I've heard of the Virginia Reel tub style coasters and seen a couple old pictures of them, I'm wondering if any of those still exist these days and if so where, would be curious to try one for real.
Yes I also heard about the Arrow Version of this old favorite. The coaster has been in the making for 6 years now to my knowledge . It is sayd the first one from arrow will go to Coney Island, New York and have a 1930's type style
I was employed by Green Star rides between 1979 and 1982 at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, during this time I was involved with the operation, maintenance and finally the demolision of Blackpools Virginia Reel.
Although old in almost worn out by the time I kneew the ride, she still provided a thrill with every ride being different.
She was also sometimes a difficult ride to operate, with the track being split into a number of blocks each being controlled by a friction brake which were either off or full on.
Once operated these brakes had to be winched back down to allow all stopped cars to be released and so emergency stops were always avoided at all costs.
The last part of the ride included the cars in a trip through a tunnel to the very rear of the ride, this section was almost flat and and car that entered the tunnel to slowly would not make it through, I have on more than one occasion had to chase a car through the tunnel in order to help it out.
Arrow Dynamics have resently introduced a modern version of the ride which from literature apears to have a similar ride profilr to the original machines but has a number of cars linked together into a chain.
As a kid in the fifties we would go to the savin rock amusement park in west haven,ct.usa.The virginia reel was at the far end of ride area.I remember riding it many times.When it got to the top,the car would tilt forward as it got free of the chain lift and start the spinning and turning decent.It was a unique ride like no other.I also remember the ride called the boomerang.It consisted of several turntables with round cars that would hold 4-5 people.The turntables would turn and the cars would spin and switch from turntable to turntable and at one point,the operator would release the car from the turntable allowing it to go spinning on a track thru a tunnel and making sharp turns.It also was a ride unlike any today.
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