The Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park (Tribute)

On November 1st, 2019, the famed Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park operated for the last time. Designed by Edward Vettel and built by the T. M. Harton Company and opened on May 23rd, 1938, the Blue Streak was one of only 2 surviving Edward Vettel designs and one of only 2 surviving shallow track wood coasters. In March 2021, the park was sold to Philadelphia developer Todd Joseph who has lied about his intentions for the park and has broken the terms of the park's sales agreement. Since then he was destroyed most of the park. On January 4th, 2022 Todd Joseph demolished and burned the Blue Streak. As one of the greatest tragedies in roller coaster preservation, we can never forgive an act so selfish and horrible.
Song:
Losing True (1982) from The Roches
Footage:
Paul Greenwald
swampfoxer / swampfoxer
Menachem Piekarski / 382kingdaka
ElToroRyan / eltororyan
POV:
CoasterForce / coasterforce
Photographs:
Junction118
Conneaut Lake Park
Kenny Brindle
Ricky Summersett
Mike Schafer
Aerial Perspectives
Joel Styer
Gary Slade
Sarah Windisch
Joel Rogers
Karen Fabian

[@djccii3189]

❤❤❤ such a great tribute to a once AMAZING coaster that had its glory days and a tragic demise. 😢😢😢 always will be remembered and never forgotten.

[@RanHam]

Where did you get the photos of the old turnaround?

[@jayducharme]

You used one of my favorite songs as the soundtrack, a perfectly bittersweet tribute. I’m glad I was able to ride this wonderful coaster before it disappeared.

[@kimberlyboysza4954]

Every time I see pictures of this roller coaster I just want to cry. This was a land mark . It should still be stand. The owner should have giving the people who loved Blue Streak a chance to make money to fix her up and a sign stating her age and who designed her. May we never forget her

[@debrider2420]

We will always have our memories and those will never be demolished and burned. So much of our living is locked away in our mind and our memory.

[@urbex_coasters]

While I'm glad I got to ride it it's a real shame this ride did not make it into my adulthood, with me no longer teathered by my parents' dislike of amusement parks. I would have gotten so many more rides on it. I'll never go to Todd Joseph's Conneaut Lake. But we can't dwell on the past too much, aka someone please save Williams Grove, and get the Cyclone operating again. If Bushkill can still be open after what Ivan did to that park, it is definately doable. And the marketability is even better-have the park open 5 PM to 1 AM and market it as something to do after a day at Hershey.

[@MATTHEW3438]

If we hit the lottery, I think we would find a way to buy CLP and bring the Cyclone there. I believe saving a historic coaster and brining it to CLP would be the only way to make up for such a loss.

[@urbex_coasters]

@@MATTHEW3438 While that would be cool, it may be better to relocate Devil's Den and the Conneaut caroucel (with the ring machine restored, and the throwing element of Santa Cruz added) to the Williams Grove property and have Cyclone as the centrepiece. I saw that coaster last summer and I would like to see it restored. No one talks about the historic coaster rotting away in central PA anymore even though it's very salvagable by my estimates. It would of course need a total retrack but there weren't any structural collapses I saw so the bents themselves have held up. I also imagine a lot of it could be paid for by selling off pieces of the old track, seeing how much people will pay for coaster wood (and I certainly include myself in that if it's a restoration fundraiser). The second oldest amusement park in America shouldn't be rotting away like Williams Grove is.

[@Benthetrainkid]

Shame on Conneaut Lake Park for BURNING AND TEARING DOWN the historic attraction!

[@zacharylunsford2]

#FireToddJoseph

[@SanduskianHistorian]

Unfortunately that isn't possible since he owns the park.

[@MATTHEW3438]

@@SanduskianHistorian Only thing left is to buy him out.

[@livingthroughtheblue]

Thank you for posting this! And the last ride at the end. So many great memories.