Amusement Park Mysteries
I love random vintage photos of Amusement parks; naturally it's great when I know which park is pictured. But I can't always identify the location, and that is intriguing too. Once again, I will call upon the GDB super-geniuses to help nail down the places in these images!
This first one is dated "June, 1979", and shows a swell miniature railroad chugging through well-manicured scenery, with a curved Romanesque folly (no idea what it is). The locomotive is almost certainly a "C.P. Huntington"-type from Chance Rides, or at least that's my guess - not that this helps a lot, since those are at MANY zoos and amusement parks around the country. They are still available for sale! FYI, these are not steam locomotives, but instead can run on gasoline, diesel, or even propane.
This locomotive has the name "Auguste Chouteau", Wikipedia says he was the founder of St. Louis, Missouri, a successful fur trader and a politician. He and his partner had a monopoly for many years of fur trade with the large Osage tribe on the Missouri River. In addition, he had numerous business interests in St. Louis and was well-connected with the various rulers: French, Spanish and American. So I thought perhaps this train might be one that operates at the Saint Louis Zoo (they have their famous Emerson Zooline), but I can't find any photos of a locomotive with Chouteau's name on it. What I have found is the names of Daniel Boone (#45), Pierre Laclede (#46), Lewis & Clark (#47), Ulysses S. Grant (#48), Charlton Tandy (#49), and Emerson (#100), and the newest, an electric-powered loco named for abolitionist Mary Meachum.
Next is this fun photo from July, 1974, taken from what is probably a beachside boardwalk - BUT WHICH ONE? The colorful Sky Glider, like the one still found at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, moves overhead, while the intriguing Spook's Shangri-La makes me wish I could experience it right now! Otherwise there aren't any other details that help as clues. I'm sure one of YOU knows where this is, though!
EXTRA! EXTRA!
GDB friend Chuck Hansen sent the following photo, a picture of him ...at the controls of Zooline #49, the Charlton Tandy, on October 10th, 2011. Thank you, Chuck!
15 comments:
Major-
"Spook's Shangri-La" can be found at Steeplechase Pier, Atlantic City.
Sign me up-!
Thanks, Major.
The first pic might have been taken in Rome. That looks like part of an ancient aqueduct in the background.
I don't know why, but my eyes went straight for that lone dandelion(?) in the middle of the "well-manicured" lawn. How did it escape decapitation from the hungry lawn mower? Hang in there, brave little flower! Oh yeah, the train... this is a fine example of a miniature train; very shiny and clean. Wherever this is, they must be taking good care of it. And I agree with TM!, that structure in the background is an original section of a Roman aqueduct, 2000 years old! It's holding up really well.
In the close-up, I can't quite read the little white signs on the side of the train car; only a few letters. I'm sure that would shed light on this location.
Dang, I googled "Spook's Shangri-La dark ride" and came up with a big steaming pile o' nuthin'! It's such an odd name, I thought it would come up for sure. I agree, this definitely looks like a beachside park.
Ooh! Nanook nailed it! Here's a photo that's very similar to today's photo:
https://images.rawpixel.com/image_1100/czNmcy1wcml2YXRlL3Jhd3BpeGVsX2ltYWdlcy93ZWJzaXRlX2NvbnRlbnQvbHIvbWFzdGVyLXBucC1tcmctMDk5MDAtMDk5MTZhLmpwZw.jpg
Now all that's left is to hunt down that miniature train location. These wild goose chases are FUN! Thanks, Major.
Wow! Now THAT'S a train engine!
Now that we cleared that up, I'm glad Nanook figgered out where those Spooks were hanging out! I'm going to see if I can find any ride vids! I hope I don't get too skeered!
Fun pics, Major!
Awesome post (of course)! I’m sure Chuck can tell us more, but that’s definitely the St. Louis Zoo. The Auguste Chouteau was retired at some point and was last seen in storage. I love the Steeplechase Pier picture! I found this older picture of the dark ride building before the pier was extended. You can see a small Whip ride sitting in the open air, and it used to be inside the building before being evicted by the dark ride. Back to the picture in the post, the part below the sign and the shingled gable display the unmistakable look of dark ride designer Bill Tracy, and I found a picture from a slightly different angle. The ride was renamed Haunted House, but they may have left the old “Spook’s Shangri-La” name on the side facade. Thanks Major!
Sorry I’m late - I overslept this morning.
You are correct - the first photo shows a Chance Rides C.P. Huntington of the St Louis Zoo’s Zooline Railroad (now known as the Emerson Zooline Railroad). The Auguste Chouteau was the first of the three original locomotives (the other two were another C.P. Huntington and a scaled-down replica of the LWT12 locomotive used on GM’s Aerotrain) placed on the tracks on August 20th, 1963. The Zooline began operation on August 29, 1963; St Louis Zoo Director Marlin Perkins was on hand at the “Golden Spike” ceremony that officially opened the railroad.
Great find on the Chouteau in storage, Andrew. I am unsure when the locomotive was taken out of service. I am hoping it eventually found a home somewhere else rather than being stripped for parts.
The structure in the background is the Kiener Memorial Entrance, built in 1962-63 and named for Harry J. Kiener, a St. Louis area businessman who had competed in the 1904 Olympics in St Louis, which were held in conjunction with the World’s Fair. You’ll note that there is no ticket booth; since the St Louis Zoo is taxpayer-supported, there is no admission charge (although there is a charge for special events, the carousel, the Children’s Zoo, Stingray Cove, the Sea Lion Show, the 4D simulator, the Zooliner, and parking in the Zoo’s two lots). While this entrance is still standing, it is no longer used. I am not sure when it closed permanently, but it was some time after the 1989 opening of the Living World building on the site of the previous northwest gate. Since the Living World is right next to the north parking lot and Kiener Memorial opens directly into Forest Park some distance away, I guess it made more sense just to have the one gate on the north side of the Zoo.
The railroad alignment you see here, with the tracks passing close to the entrance, was changed after a fatal accident on October 16th, 1998. The locomotive entered the turn faster than safe limits and the locomotive derailed and rolled. Engineer John W. Forsyth was killed when his head struck a concrete trash can. An engineer I spoke with told me that there was a theory that he at had lost control due to a heart attack, although newspaper accounts (all behind a paywall, sadly) say that he was overheard yelling that he couldn’t stop or slow down. The tracks were realigned to make the curve less sharp to reduce the likelihood of the accident repeating itself.
Mrs. Chuck bought me an “Engineer for a Day” package as a Christmas present in 2009 that I wasn’t able to redeem until October of 2011 due to a deployment. When she called to schedule the event, the person at the zoo asked “How old is the child?” to which she replied “42,” eliciting a laugh at the other end. I spent a full morning up through lunch crewing #49, the Charlton Tandy. Since I was an adult, I was allowed to actually run the locomotive - throttle, brakes, whistle, sand lines - the whole enchilada. It was a beautiful day, a great experience, and a wonderful memory. Thanks, Mrs. C!
I’m curious how the crew is taking to the new electric locomotive. The crew members I talked to were not impressed with the single, low-emission locomotive they had back in 2011, complaining that it was underpowered.
Andrew, that older picture you linked of the Steeplechase Pier was taken sometime after a 1962 nor’easter took out half the pier. You can see the remnant pilings in the water beyond the end of the pier.
Thanks again, Major!
I love that there's no attraction that can't be described in detail by the Jr. Gorillas.
"Here's a close-up picture of some obscure roadside attraction, with almost no identifying details"
...15 minutes later...
"Based on some nearly imperceptible detail, that's [name of attraction] that was in [come place}"
...5 minutes later...
detailed history of the attraction
...5 minutes later...
"I was personally involved with that attraction, and know a bunch of people who built and/or operated it"
It's absolutely fascinating the breadth of knowledge amongst this fairly small community
-Richfield Boron
^ Dean, I agree! It’s amazing, and fun(!), to watch as everyone keeps adding information, pictures and personal experiences.
Thank you, Major.
Sue
Oh, Chuck...
Name tag, and everything-!
Nanook, ha ha, well, that particular mystery lasted all of six minutes! I really did look up “Spook’s Shangri-La”, but somehow failed.
TokyoMagic!, notice that everyone on the train is wearing a toga.
JB, dandelions, the bane of all lawn enthusiasts. I actually bought a special tool just for removing dandelions from my mom’s lawn. The little train is a beauty, they have trained the zoos animals to wash and polish it every day. The panda is especially good at getting the brass to gleam. Yes, the signs are illegible, and also, I can’t read. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only person who did not find much for “Spook’s Shangri-La” it’s nice to have company. Wow, that linked picture really is very similar!
Stu29573, ha ha, a friend and I were just emailing each other about the idea of having a Walt-style backyard railroad setup, with tunnels and trestle bridges. If only!
Andrew, well, at least I was on the right track (pun intended)! I wonder why they retired the Auguste Chateau? Funny, you linked to one of my photos for the picture of the dark ride building before the pier was extended. I think I may have to contact you via email regarding some other pictures I have, and take advantage of your expertise! There’s a picture of a dark-ride exterior that (as far as I can determine) might be at one of two locations. You’ll know the right one!
Chuck, the Zooline Railroad is pretty great, I wish that the Los Angeles Zoo had a train that you could ride. It’s right next to the “Live Steamers” in Griffith Park, they should be able to handle an addition! Thanks for all of the information, including the Kiener Memorial Entrance. Hey, I competed in the 1904 Olympics, but you don’t hear me bragging about it. Wow, that’s terrible to hear about the fatal accident, one can’t help wondering what actually happened. Tragic, though. “Engineer for a Day”! Pretty nice. “How old is the child?”, HA! I love it. Sounds like it was a wonderful experience. You’ll have to go back and talk to the guys about the new electric locomotive. Tell them you are doing a report for a very important blog, and that American needs to know the truth! Thanks, Chuck, and thank you for the great photo.
Dean Finder, I guess it’s selfish of me, but that is one of my favorite things to do. Put up a “mystery photo”, and watch the magic happen! It really is amazing how smart my readers are. Or how dumb I am? (Why not both?). I’m happy to report that I have more mystery photos, and I look forward to sharing them!
Lou and Sue, it’s so fun!
Nanook, oh I didn’t even notice the name tag. I’m sure it is in a place of honor (sock drawer?) today.
Dean Finder, you've described the phenomenon perfectly!!
For more photos, here's a link with Marlin Perkins looking very much like Walt Disney with his railroad plans, then also seen driving the golden stake.
Thanks Major, fun and educational.
Andrew, thanks for those links and info. When you told us the train was "in storage" I pictured a nice dry warehouse. But I guess a plastic tarp is better than nothing. I couldn't decide if the Paratrooper ride in today's post is the kind that raises and lowers, or if it's permanently in its upright position.
Chuck, excellent deep-dive! And nice photo and story. Cheers to Mrs. Chuck.
I see that Dean Finder has officially changed his name to Richfield Boron after yesterday's post. Way to go, Richfield!
Major, If I remember correctly (ha!), the text for the photo I linked to said it was from 1979, so about 5 years after today's photo.
I bet the daily washing and polishing of the train is the zoo animals' favorite thing to do! Better than just standing around in their habitats. (Habitats are togas for religiously-minded animals.)
Originally purchased for the unbuilt “HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD - animal stars of stage & screen” zoo expansion, locomotive #48 The Charlton Heston and locomotive #47 The Jessica Tandy were in a collision during early steam-up testing … and became #49 The Charlton Tandy locomotive.
That’s what really happened - with the exception of a lie or two .
Well, I never did find any ride videos from Spooks Shangra-La. :-( The ride that kept coming up was Spook-A-Rama at Coney Island.
I watched it. I ain't skeered.
Actually it was a pretty standard Pretzel dark ride, so it wasn't bad. Still, not the right one. Sigh.
That name tag was in a place of honor for years on top of my dresser (just above the sock drawer), but I have since moved it to a closet with a bunch of Scout patches and other memorabilia. When I went looking for it this evening, it took me about 23 seconds to find it.
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