Skyride

[29yrswithaGApass]

Click here to see the whole

Spotlight!

 

Comments and discussions welcomed.

 

[WesternCablesRule]

I miss being able to visit my old ride now that I live in FL. In Busch Gardens, they have another Von Roll cable car ride, after 7 years of hearing those sounds, it was nice to hear them again. It was amusing seeing how the kids working there today performing the same antics we used to do (stopping a cable car leaving the cable without lifting a foot, stopping the car from the front (something that Mr. Burns would have fried us over if he saw us doing that from the bushes he hid in).

 

I also remember when our 120 sup wouldn't send someone over for a bathroom break. If we were running 17 cars and they were spaced properly, I would catch, unload, load and trip the car out myself (my lead would run to the bathroom near mine train and run back in the matter of minutes). This was night shift, so it was easier to go unnoticed.

Edited November 16, 2007 by WesternCablesRule

[29yrswithaGApass]

I worked on Parachuter's Perch during 85-86. When the wind would pick up we would always watch to see if the Skyride was shutting down. Our wind meter was obviously at a different altitude so we didn't ALWAYS close during the same conditions, but a big storm would take us both down really fast.

[WesternCablesRule]

I miss being able to visit my old ride now that I live in FL. In Busch Gardens, they have another Von Roll cable car ride, after 7 years of hearing those sounds, it was nice to hear them again. It was amusing seeing how the kids working there today performing the same antics we used to do (stopping a cable car leaving the cable without lifting a foot, stopping the car from the front (something that Mr. Burns would have fried us over if he saw us doing that from the bushes he hid in).

 

I also remember when our 120 sup wouldn't send someone over for a bathroom break. If we were running 17 cars and they were spaced properly, I would catch, unload, load and trip the car out myself (my lead would run to the bathroom near mine train and run back in the matter of minutes). This was night shift, so it was easier to go unnoticed.

 

 

It was either '85 or '86 when I was still at Dream Street cables, the wind got so bad in a freak storm, the wind meter shut the ride down, we used the VW's to bring the cars in off the cable, but we actually had to pull the car down into a vertical position on approach. I never seen anything like it, cars being angled so much that low to the ground. I do not recall what the wind meter was reading now, but I remember we were in shock at the high readings.

[GAcoaster]

I always remember seeing the cable stop as a thunderstorm would blow in. Periodically you'd look up and hear the announcement coming over the loudspeakers to "remain seated, the ride will be re-starting momentarily".

[GAcoaster]

I wish I had more time to work on my Skyride car...

 

[WesternCablesRule]

I wish I had more time to work on my Skyride car...

 

 

 

I went to that site the other day to see if there had been any progress made on that car. I remember when these cars were replaced by the (what we called tea cup cars) that are currently there today. I still have a big stash of cable car keys in my collection.

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

The original concept of multiple skyrides would have been pretty cool. I believe it was Bush Gardens Europe (Williamsburg) that has like 3 of them that take you to different parts of the park which can be very helpful depending on where you want to go. Luckily I have never been stuck in the cars during a freak storm or anything, which is kind of surprising since I usually take a few spins on it each visit.

[Up_Up_and_Away]

I believe it was Bush Gardens Europe (Williamsburg) that has like 3 of them that take you to different parts of the park which can be very helpful depending on where you want to go.

 

Yes; BGE's skyride is set up in a big triangle, each leg being a one-way trip; Banbury Cross (England) to Aquitaine (France), Aquitaine to Rhinefeld (Germany) and Rhinefeld to Banbury Cross.

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

Awesome, I knew I remembered being able to take three different paths for the skyride. It has been a while sincew I was there though, and we all know how much things tend to change in theme parks as the years go on. I realy like the layout of that park and movement throughout it seemed quite easy to me the couple of times I was there.

[The Master]

The Skyride is a cool ride. Sad to see that other parks have got rid of their's but GAdv's still has a Skyride. It has also been running alot more often than it used to. Shame that Disney and Dorney took out their Skyrides.

Edited January 8, 2008 by The Master

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

I really wish this ride would run more through the fall (Fright Fest) months although with the wind factors it is pretty tough to keep the cars safe. I would really like to scope out the park in its entirety from overhead when it is all lit up at night for the festivities.

[29yrswithaGApass]

An interesting Skyride note- during the first few years, the queue line at the Fort was multi-level. Queue bars originally occupied these areas behind the load/unload stations. Several holes from the removed queues can still be seen today.

 

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

How long ago was this. I for some reason do not remember waiting in queues in that area ever for the sklyride.

[av8r296]

I worked Western Cables from '95 to '97 and was the night lead the last of those two years. What a great time it was. I miss the constant battles between us and Dream Street about who was the better side. I remember taking my cable car key home with me every night because I didn't want it to disappear. I was the perfect length and angled just right. It was always fun seeing how big of a gap you could get on the cable by holding the cars in the station and then manually tripping them out, seeing how many things you could throw through the light curtain before you could get it to trip, and seeing how many people you could put in one car before the catched from Dream Street would call and yell at you. It was also pretty cool the one time i switched all the cars around so all the blues were together and all the reds were together. The one thing I enjoyed most, aside from the periodic tower checks was at the end of the night I would have all the rest of my crew climb up the ladder and go out on the catwalk between the two towers and watch the fireworks before we cleaned up for the night. Here's a question for all you fellow cable workers, am I the only one who still checks for pre-clamps before I get on now?

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

It's interesting to note that the skyride seems to have an interesting conundrum to its operations. This past weekend at the park, the lines were decently long at both the stations, but only one set of cable cars were operating. Now for us the line was a bit long to wait on, and by the time we got to the other side of the park walking we would have been getting there later riding. Unfortunately though the lines were long, it would have been a waste to have both sides operating and staffed. for the day, because the lines never became enormous, nor did they overflow from the queue very far. It is really a unique ride though because other than the parachutes, there are not many ride where the staffing on them has a sort of no win zone in terms of how well the ride functions for visitors.

[J4Sing]

It's always a treat when both sides are running. Not just because it splits the wait in half, but you get the full visual effect.

That ride is not only a GA classic and a World's Fair legacy, it's one of the few remaining Von Roll systems running, and an extremely

rare double line at that. It's discontinuation is unthinkable. May it fly forever!

[RobertDavid]

My fear is that someday they will not be able to get parts for it anymore and then they'll have to take it out. I fear the same fate for the Giant Wheel. A lot of park attractions get retired because parts are no longer available for them. Both these attractions are older than the park. I hope they last as long as the park does.

[29yrswithaGApass]

 

It is strange to see a photo of the Skyride at the NYWF with so few cars in the air!

[Daved Thomson]

My fear is that someday they will not be able to get parts for it anymore and then they'll have to take it out. I fear the same fate for the Giant Wheel. A lot of park attractions get retired because parts are no longer available for them. Both these attractions are older than the park. I hope they last as long as the park does.

I think you can rest assured that the sky ride should be around for some time to come. While Von Roll as a company no longer exists, the company that purchased Von Roll in 1996 (Doppelmayr Garaventa Group) still exists, is very healthy, and the Gondolas they continue to build today are decendents of the Von Roll design. It is my understanding that they continue to support Von Roll installations throughout the world and getting parts should not be a problem.

 

Here are two of Doppelmayr Garaventa Group's recent U.S. Gondola installations

http://www.doppelmayr.com/default.php?tid=...1&detail=46

http://www.doppelmayr.com/default.php?tid=...1&detail=42

[J4Sing]

It is strange to see a photo of the Skyride at the NYWF with so few cars in the air!

This is true. I debated posting that shot because of that, but it really is a gorgeous picture, even with only 2 gondolas present.

Here's a couple more lively shots. I have dozens of skyride pics from the NYWF.

 

 

 

 

 

HOW'S THIS FOR PERFECT DISPATCHES?

 

 

Here's a shot of the station by Gingerbread Fancy when it was at the World's Fair. Does anyone know how much of the original stuff remains?

 

How about the Fort Station- does anyone have any NYWF pics from that side of the line? I was wondering if it was also elevated to allow easy access to the counterweight shaft, or if it was at ground level with the shaft going down below ground level. Anyone know?

Edited August 6, 2008 by J4Sing

[29yrswithaGApass]

HOW'S THIS FOR PERFECT DISPATCHES?

 

That is a beautiful sight to see!

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

Now that would be an imposing site going across to skyscape at GA

[J4Sing]

Can anyone tell which end had the motors and which end had the counterweights at the World's Fair? Neither end was elevated, like the Fort is, so that means the counterweights went down a shaft underground.

 

North

 

South

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

At Great Adventure, the side with the larger storage area is the power station and the one with the smaller storage (The Fort) has the counterweights. Without seeing the bull wheels up close I would say the "South" end was the tension end with the counterweights.