Yankee Cannonball
Encyclopedia
The Yankee Cannonball is a wooden
out-and-back
roller coaster
built in 1930 at Lakewood Park and relocated in 1936 to Canobie Lake Park
, Salem, New Hampshire
.
. Its serial number is 86. In 1930, it was installed under the name "Roller Coaster" at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut
. Frank F. Hoover oversaw the construction. The coaster operated in Connecticut for only five years before being closed and moved to Canobie Lake Park.
Rechristened the Yankee Cannonball, named in commemoration of the American Civil War
, the coaster's train colors were originally blue and gray, representing the Union
and Confederacy
sides of the conflict, all being united on the ride's red, white, and blue superstructure. When the ride was moved to Canobie, each section was shortened by six inches to help it fit the area planned for it. The rethemed ride opened for the 1936 season and has operated continuously since, though the lift hill was destroyed by Hurricane Carol
in 1954, and it was closed for repair during the following season.
The coaster's coloring has been altered since 1936 with retracking work done on the coaster. As of the 2009 season, the ride superstructure is white with orange handrails. One train is colored red, white and blue, while the other is hunter green and orange. The coaster is one of the first rides seen when entering the park's parking lot.
, the area inside the L-shape is now employee parking for the park.
Upon dispatch, the train takes a slight downward grade through a right turn into the 65' lift hill. The ride's initial drop is the largest at 63' 6". This is followed by a short airtime rise, then the second hill which has the 90° right turn at the top. Two small airtime rises precede the steeply banked 180º turnaround. The returning course takes the coaster parallel to the first half of the ride, traveling through a series of bunny hills, the brake run and a short turn into the station. The total duration of the ride is about one minute with a top speed of 35 mph.
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
out-and-back
Out and Back roller coaster
Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill, races out to the far end of the track, performs a 180 degree turn and then races its way back to the station....
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
built in 1930 at Lakewood Park and relocated in 1936 to Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park located in Salem, New Hampshire, United States, about north of Boston, Massachusetts.-Description:Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park for the Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company. The amusement park has opened every summer...
, Salem, New Hampshire
Salem, New Hampshire
Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,776 at the 2010 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center north of Boston, with a major amusement attraction, Canobie Lake Park, and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park.- History :The...
.
History
The roller coaster was designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck of the Philadelphia Toboggan CompanyPhiladelphia Toboggan Company
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company is one of the oldest existing roller coaster manufacturing companies in the world.Mack Rides of Germany dates back to 1781, but it did not start building coasters until 1921 Based in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, it was established in 1904 by Henry B...
. Its serial number is 86. In 1930, it was installed under the name "Roller Coaster" at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
. Frank F. Hoover oversaw the construction. The coaster operated in Connecticut for only five years before being closed and moved to Canobie Lake Park.
Rechristened the Yankee Cannonball, named in commemoration of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the coaster's train colors were originally blue and gray, representing the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
sides of the conflict, all being united on the ride's red, white, and blue superstructure. When the ride was moved to Canobie, each section was shortened by six inches to help it fit the area planned for it. The rethemed ride opened for the 1936 season and has operated continuously since, though the lift hill was destroyed by Hurricane Carol
Hurricane Carol
Hurricane Carol was among the worst tropical cyclones to affect the New England region of the United States. It developed from a tropical wave near the Bahamas on August 25, 1954, and gradually strengthened as it moved northwestward. On August 27, Carol intensified to reach winds of , but weakened...
in 1954, and it was closed for repair during the following season.
The coaster's coloring has been altered since 1936 with retracking work done on the coaster. As of the 2009 season, the ride superstructure is white with orange handrails. One train is colored red, white and blue, while the other is hunter green and orange. The coaster is one of the first rides seen when entering the park's parking lot.
Layout
The ride's layout is an out and back pattern with a 90º turn in the middle, creating the basic L-shape common in early wooden coasters. The primary elements include small hills designed to give moments of airtime and strongly banked turns. Restraints on the trains used to consist of a single lap bar with no seat belts allowing single riders to slide across the seat, making full use of the banked turns. Seat belts and center seat dividers were later added. Once the site of an infieldInfield
Infield is a widely used term in sports terminology, its meaning depends on the sport in which it is used.- In baseball :In baseball the baseball diamond plus a region beyond it , has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-covered outfield...
, the area inside the L-shape is now employee parking for the park.
Upon dispatch, the train takes a slight downward grade through a right turn into the 65' lift hill. The ride's initial drop is the largest at 63' 6". This is followed by a short airtime rise, then the second hill which has the 90° right turn at the top. Two small airtime rises precede the steeply banked 180º turnaround. The returning course takes the coaster parallel to the first half of the ride, traveling through a series of bunny hills, the brake run and a short turn into the station. The total duration of the ride is about one minute with a top speed of 35 mph.