Cajun Cliffhanger came from Riverview?

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 11:55 am

I read somewhere that Cajun Cliffhanger came from Riverview Park. Is that true?

Why did SFGAm take it out anyway and what happened to it?

xxlatinogueroxx · Post by **xxlatinogueroxx** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 2:10 pm

There was an accident on there with a young girl who got her foot stuck on the floor while rising up.

Shockwavegirl · Post by **Shockwavegirl** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 11:55 pm

^Another reason that I think Premier Parks ruined that place. When I worked there it was owned by Time Warner....the rules were more strict, but if followed less people got hurt. I ran that ride and NO ONE was allowed to wear open toed, open heeled, sandals...ONLY shoes that covered the whole foot. When Premier Parks took over, they got rid of that rule....and I believe the young girl who got hurt was wearing sandals.

They also got rid of the rule of needing 2 people in the back seat at all times on coasters too, although in the time that I worked there, ever on the news in my lifetime if you think about it, no one ever fell out of a coaster....I suppose that if someone did....you'd want someone who could've seen it.

twixmix0303 · Post by **twixmix0303** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:16 pm

So they had two people in the back seat so they'd have two eyewitnesses?

that_guy · Post by **that_guy** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:09 pm

Lol your kidding I thought it was to make the line for the back seat move faster

Shockwavegirl · Post by **Shockwavegirl** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:35 pm

Nope....if someone falls out of the front or middle there is always someone behind them to witness the fall, if you are alone in the back, there is no one to tell the operator that you are gone. When running max trains, the operators are constantly loading trains, they may not remember that there was anyone in the back to begin with. Same reason why on Rapids, although 2 people aren't required to sit next to eachother, a min of 2 have to be on the ride......especially in cooler weather when many rafts leave the station empty, ops will not notice for a while that the raft that person was in came back twice....empty.

that_guy · Post by **that_guy** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:10 pm

Makes rides eeem quite runreliable but, whatever…

Shockwavegirl · Post by **Shockwavegirl** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:39 pm

Like I said, I never saw it happen. But accidents can happen and it's better to be prepared than not.

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 6:30 am

Back the question at the top of this thread.....To my understanding, Cajun Cliffhanger did come from Riverview park. At one time, there used to be a small plaque at the exit of the ride that stated it was the Rotor from Riverview. It was located on the left side of the exit, and it was part of the black iron fence that was around the ride.

A few years before the ride was taken out, the plaque was removed. Looking back, I wish I had taken a picture of this.

jonrev · Post by **jonrev** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:01 am

Cool. I really wish I got to ride it. What happened to CC after its removal?

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:17 am

HERE IS SOME HISTORY ON THE ROTOR:

The Rotor was invented by Ernst W. Hoffmeister of Hamburg, Germany around 1948 (US patent 2586333), and an improvement was patented by Max Myers of London (US patent 2657054). Riverview Park and Long Beach received Rotor installations in 1952. Although initially collaborating, makers and operators of Rotors in the U.S. became embroiled in a patent disagreement which appears to have been resolved by assigning the rights to build portable Rotors to the Velare Brothers (under the Hoffmeister patent) and the rights to stationary models to the Anglo Rotor Corporation (under the Myers patent). The Velares began touring with two Rotors around 1954, while Anglo Rotor placed about five rides in parks as concessions. In 1956, stationary Rotors were located at Kennywood, Coney Island (Ohio), Long Beach, Riverview, and Rockaway's Playland. In 1960, two appear to have been at West View and Paragon.
At least one of the Hoffmeister Rotors in Germany in the mid 1950s appears to have been built by Anton Schwarzkopf .

HERE IS SOME PHOTOS OF RIVERVIEW MODELS INCLUDING THE ROTOR
http://homepage.mac.com/lmcshane/Ed_Fru ... bum11.html

segerken · Post by **segerken** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:39 am

Being from California and never been to Gurnee, other then driving by it on the toll road, what was the Cajun Cliffhanger/Rotor?

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:13 am

segerken wrote:Being from California and never been to Gurnee, other then driving by it on the toll road, what was the Cajun Cliffhanger/Rotor?

A Rotor is a ride where guests line the inside of a round tube. They stand single file along the walls of the tube, with their backs against the wall. When the ride starts, the tube would spin very fast. The forces created would then press you against the wall. After about 30 seconds, the floor would drop away, and you would be left stuck to the side of the wall.

As the ride cycle ended, the floor would be raised, and the ride would be slowed down until it stopped.

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 1:18 pm

jonrev wrote:I read somewhere that Cajun Cliffhanger came from Riverview Park. Is that true?

Why did SFGAm take it out anyway and what happened to it?

Here is a news article as to why the ride was removed.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/1335200/detail.html

I would like to know the rides current status as well, I have not heard anything.

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:31 am

Rotor at Riverview (Cajan Cliffhangers 1st life 1952-1967).

The book is Riverview - Gone but not forgotten 1904-1967
by Chuck Wlodarczyk, which he has for sale online.

GREATAMERICAparks.com

Cajun Cliffhanger came from Riverview?

Cajun Cliffhanger came from Riverview?

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What was the Cajun Cliffhanger

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