Backety-Back Scenic Railway

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Backety-Back Scenic Railway
Backety-Back Scenic Railway Post Card.jpg
Crystal Beach
Location Crystal Beach
Coordinates 42°52′03″N79°03′33″W / 42.8675000°N 079.0591667°W / 42.8675000; -079.0591667 Coordinates: 42°52′03″N79°03′33″W / 42.8675000°N 079.0591667°W / 42.8675000; -079.0591667
StatusRemoved
Opening date1909 (1909)
Closing date1926 (1926)
Cost$50,000
General statistics
Type Wood  – Shuttle
DesignerJohn H. Brown
Speed10 mph (16 km/h)
Inversions 0
Trains2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 5 rows for a total of 20 riders per train.
Backety-Back Scenic Railway at RCDB

Backety-Back Scenic Railway was a wooden roller coaster located at Crystal Beach Park. The ride opened to the public in 1909 and operated until 1926. [1] The Backety-Back Scenic Railway was notable for a backward-traveling innovation which would be adopted many years later in more modern steel roller coasters. [2] It was also one of the earliest shuttle roller coasters to be built, [3] as well as being the second roller coaster to be built in the Crystal Beach amusement park. [4] The coaster has been cited as a particularly beautiful example of roller coaster architecture. [5]

Contents

History

Backety-Back Scenic Railway was built in 1909 by Pennsylvanian John H. Brown and construction of the coaster cost $50,000. [6] Backety-Back Scenic Railway was the only roller coaster Brown would ever build. [7] In 1904, however, he patented the unique track-reversal design which made the coaster a predecessor to modern shuttle roller coasters. [8]

Track layout and ride experience

Being a shuttle roller coaster, Backety-Back Scenic Railway traveled over its course both forwards and backwards. The coaster had two lift hills and also necessitated the operation of a switchman when the coaster had reached the end of its forward progress. [6] Following this reversal, the train would engage a second reversal and continue on its way. [8] The course of the roller coaster was a twister layout [9] and the roller coaster had a curved tunnel in its course as well. [6] Trains had 2 cars of 5 rows apiece, with each row having two riders. [8]

The coaster had a large station which resembled a riverboat in shape. Inside this station was a ticket office (tickets were sold for 10 cents) and the queue for the ride itself. [8]

Incidents

In 1910, a 17-year-old girl, Louise Koch was killed after falling from the Backety-Back Scenic Railway. [9] The coaster had minimal safety features, and the only restraints were the sides of the cars themselves. [8]

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References

  1. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Backety-Back Scenic Railway  (Crystal Beach)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  2. ↑ Francis, David W.; Francis, Diane DeMali (2003). The Golden Age of Roller Coasters. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   0738523380 . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  3. ↑ Marden, Duane. "List of shuttle roller coasters". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  4. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Crystal Beach". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ Cartmell, Robert (1987). The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster. Popular Press. ISBN   0879723424 . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Hirsch, Rose Ann (2011). Western New York Amusement Parks. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-0738574561 . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  7. ↑ Marden, Duane. "List of John H. Brown roller coasters". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Crystal Beach Park (1888-1989)". Closed Canadian Parks. Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  9. 1 2 Rossi, Erno (2005). Crystal Beach: The Good Old Days. Seventy Seven Publishing. ISBN   0920926045 . Retrieved August 9, 2013.
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