Regional Boards > Mid-Atlantic
West Virginia Turnpike
seicer:
"TURNPIKE RIDE - Gasoline motor powered cars in which you drive your way to FUN."
Camden Park, west of Huntington, West Virginia, 1967.
SP Cook:
Camden Park remains open, although the taxman backed up a truck several years ago and hauled off everything that wasn't nailed down, as they had been let slide on their taxes for decades. The year round skating rink and office also had a fire of suspiscious origin.
Among the things that are gone are the horses on the carosel, which, apparently unknown to management, were hand carved items from the early 1900s worth 10s of 1000s of $$ each. Rich folk have them repainted and put on display. Replaced with plastic. The 1950s era wooden roller coaster is down to one car, as they canibalized the other to keep it running (parts have not been available for years). When it goes, I suppose the place will close. Pretty much now its old carnival rides too worn out to travel any more.
BTW, when Marshall U. had a real buffalo mascot (Marco) he lived in a pen in the infield of the WV Turnpike ride. He has long since passed away, as has the ride. He once escaped during a game at recently astroturfed Fairfield Stadium in the early 70, and went into a rampage when he found out the grass wasn't edible.
I never did know why they called the ride the "WV Turnpike" (it even had signage from the era when the turnpike had its own route marker), since the place marketed at all three states (its on the banks of the Ohio and only 3 miles from the Big Sandy), no where near the actual route, and I-64, less than 100 yards from the place, was finished by then.
vdeane:
--- Quote from: SP Cook on March 17, 2013, 02:14:15 PM ---Camden Park remains open, although the taxman backed up a truck several years ago and hauled off everything that wasn't nailed down, as they had been let slide on their taxes for decades. The year round skating rink and office also had a fire of suspiscious origin.
Among the things that are gone are the horses on the carosel, which, apparently unknown to management, were hand carved items from the early 1900s worth 10s of 1000s of $$ each. Rich folk have them repainted and put on display. Replaced with plastic. The 1950s era wooden roller coaster is down to one car, as they canibalized the other to keep it running (parts have not been available for years). When it goes, I suppose the place will close. Pretty much now its old carnival rides too worn out to travel any more.
BTW, when Marshall U. had a real buffalo mascot (Marco) he lived in a pen in the infield of the WV Turnpike ride. He has long since passed away, as has the ride. He once escaped during a game at recently astroturfed Fairfield Stadium in the early 70, and went into a rampage when he found out the grass wasn't edible.
I never did know why they called the ride the "WV Turnpike" (it even had signage from the era when the turnpike had its own route marker), since the place marketed at all three states (its on the banks of the Ohio and only 3 miles from the Big Sandy), no where near the actual route, and I-64, less than 100 yards from the place, was finished by then.
--- End quote ---
Funny, the local (Rochester) amusement park is able to keep their wooden roller coasters going just fine. Why are parts so hard to come by in WV but not NY?
amroad17:
Are you referring to SeaBreeze or Roseland (in Canandaigua)?
Either the park itself really does not want to invest in parts or because the nearest theme/amusement parks are at least 150 miles away for them to "borrow" parts they need. "Order parts? What's that?"
nexus73:
Back in the day we had this thing called craftsmen. You handed them a project and they made from scratch whatever it was that the project needed. Nowadays we couldn't even find someone to replace lightbulbs when they burn out it seems. This nation of ours is doomed. Think "Idiocracy".
Rick
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