Wow... look at all the dust and cob webs... Oh well let me haul out my handy windex and paper towel and we shall be good as new and ready to go for some NEW and EXCITING blog posts...
yeahhhhh... I can just hear the excitement.
You know I really don't like photos of myself... however I have to take the opportunity to show the cool sign Brandon (FINALLY!) made for us. And think... it only took 3 years!
Randal Scott and his Project 31 also co-partnered with me for this year's exhibit. For those who haven't yet seen his coaster models, I believe they should be at Union Station on permanent exhibit starting in October. Definitely check out his website http://www.modelcoasters.com/project31.htm
The headliner for the show was the display of part of the EXT (stand up) car.
Another new addition this year was the display of our 1980-1981 off season aerial photo. It had sat curled up in a tube for years, and we were happy to finally get it scanned, printed, and mounted for view!
For those that have seen previous incarnations of the exhibit this should look pretty familiar. This year I was able to organize some of the brochures, newspaper clippings, etc, and put them better on display. So you can see a copy of the 1973 brochure on display in front. To the far right is the Zinger structural support.
After being asked about various non-coasters over the years I decided to create displays for the various themed worlds, and picked the two with the largest collection of unique non-coaster rides... Scandinavia first. There is also a Schussboomer wheel on exhibit in front.
And Americana. On Saturday morning we received two new donations from a park employee. Seen here to the right is a cleat from the Cotton Blossom (tie off). May it rest in peace.
Orient Express corner, and there are lots of things to look at here. Starting from the corner, far left, is an Orient Express break shoe. Directly above that is a foam logo from the park's 10th anniversary, and 1977 souvenir map. To the right you can see an Orient Express chain link, coaster rail, road wheel, and anti-rollback trough. The small can in the center? An Orient Express Survival Kit. From the label it appears it was given out as part of the Media Kit for Orient Express.
So what's inside? Well we don't really know as it was never opened. Ahhh mint condition!
Special Thanks to Bill Valliant, for providing the Orient Express Survival Kit, 10th Anniversary Logo, and more from the Hunt Midwest Archive. Thank goodness they didn't end in a landfill!
Rounding out with modern history. Moving from left to right. The large wooden stack, is an example of a wooden coaster track bed section (in this case actually from the Raven), 1989 souvenir map, and binder including Timberwolf construction photos.
Remember earlier when I said we received TWO donations? Well take a look at #2! Poor guy who donated this item received a loud, ear splitting girly scream from me on first glance. I wasn't the only one who never thought they would see one of these dragon heads ever again. For those that don't know, the Viking Voyager boats used to all sport red dragon heads, of which this is one of the few surviving examples.
Of course we were only half of the exhibit, the other half was filled with Project 31, or the Worlds of Fun coasters of 1980. Can you name all of them? Well here is the most grand, the Orient Express. Not to be confused with the Mamba. Which some still needed reminding... has no loops. Of course I guess you could say the two are related, in a second cousin, married to your sister in law, kind of way.
Here is a great YouTube video of the Express model running.
Brandon gifted both us some rather unique parting gifts... My favorite was some mini-caterpillar earth mover machines. We will let you use your imagination of what these scaled down machines are preparing to do...
So I will once again leave you, but hopefully this time not for as long. I have a box sitting on my loveseat, that is being scanned right now, and its full of fun (OLD) Worlds of Fun stuff, that I will happily share with you as soon as I am done, which shouldn't take too long....
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