have been the worlds first Boomerang.

Next and one I'm sure every one knows by now this mystery from @Peet was also solved

Peet said:
Good mysteries!

I have wondered where the Euro Star transportable inverted coaster is. It used to run at Oktoberfest alongside Olympia Looping and was last seen as a permanent attraction at Moscow's Gorky Park which closed as an amusement park in 2011. The internet does yield some pictures of it dismantled (not torn down) in 2012:
View attachment 3720
(Source http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=69985&start=10)

With it being designed to be portable you would think that they would have found a buyer for it, but it hasn't yet reappeared so it is looking increasingly likely that it was scrapped.
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Eurostar at the time had been missing for years. being stored somewhere in Russia after its short stint at Gorky Park in Moscow. But eventually in 2018 the ride appeared once again at Anapa Park Jungle and operates to this day

EStar.jpg

Also probably well known by now is what happened to these rides that @Lori Marie Loud mentioned

Lori Marie Loud said:
That park in Rotterdam bought the two boomerangs, along with Reaper: Drop ride to doom! and that Shuttle Loop from Japan. Safety requirements resulted in the removal of the Shuttle Loop from the plans and the boomerangs and Drop ride to Doom!'s future are uncertain.
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Both rides of course ended up in Indonesia.
The Boomerang from Knotts ended up as Boomerang Hyper Coaster at Trans Mart in Cibuber

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And the Pleasure Island one ended up as Boomerang Challenge Coaster at Transmart Bali
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While its great to see some of those mysteries solved the mysteries of the 2 missing Schwatzkopf and the Jacksonville Beach coaster still bug me to this day :)
 
@roomraider I just remembered another mystery from recent times: the turquoise and purple B&M track at Clermont in early 2020.
CrashCoaster said:
Anybody know anywhere due for a purple, turquoise or dark grey B&M?

https://www.facebook.com/Themepark.nl/posts/2988443194523387

There are some pieces labelled "IC2", which I believe are for the Gröna Lund invert as well as the painted dark grey track possibly.
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Last we knew one piece of purple was out back for some reason and all the turquoise was gone. Any idea where they may have gone or what projects they were intended for?
 
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