Comments on: 86’d Rides Vol.1: Tumbler

By: Tim Kelly

Tim Kelly — Fri, 21 May 2021 20:29:42 +0000

I worked the Tumbler at Rye Playland in 1972. This is a true story. 4th of July. A guy named Ralph (I think) was the operator, I was working the deck. A hydraulic hose let go in the booth and sprayed fluid everywhere and the ride stopped with both wheels full of people. We were a bunch of kids. The owner wasn’t in the park but they got in touch with him and he was going to come with the new hose. In the meantime, there is a line a mile long who we have to tell the ride is closed so they are angry. We got the people off the bottom wheel, but the folks were still stuck up top. Only one thing to do. Release the brakes and let them go. Man, that wheel came down and just kept going almost all the way back to the top. People were screaming and then it went backwards and past the deck and up the other side and back and forth like a pendulum until it stopped and we got the people off. Wallets, purses, bodily fluids falling from the wheel. We were scared to death at the time, especially when it sped past the deck on its way, but it is one of the craziest things I ever saw. The owner got there about 7 PM, put in a new hose and refilled the hydraulic fluid and we were back up before the day was out. Just another day at work LOL.

By: Keith

Keith — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 12:22:25 +0000

In reply to MJ.

It was ! I got to experience the Tumbler at Rye
Playland in the 70’s ! Words can’t describe how
Much fun it was, and how scary ! It’s sad that Coney
Island let this ride rust away after it was disesembled
Chance should make a new Tumbler so everyone
can enjoy it !

By: Keith Benson

Keith Benson — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 12:43:14 +0000

In reply to Buddy B..

I also got to ride the Tumbler, at Playland
Rye NY, and there will never be anything
That can compare to this amazing ride.
I am so glad that I was fortunate to have
Had that experience , and I’m glad
that there are other people out there,
That shared that same experience .
In a way, it makes us privileged !
It’s sad that the Tumbler isn’t
around anymore. The last actual
Photos of the Tumbler were taken
At Coney Island, after the ride was
Dismantled, and left on the ground
to rust away ! I wish Chance would
Bring this ride back, so all
Future generations can have the same
Experience . RIP Tumbler , you will
always be in our memories.

By: 2for2true

2for2true — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 20:55:56 +0000

In reply to llacb47. What a great video! To my knowledge, that's the only film I've ever seen on the Wheel Burrow (a.k.a., the Tumbler). What memories!!

By: Buddy B.

Buddy B. — Mon, 30 May 2016 12:54:40 +0000

I rode that ride in 1968 — I have been to many fairs- amusement parks many times through the years. Six flags over Ga. 20 plus times Walt Disney World opening year and 15 plus times though the years. I was 10 years old when I rode the Wheel Burrow. The most terrifying ride I have ever been on. Completely out of control spinning. When you started going up it was impossible to hold the steering wheel therefor you spun out of control almost the whole ride except when they were unloading the other wheel then the horror continued until you got to the bottom. Banging all
around in that cage the whole time. Look at the wire mesh that is industrial grade. But hey, my wife and I are headed Six Flaggs today to ride the rides. But every time I walk though the Lick Skillet area and look to the right where that thing was the memories of that one ride always come back. I have been over it since 5 minutes after I regained my senses after getting it THE WHEEL BURROW. My description of the ride if mild compared to many others I have heard.

By: DoD3Brian

DoD3Brian — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 02:41:22 +0000

In reply to llacb47. Oh man, that is an awesome video! Looks like there's even a bit of an on-ride video at the beginning. Thanks for sharing!

By: llacb47

llacb47 — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 18:14:21 +0000

Hey,

One of my fellow Six Flags Over Georgia fans has posted a video of Six Flags c. 1969.
It has the Chance Tumbler in it.
Chance Tumbler segment starts at 8:41, best viewed in HD.
*This is NOT my video.*
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202571881958784&set=vb.1248488808&type=2&theater

By: DoD3Brian

DoD3Brian — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 16:45:39 +0000

In reply to garryg. Awesome post! Coney has definitely been cleaned up since things hit a low in the late 80s/early 90s. Maybe a little too cleaned up with all of these polished parks going up. Polar Express is indeed still going strong and I believe is the only Himalaya in Coney currently. If I remember correctly, the Musik Express that Astroland had prior to the park's closure was leased from Strates Shows. Those rumors of it being the fastest were probably true as Strates still runs that thing at an incredible speed!

By: garryg

garryg — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 15:35:12 +0000

I remember my first trip to Coney Island in 1973….I was 14. I am a native NY’er and during this period CI was considered dirty and dangerous, especially at night. I went one night with my brother and nephew, and we went on The Bobsled…I believe it was the last year this ride was open. It was a open wooden curved track and scary at night. I remember seeing the Tumbler and thought it was a very unusual looking ride. I remember the top wheel continued to turn while the one on the bottom loaded. The pods appeared to be a bit smaller and more squared than the Sky Diver pods,. I can’t say I remember seeing the ride run it’s cycle, just the load up. Years later (77?) when I returned to Coney, it seemed the center portion of the ride (everything but the 2 wheels containing the actual seats) including the yellow wheels that were on the sides and the blue center double cone shaped column were rusting in a heap next to the also abandoned Wild Mouse ride. The Mouse actually had vegetation growing throughout it….That wasn’t unusual for CI during this period…there were literally like 6 city blocks of rides, functioning ones standing alongside ones that were in disrepair and long out of service. When I first started driving I would head there (’77-’81) ….Some of the rides looked downright dangerous…The Thunderbolt roller coaster was running and looking very ill.. The Tornado coaster had experienced a fire, and was still standing….
There were many different Himalaya type rides on the different blocks.
A old Himalaya with the painted red letters on the front of the canopy, the legendary Polar Express (Still operating?) that seemed to have wooden cars and they faced towards the right, and the track appeared to have steeper banks, Lot’s of people enjoying the sound system on this ride and dancing (doing the Robot!) in the street….It seemed like every ride op was playing Trans Europe Express…a Super Cat that was a Caterpillar, a Cortina Bob in the Steeplechase section where you had in line seating in metallic jewel toned seats, and was very uncomfortable when the ride went fast- you felt like you were being thrown out sideways, and the newest and rumored to be the fastest Music Express down by the Cyclone in Astroland.
When I returned to CI after a long absence in 2000, it was nice to see the area had been cleaned up significantly.

By: DoD3Brian

DoD3Brian — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 02:00:28 +0000

In reply to MJ. Yeah it doesn't look too bad. A smaller version of this ride could fly today, I bet. Actually, after seeing some crazy Russian built rides on YT, I wouldn't doubt there's already something like it floating around!