Rocky Springs Wildcat recreation - NoLimits 2

[@crooked-halo]

Magnificent! One of Schmeck's greatest creations! I was honored to go here three times in the 80s and walked the ride twice. Cyclone was a magnificent, incredible ravine coaster. The tunnel was like something out of a horror movie, certainly the greatest lift hill approach ever devised. Late 70s & the dawn of the 80s it was still hoped that Puritas Springs would be re-opened and Cyclone refurbished & operated again.

[@easynhonest]

I think it would be a top 5 coaster if it was in operation . I'll bet Derek Shaw has a ton of Wildcat photos 😅

[@crooked-halo]

@@easynhonest Having visited Derek Shaw's apartment in the 80s, I'm confident he has a ton of photos of everything! He's a regular participant in a Facebook group I'm active in; "Defunct Wooden Roller Coaster Archives."

[@deplorabledave1048]

I remember that first drop to be much steeper and longer in 1965, Lancaster, PA. I was only 10 at the time mind you. First time on any coaster. NO safety bars. You literally had to hang on for dear life. Terrifying to any age group I would imagine. I never got another chance to ride it again. They closed it down the next season. What a wonderful thing you did to recreate this. Should have inferred a whole lot more sawing and vibration. It was OLD and made from WOOD.

[@urbex_coasters]

I sat in the old trains yesterday. They could run again with some TLC (ie new padding, paint job). Hope to one day see a replica of this thing built, running the original trains, and the caroucel returned to its original home with a band organ. Rocky Springs or Williams Grove would work great as a sister park to Knobles if they were ever interested in having a second park.

[@RaptorAlex]

My wife and I stayed at the B&B on Rocky Springs' grounds last year after we got married. It was wonderful. Seeing the trains was nice but also sad.

[@easynhonest]

Wow ! Thanks for bringing back history with this awesome but well unknown classic thrill ride. I got to walk it in the 80's and took some slides that are a little better than RCDB's photos . I'm going to try to have them transferred to digital pictures . You fulfilled my two wishes with this and the Allentown Central Park Cyclone (Skyclone) .

[@RaptorAlex]

Glad I could give you virtual rides.

[@crooked-halo]

@easynhonest - Those are my pictures on RCDB, all 8 of them. I was 14 years old when I took six of those photos & 17 when I took the two of the first drop. I went twice, 1982 & 1985. So yeah, they're not the greatest, I was a crazy, young teenager, however I'm apparently the only one who offered photos to RCDB. I wish you'd put your better Wildcat photos up somewhere for us to see. Maybe you have? I'd love to see some good interior tunnel photos.

[@Lucky_9705]

This coaster was way ahead of its time

[@crooked-halo]

In 1928?

[@utahcoasterenthusiasts]

I bet that turn/ bunny hop gave some nice airtime.

[@RaptorAlex]

And laterals. I bet it was surprising every ride.

[@jeffreywoosley960]

Great work on all your recreations. Any thoughts of doing any of the other coasters besides the Bobs from Riverview Park in Chicago?

[@RaptorAlex]

Thanks! I'm thinking of doing Dips at Buckeye Lake next. Possibly followed by Mr. Twister and Wildcat at Elitch Gardens.

[@RCmaniac1231]

I’d like to request Thunderbolt at Willows Grove

[@RaptorAlex]

Bob Hooley actually made that one. Check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3uoeIyMrc99m8k He's got a lot of great recreations and videos of the real things too.

[@heheheiamasupahflyingace3921]

That prelift is doing some Cheetah Hunt type stuff there.

[@RaptorAlex]

I wish these coasters were still around. So many had excellent prelift runs.

[@heheheiamasupahflyingace3921]

@@RaptorAlex I wish more of these defunct coasters were around for their interesting layouts in general.

[@heheheiamasupahflyingace3921]

Well that combined with the lack of restraint coasters from decades ago had with their original trains while still sometimes having strong airtime. Only coasters left really like that that I can think of are Kennywood's Jack Rabbit and Phoenix at Knoebels.

[@crooked-halo]

@@heheheiamasupahflyingace3921 Vancouver Coaster, Classic Coaster in Washington, Coney Cyclone also have minimal to no restraint & strong airtime.

[@garyedwards8468]

I rode the original Wildcat over 50 times & this does look like the original but the original had -1.8 g at top of first drop pull out and +4 g at bottom of first drop more in

[@RaptorAlex]

That is wild. It looked so fun.

[@deplorabledave1048]

@@RaptorAlex You should have tried it age 10 in 1965. I did. I still remember it as being the most terrifying coaster ever. NO locking safety bar what so ever. Just a "gripping rail".

[@amusementnow4416]

Was the tunnel really like that?!

[@RaptorAlex]

Yes! It was 500 feet long and went back and forth.

[@crooked-halo]

Having walked that tunnel on three different visits, YES it was like that. It was probably the greatest coaster tunnel, and best approach to a lift hill ever created. When you see photos from inside that tunnel it's almost unbelievable.

[@wideawakeinotown]

that tunnel is insane. i love all the old woodies that had a great opening tunnel

[@mdteletom1288]

Where do you get the layouts and specs for these long gone coasters? Have you ever done one of these for the one at Palisades Amusement Park (swings all day and after dark.)

[@robdcx]

I saw you said on the NL forum that you worked with bent heights for this. Does that mean you have a copy of the blueprints? I would love to see them if you do and if you're willing to share!

[@RaptorAlex]

It wasn't bent heights, just bents. It was like one layer of the blueprints. It's bad quality, and I only used it for the overhead layout.

[@garyedwards8468]

Although it looks nice- the ride is not accurate. The coaster was built on a steep hillside and the drops and g forces were much more extreme than in this simulation- see my (G Edwards) simulation on No Limits (first version) as I personally rode the Wildcat over 50 times in my youth and have a collection of over 100 photos on the ride. Even my g forces are accurate- a minus 1.8 g’s at top of second hill and 3.5 positive g’s at bottom of first drop- also first drop had 65 feet of 90 foot drop at steep angle (nearly 60 degrees).

[@rbebut1]

WHAT!? IS THAT ALL?

[@RaptorAlex]

Steep drops, fast pacing, great pre-lift section, airtime on every hill. What else is needed?

[@rbebut1]

@@RaptorAlex one hour and 20 minutes of real live continuous roller coaster fun. BRING It ON! There goes lunch....