Get Thar’ Eli!

ELI in 1973, notice the Burlington Northern logo on the tender. 

Some of the best stories when it comes to Worlds of Fun have to do with how various attractions received their names. Some involved a 6-pack of beer, at least one involved a famous Kansas City Chief’s player, one had a naming contest, and one… was named after a racehorse. 

Yes a racehorse. 

The Newspaper article from the Chilicothe Constitution Tribune

A close up of the photo in the article. 

ELI, better known as Worlds of Fun’s sole steam engine from 1973 until 2018 has one of the most unique stories when it comes to how it acquired its name. The story is original from the 1973 Press Release, but was also repeated in the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune in September 1973.  It goes that the engine named “ELI” and numbered “33” was named:

 “in honor of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) fast overnight rail service which ran between Kansas City and Chicago prior to the turn of the century.  When the train began running in 1888 some now-forgotten Missourian likened its speed to the fleetness of a popular Chilicothe racehorse of the day and shouted. “Git thar ELI!”   ("Worlds of Fun Railroad steams into Yesterday", 1973)

 The CB&Q later became part of the Burlington Northern system, and as many know Burlington Northern was the original corporate sponsor of the Worlds of Fun Railroad and ELI. 

John Graves lubricating the rod bearings on ELI in 1973.

Mid-American Enterprises, a company formed by Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman to build and operate the park was concerned with making as many aspects of the park as accurate as possible for the time, from the seven wooden train trestles, to the steam locomotive, to even using the Burlington Northern's "Cascade Green" coloration on the engine and coaches. Even those running ELI were authentic retired Burlington Northern Engineers, including John Graves who started his career as a fireman on the CB&Q Railroad in 1945 and Ed Henrion who started with Burlington Northern in 1925 and retired in 1972.  John and Ed weren't alone either, they were joined by Ed Watson who retired from Union Pacific in 1970.   

John Graves as Engineer in 1973.

Ray Booth as Engineer of ELI back in 2009.  Nearly the same view as above, you can see the pull cable for the steam whistle above Ray's head. 

So to say Burlington Northern had a major impact on Worlds of Fun Railroad is an not an understatement. Ever since I read the original press release from 1973 back probably over 20 years ago I had accepted that version of ELI's story as absolute fact. Then one day, when I was looking at old park souvenirs I found one that labeled the engine not as ELI but as CHIEF.  Was it a typo? Possibly, though admittedly that would be quite peculiar for a “typo” to be such a perfect fit for an engine owned by the same company that also owned the Kansas City CHIEFS.

The souvenir plate in question.

So which story is true?  Without getting into a philosophical discussion on truth, I will say that I believe they both are.  I believe, that it is POSSIBLE that Mid-American Enterprise's original name for ELI wasn’t ELI at all but was CHIEF.  When Burlington Northern came aboard as sponsors of the railroad a decision was made to change the name of the engine in honor Burlington Northern’s long local history. 

Stonewall Jackson, Crown Metal #556 at Kings Dominion.  The future Levy.

In 2019 ELI was originally planned on coming back, and as we all know what was planned… just like ELI’s supposed original name, didn’t actually happen. Whenever the park may re-open, the park will have a new engine as officially released by the park, another Crown Metal steam engine, LEVY.  However, ELI has also not been forgotten, and whatever its original name may have been, ELI has been for almost 50 years, and will always be to all of us, ELI.  

Orient Express 40 Years: 1980-2020

Not much more could be said about Orient Express that I haven't already written about or said in the past.  But today is April 4th, 2020, and today, forty years ago a gong sounded, and Orient Express gave its first public ride ever.  I can't just let that go without celebrating it just a bit on THE DAY.

If you want to read a little bit more about its specific history I recommend reading our historical review of Express which can be found here: http://www.worldsoffun.org/1980/orientexpress.html. But Express was so much more, it was the first thing everyone saw when they arrived, the sound of its lift hill still seemingly echos in our heads to this day.  It was also the last thing everyone saw as they exited, and that is regardless of what gate you went through, Americana or Scandinavia.  Worlds of Fun could have pulled a Six Flags and plopped a coaster into a parking lot, or field, but they didn't and to me at least that is part of what made it so special.

Ron Toomer, designer of Orient Express said it best:

"The Orient Express was designed to correspond with the existing ground layout, preserving as many trees and natural features as possible." Toomer said.  We were commissioned by Worlds of Fun to design a major coaster which not only provides an exciting ride experience, but a spectacular visual effect." (Worlds of Fun, 1980. p. 7)

And so today, on what would have been its 40th Anniversary, a tribute to that "spectacular effect'" of a coaster...

From April 4, 1980 until October 2003 no day at Worlds of Fun started without seeing the mighty Orient Express towering over the rest of the park.  Lee Derrough, General Manager of the park at the time Orient Express was built, made a comment when Timber Wolf was built that Hunt Midwest never attempted to build the longest, tallest anything because the next year another park would come and build something a few feet taller and a few feet longer.  Instead, he would go on to say, it was more important to focus on quality and building a good ride period, regardless of its statistics.  Orient Express was not the tallest, and it wasn't the fastest, and it certainly wasn't the loopiest, since Carolina Cyclone beat Express to four inversions only a few weeks prior.  The fact that Hunt focused on building a all-around amazing ride is why I believe Express could strike fear and awe into guests from day one until the very end.

Three were so many aspects that set Orient Express apart from other coasters though.  Of course there was its first drop...

The boomerang, or as it was known on the coaster the Kamikaze Kurve.  The unique aspect of the Kamikaze Kurve was that it was not only the first non-loop or corkscrew element on a roller coaster anywhere, but it would go onto the be re-used over and over and is still being used by Vekoma today on its modern coasters.  (Energylandia's newest coaster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1pGqsibw0Y)

Then there were the interlocking loops.  Express wasn't the first, that went to Loch Ness Monster (Nessie) at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (it's also still operating).  On Nessie both the lower and upper loop use the traditional Arrow lattice structure on the supports.  On Express, the top loop still incorporated that same lattice structure, but the bottom loop used the more modern "less is more" supports.  The combination of the old and new created something that probably wasn't planned but was absolutely aesthetically beautiful.  

The sunlight fades, the park lights are illuminated.  Coasters definitely take on a whole new personality as nighttime approaches.  Then just like that it's time to leave.  Whenever we left we always knew we would see this same view the next time we came.   

This is the last thought I will leave you with.  With everything going on in the world it's hard to see past today.  However, I believe, I hope, tomorrow will come.  Tomorrow, the sun will rise on a day when Worlds of Fun is once again open, and we will all see Mamba, Patriot, even the Worlds of Fun Railroad running once again.  I firmly believe today is not October 2003... today is April 4, 1980 and we have a great big beautiful tomorrow waiting for us.

And as an added bonus!  Orient Express 1990 footage.  Special thanks to Randal Strong-Wallace for finding this and providing us with the video!

Worlds of Fun (1980). Conjuring up the Orient Express. Great Times, 3, 7.

Worlds of Fun (1989). Not Quite the Tallest, Longest or Fastest, Just The Best.  Coaster Count-Down.