Reading (PA) man designed roller coasters at amusement parks across nation

[GAcoaster]

From the Reading Eagle:

 

Reading man designed roller coasters at amusement parks across nation

Roller coasters designed by a Reading native who died in 1956 still provide thrills.

 

As amusement parks open around the state and nation this weekend and roller coaster enthusiasts chase down the ultimate ride, many will find it in one of the creations of a former Reading carpenter who gained fame as a designer of thrill rides.

 

The many legacies of Herbert P. Schmeck are scattered throughout America, many of them nearby in his home state.

 

The Reading native, who died in 1956, designed more than 80 wooden roller coasters during his career in the early to mid-20th century.

 

As the president of Philadelphia Toboggan Co., Schmeck designed coasters during a period that was considered the heyday of the amusement ride industry.

 

And with another amusement park season beginning in earnest today, the Reading connection to some of America's best thrill rides will continue to entice thrill seekers.

 

For those who want to capture some of the joy that Schmeck put into his work, several of his coasters survive in parks close to Reading.

 

At Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom near Allentown, Schmeck's ThunderHawk coaster continues a tradition of thrilling riders, said Charles Hutchinson, the park's public relations manager.

 

"It is a great wooden coaster," he said. "Wooden coasters hold a lot more memories for people."

 

Schmeck's legacy was built with pine wood and steel rails, yet his contributions aren't widely known to many in the Berks County area.

 

"He didn't get recognition in this area for his work," said Torrence Jenkins Jr. of Denver, Lancaster County, who is Schmeck's biographer. "But he has strong ties to this area."

 

Born in Reading in 1890, Schmeck started out working as a carpenter for the former Reading Furniture Works.

 

He moved to the Philadelphia area when he was 25, after being hired to a work with a crew constructing a coaster for the Philadelphia Toboggan Co.

 

His work ethic impressed Philadelphia Toboggan's owner, who offered Schmeck work on other projects, Jenkins said.

 

After a stint in the Army in World War I, Schmeck returned to the company, eventually becoming president.

 

Schmeck had no formal engineering training, but learned how to design rides by studying blueprints and using his knowledge of construction.

 

"I think he learned everything by doing," Jenkins said.

 

By the time his career ended in 1954, Schmeck had designed 210 rides, including coasters and fun houses. He also was involved in constructing many of those rides.

 

"He made the Philadelphia Toboggan Company a force to be reckoned with in the industry," Jenkins said.

 

The Philadelphia Toboggan Co. is still in the amusement park industry. But instead of building rides, the Montgomery County-based company manufactures cars for roller coasters.

 

Jenkins, who wrote "Herbert P. Schmeck: The Forgotten Legacy," recently gave a talk about Schmeck and the thrill of roller coasters to a group of children in the Reading Public Library.

 

He said one of Schmeck's most popular coasters is the Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort near Elysburg, Northumberland County.

 

The ride originally was built for a now-defunct amusement park in San Antonio. In 1985, with the ride facing demolition in Texas, Knoebels bought it and moved it to Pennsylvania. It marked the first time a high-profile roller coaster was dismantled and moved, said Joe Muscato, Knoebels spokesman. It was, Muscato said, a homecoming for the Phoenix.

 

"This coaster has a lot of Pennsylvania connections," he said.

 

The classic ride is consistently ranked high by coaster enthusiasts and has become one of Knoebel's most popular attractions, Muscato said.

 

There are thrills built into every inch of the ride, from the first drop to the series of three "bunny hops" that give passengers a bit more air time during the ride.

 

"It is a lot of fun," Muscato said. "The ride has aged extremely well."

 

Jenkins, who spent three years researching Schmeck's work, is thrilled that so many of Schmeck's coasters still survive.

 

"There is still his legacy of work out there," he said. "It is amazing."

 

Click for a slideshow of some of his coasters!

[michelle]

Wow! Isn't that something, I used to live in Reading but never knew of him...