70 Years Later, Pennsylvania Coaster to Again Soar Over Ravine

One of the country's oldest still-operating trolley parks (a term that refers to picnic groves and amusement parks built by the trolley companies in the late 1800s and typically placed at the end of the trolley lines to encourage weekend riders), the circa-1896 Waldameer park in Erie, Pennsylvania used to feature the Ravine Flyer coaster. Built in 1922, the old woodie stopped flying over the park's ravine when it closed in 1938. Next season, Waldameer will pay tribute to its long history when it opens Ravine Flyer II, a modern-day sequel of its classic coaster. The hybrid ride will use a steel structure and a wood track to rise 80 feet and drop 119 feet at 60 degrees into its namesake ravine. Using an out-and-back layout, it will reach a top speed of 57 mph, offer a second drop of about 80 feet, and deliver ten moments of airtime. With a length of 2900 feet, the ride will last one and a half minutes. Built by the Gravity Group, the wooden roller coaster design company responsible for such gems as The Voyage at Holiday World in Indiana and Hades at Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin, expectations are high for the new thrill machine.

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