Location: Sandusky, Ohio
Date: July, 1989 (Hope to go back soon)
Weather: Hot and sunny
Crowds: Light for CP (According to other people's TR's) (15 min. max wait for any ride)
Admission: $28.95 (source: 96 Getaway Guide)
Description: A large traditional park. It features an impressive roller coaster collection (9 when I visited, 12 now). Has themed areas, such as Frontier Trail.
A John Allen Out and Back - 1964
Description: An out- and back coaster which features gentle airtime. 78-foot lift with 72 foot drop.
Trains: 2 trains by PTC. When I rode they had trad. lap bars and seat belts and 2 stop loading. From reports this season, they have been retro-fitted with headrests, seat dividers and ratcheting lap bars. Also the ride is now flush loaded. Gone also is the manual braking system. (4 cars/ 6 per car)
Platform: When I rode, this was first come, first serve. I understand that it has been converted to seat queues.
Opinion: Highly Overated! I like out and backs as well as anyone else, but this one did nothing for me. First reaction: "Is this their kiddie coaster?" With the new bars and complaints of platform procedure including the ramming down of these bars, this ride is probably not worth riding now.
An Arrow Mine Ride - 1969
Description: An early Arrow Mine Ride, built over and around a lagoon and woods. Features more emphasis on turns, twists and spirals rather than drops.
Trains: Early Arrow Mine Ride trains. They have single position, manually locked lap bars and seatbelts. The park owns 5 trains, but usually never operates over 3 at one time. (5 cars per train/ 6 per car)
Platform: Indiv. line for each seat.
Opinion: Fun ride. IMHO, better than the parks wood coaster offerings in terms of sheer fun.
A modified Arrow Corkscrew - 1976
Description: An Arrow corkscrew with an added vertical loop, for a total of 3 inversions. Still the parks only traditional sit-down multi-element coaster. The corkscrews are built over the midway.
Trains: 3 Standard Arrow Trains (6 cars/ 4 per car)
Platform. Indiv. line for each seat.
Opinion: Small but mighty coaster. What it lacks in elements it gains in re-rideability and 'fun value'.
An Intamin Bobsled Ride - 1985
Remodeled to be an enclosed in-the-dark bobsled ride -1990
Description: 1985 - A rather short bobsled coaster with solid steel trough
------------>1990 - A dark ride coaster using the bobsled track and a storyline
Trains: 5 sleds (10 persons each)
Platform: First come, first serve
Opinion (as Avalanche Run) : Memorable only for the novelty of being a bobsled ride
An Arrow steel-tracked racing coaster (wood structure/steel track) - 1978
Description: Possibly the only steel racer. Follows a double out-and-back layout.
Trains: Up to 3 per side, uses Mine Ride style cars (5 cars/ 6 per car)
Platform: Seat queues for any seat (They do like roping off the back car in small crowds :()
Opinion: Very Good ride, has a spiral, a headchopper effect (very effective) and is a real fun ride.
An Arrow suspended coaster - 1987
Description: A suspended coaster built over an Island.
Trains: 3 Arrow suspended trains (7 cars/ 4 per car)
Platform: Indiv. Seat Queues.
Opinion: Lame suspended coaster that completes it's circuit at a snail's pace. The Dragon Iron name is a pet name for the coaster that circulated around high school, knocking its slow speed.
An Intamin kids coaster - 1979
Description: A kids coaster. Steel track with only a 20' lift and speeds up to a whopping 6 mph.
I was too tall for this ride :(
An Arrow steel Out and Back - 1989
Description: An out and back coaster. Features a 205' lift,special effects tunnels, a weird pretzel-shaped turnaround, and a wood-coaster feel with plenty of airtime.
Trains: 3 trains by Arrow (Mine Train Style) (6 cars/6 per car), ratcheting lap bars, belts
Platform: Cramped, indiv. line for each seat
Opinion: First: IT's just an out-and-back, Second: it's an amazing out and back with loads of airtime and an almost classic layout, exaggerated in height for the '90s. Highly recommended.
A scharzkopf Wildcat - c. 1970's
Description: A large fairgrounds style coaster. Features several spiral drops, quick turns and 'stop-on-a-dime-brakes'.
Trains: Several 4 seater cars, lap bars (for you to double over when braked :) )
Opinion: The largest 'fairground' style coaster I've seen, very fun ride though not worth the long wait, due to it's low capacity. Why is this ride still here with all the modern, hi capacity coasters?
Opinion of Park: Great park with wide variety of coasters and rides. Easily a 2 day trip, maybe even 3 if you want to see shows and the water and/or challenge parks. Fun for the whole family.
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