From: bchoplic@stipple.seas.upenn.edu (Brian Choplick)
Newsgroups: rec.roller-coaster
Subject: Re: Conneaut Blue Streak News
Date: 12 Oct 92 20:33:01 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Oct12.133357.2079@engage.pko.dec.com> buck@cavlry.enet.dec.com () writes:
>First off, anyone wishing to RIDE the Conneaut 
>Blue Streak can do so this coming weekend!
>
>The park is running the ride, and charging
>$5.00 per ride to help raise money for it's
>maintanence.  Just FYI if someone out there
>is absolutly dying to ride the Conneanut
>BLUE STREAK.
>

Excellent! I've been searching for something coaster related to do this 
weekend, and the only thing I could come up with was SFGAdv, with all
the good coasters dimantled/inoperative (Lightning Loops/Shockwave).
Maybe, I'll head to Conneaut...

Now, I said:
>>However, the Knoebel party did walk the track to inspect the 
>>coaster's condition, in case Conneaut was willing to sell. They 
>>found the condition to be decent, but not suitable enough for 
>>dismantling, shipment, and reconstruction at Knoebel's.  (And 
>>the Knoebels have experience here. The Phoenix was another coaster 
>>preservation effort from San Antonio.) Much of the wood had 
>>deterioration, and would have to be replaced. I guess the cost/effort 
>>would have been too high, as the Knoebel family is no longer 
>>interested in the Blue Streak at this time.

Buck said:
>I'll have to check my sources on this one to see just how
>"non interested" they are at this point.  I heard they are still
>very interested in the ride.  As far as lumber goes, much of the
>lumber on the Rocket (Phoenix) had to be replaced when the ride
>was shipped from San Antonio.  It wasn't a problem then with
>Knoebels owning a lumber company, so I don't see why it would
>be such a problem now?  Also, Conneaut PA is MUCH closer than
>San Antonio, TX!!  I just don't see why this would cost so damn
>much?!  Yes, I do know the condition of the BLUE STREAK, and agree
>it's not great, but it's not THAT bad.

From what I understand, most (if not all) of the trackwork was replaced on the
Rocket (Phoenix) when they moved it. That did account for a lot of lumber, but
the structure itself was salvaged. The Blue Streak, however, needs more
than new trackwork. A lot of the structural supports would need replacement as
well. Sure, Knoebel's own a lumber company, but apparently the cost is still
high.

I HOPE Knoebels is still interested, but I don't know if this deal will 
fly. The person I talked to about this brushed it off as if it wouldn't
happen. He said that the Knoebels were pressured to go to Conneaut in the first
place.

I can believe that. The Knoebel family isn't noted for putting up huge capital
investments on longshots. Hell, they've been around for a long time, and 
they've only invested in two coasters so far. The main reason the Phoenix was
installed was because of its relatively excellent condition. The Blue Streak,
in less than excellent condition, may be too risky. The Knoebels are generally
conservative people. If they're not absolutely sure that the Blue Streak will 
pay off, I doubt they'll bite. What we need to do now is convince them that it
will.

Anbody up for letter writing?
Knoebel's and Conneaut Lake both need a shot in the arm. Let's get them moving!


Brian, who wishes more parks would at least show SOME interest in coaster
preservation.