In 1905, Waldameer’s original carousel, which was installed in 1902, was replaced. The new machine featured a menagerie of animals that were carved by several different manufacturers, including Dentzel, Muller, and Stein & Goldstein and it was assembled by T.M. Harton, of Pittsburgh. The carousel was placed in the building that now houses Waldameer’s current merry-go-round.
In 1907, Harton built Waldameer’s first roller coaster, the Dip the Dips, a gentle Figure Eight style ride.
Expansion continued in 1909 with the addition of a 2,000-seat vaudeville theater and the Scenic Railway roller coaster. During the early years, Waldameer was almost entirely self-sufficient. A gas well was dug on property to provide back up electrical power, while water from a spring was stored in a 20,000-gallon reservoir for use in the park.
Throughout the first decade of the century, Waldameer attracted thousands who traveled by streetcar to enjoy Waldameer’s beach, boardwalk and bathhouse. Patrons used an incline railway, called the Toonerville Trolley, to travel from the main portion of the park at the top of the slope down to the beach attractions. In addition to the roller coasters and carousel, other early attractions included House of Hilarity fun house, also built by T.M. Harton, and a circle swing.
1 comment:
Love the history stuff!
Curious about the "scenic railway roller coaster." Was that basically the train or was it something elevated like a typical coaster?
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