Toboggan (roller coaster)

Toboggan
A disused Toboggan at Conneaut Lake Park
Status	Discontinued
First manufactured	1969
No. of installations	32
Manufacturer	Chance Industries
Height	45 ft (14 m)
Length	450 ft (140 m)
Toboggan at RCDB

A Toboggan is a portable roller coaster model that was produced by Chance Rides (then Chance Industries) from 1969 to the mid-1970s. ^[1] The coaster features a small ride vehicle which can hold a maximum of two people, that climbs vertically inside a hollow steel tower, then spirals back down around the outside of the same tower. There is a small section of track at the base of the tower with three small dips and two turns to bring the ride vehicle back to the station. Each vehicle has a single rubber tire with a hydraulic clutch braking system that governs the speed of the vehicle as it descends the tower. The rubber tire engages a center rail that begins halfway through the first spiral. The ride stands 45 feet tall with a track length of 450 feet. A typical ride cycle lasts approximately 70 seconds. ^[1]

History

The coaster was invented by Walter House of Amarillo, Texas. Chance acquired the manufacturing rights and began producing it in 1969. ^[1] The coaster was designed to be a carnival ride, fitting on two trailers, but several units were purchased by amusement parks where they were set up as permanent attractions. When the ride was first sold in 1969, it had a price tag of $35,000. Chance built 32 Toboggans, four of which still operate as permanent attractions at amusement parks. A few can also be found at traveling carnivals throughout the world. ^[1]

Installations

The following is a list of parks and traveling carnivals that are known to have operated a Chance Toboggan. ^[2]

Ride name	Park/carnival	Years operated	Notes
Toboggan	Adventureland	1973-1979	Sold to Moreno's Park, a traveling carnival in 1979
Space Moon	Animália Park	2023-present	Purchased from Moreno's Park
Toboggan	Arnolds Park	1998	Sold to Grand Prix Amusements in 1998
Swiss Toboggan	Boblo Island Amusement Park	1969-1978
N/A	Cal Expo Amusement Park	1975-1979
Toboggan	Casino Pier	1970
Toboggan	Central Pier Arcade & Speedway	1972-1984	Featured in the movie The King of Marvin Gardens
Toboggan	Clacton Pier	2009	Purchased from Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach
Toboggan	Conneaut Lake Park	2002-2006	Purchased from a traveling carnival in Texas. Remained SBNO until 2014, when it was dismantled and its remains left in a parking lot. It remained there until 2022.
Arctic Cat	Crystal Beach Park	1974
N/A	Deggeller Shows	N/A	Sold to Lakemont Park
Earthquake McGoon's Brain Rattler	Dogpatch USA	1969-73	Sold to Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland
Toboggan	Family Kingdom Amusement Park (then known as Grand Strand Amusement Park)	1968-1970s
N/A	Familyland	1972-1982
Toboggan	Funtown Pier	1970s
Toboggan	Ghost Town Village	1980
Toboggan	Grand Prix Amusements	1999-2005	Purchased from Arnolds Park in 1998
Toboggan	Great Adventure Amusement Park	1978
Toboggan	Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach	1993-2000	Sold to Clacton's Pier
Toboggan	Hersheypark	1972-1977	One of two identical Toboggans which operated at the park [3]
Toboggan	Hersheypark	1972-1977	One of two identical Toboggans which operated at the park [4] [5]
Toboggan	Huaycha Centro Recreativo	2022-present	Purchased from Lakemont Park
Swiss Toboggan	In The Game Funtrackers	1978-1984
Toboggan	Jenkinson's Boardwalk	1980s
Toboggan	Lakemont Park	1991-2016	Previously operated with Deggeller Shows. SBNO from 2017 to 2018.
N/A	Landgraf France	N/A	Operated for a season at Luna Park La Palmyre
Swiss Toboggan	Little Amerricka	1993-present	Purchased from Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland
N/A	Merimbula's Magic Mountain	N/A
Zeppelin	Moreno's Park	N/A	Purchased from Adventureland in 1979
Toboggan	Old Chicago	1975-1980
Toboggan	Palace and Casino Amusements	N/A
Star Wars	Parc Avenue	N/A-2003
Toboggan	Parc Belmont	1970s-1983
Toboggan	Parque de Diveriones Anita Nueva Aventura	2015-present
Toboggan	Playland Park	N/A-1979
Toboggan	Queens Park	1970-1972
Swiss Toboggan	Santa's Village Amusement and Water Park (then known as Santa's Village)	1971-N/A
Toboggan	Seven Peaks Water Park Duneland (then known as Enchanted Forest)	N/A-1990	Purchased from Dogpatch USA, sold to Little Amerricka
Toboggan	Shaheen's Fun-O-Rama Park	N/A
Swamp Buggy	Six Flags AstroWorld	1970-1972
Toboggan	Skerbeck Family Carnival	N/A-2022
Toboggan	Sportland Pier	1966-1970
Toboggan	Stewart Beach Park	1980s-1989
Toboggan	Trimper Rides	1970s-2009
N/A	Upper Peninsula State Fair	N/A
N/A	Xingqinggong Park	N/A

References

1. Chance, Harold (2004). The Book of Chance. Wichita, Kansas: Wichita Press. p. 48. ISBN   0-9649065-0-3.
2. Marden, Duane. "Listing of Chance Toboggan coasters". rcdb.com. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
3. Jacques, Charles J. (1997). Hersheypark: The Sweetness of Success. Jefferson, Ohio: Amusement Park Journal. ISBN   0-9614392-2-X.
4. 1975 Hersheypark Map, Hershey Community Archives, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company
5. "Hersheypark Rides for 1975 Season" (Press release). Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company.

External links

• Listing of Chance Toboggan coasters at RCDB.com