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18-507: While they ran on track constructed of laminated wood and steel—defining the coasters as wooden by modern standards—Jazz Railways were marketed by the Traver Engineering Company as being all steel. The supporting structure of the track was indeed all-steel, and this was hailed as a new innovation in roller coaster design. Advantages of the prefabricated steel support structure included reduced cost, imperviousness to rot and fire, and

36-428: A quicker set-up and take-down process—which would allow the coaster to be moved from location to location. The name "Jazz Railway" itself was reported by Traver to be a way to distance the design from the wooden-framed roller coasters of the past. Jazz Railways were important in its demonstration of (nearly) all-steel roller coaster construction. This presaged Traver's later Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters , which utilized

54-528: The Alabama State Fairgrounds , as well as parks in Bombay , Toronto , Detroit , and New Orleans . Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters were a model line of roller coasters designed and marketed by Harry Traver and his company Traver Engineering in the 1920s. Despite their name, they had a reputation of being dangerous and are regarded by many historians as some of

72-430: The all-steel frames. A resistance to fire and rot were other advantages over wood that were advertised for Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters. Despite the advertisement of low maintenance costs, however, these coasters were actually quite demanding on a maintenance crew. What little wood there was experienced moisture problems, and the coasters were not wholly invulnerable to fire either. The Palisades Park Cyclone, for example,

90-664: The coaster was moved to the Alabama State Fairgrounds where it operated for several years. The Cyclone coaster which operated at the Century of Progress exposition between 1933 and 1934 in Chicago is also thought to be the same coaster. While at the Century of Progress, the coaster was first built near what is now Burnham Park , then later moved to a pier just south of the Adler Planetarium . A number of sources suggest that this coaster

108-586: The later Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters was its "jump" or "stunt" track (referred to in later Traver Cyclones as a "Jazz Track"). This consisted of rapidly undulating track that created a rapid shimmying motion. The first Jazz Railway was built at Rocky Glen Park near Moosic, Pennsylvania in 1925 after being tested at Traver's factory. Subsequent coasters were built at (or relocated to), the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ,

126-407: The many curves, another element common to the steel-framed Traver coasters were undulating "jazz tracks", meaning that Traver's Cyclones had almost no straight track in their entire course. The benefits of a steel-framed structure was one of the biggest selling points which was put forward by the Traver Engineering Company. Quicker (and therefore less costly) set-up times were one promoted aspect of

144-530: The most fearsome roller coasters ever built. Robert Cartmell described Traver's coasters as embodying "the reckless spirit of the 1920s". They featured fully steel frames and laminated wood and steel track. Wood was stacked between 6 and 9 boards thick, depending on the coaster. The frames were fabricated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and then shipped by rail to their building sites. The building sites were typically level and near beaches or piers. The main exception

162-427: The same building technique as Jazz Railway, but on a grander (and more frightening) scale. Jazz Railways were also important as a forerunner of the modern Wild Mouse coaster design. Like modern Wild Mouse coasters, Jazz Railways were relatively compact in their design. The coasters had a footprint of 70 by 160 feet (21 by 49 m). Besides their steel frame structure, another innovation which connected Jazz Railways to

180-631: The ten 2-seat cars of the Sesquicentennial Cyclone. These heavier cars are also thought to have exacerbated maintenance problems on the Terrifying Triplets. The least well known Giant Cyclone Safety Coaster was the Zip at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon . The Zip was a compact version of the "Terrifying Triplets", and it opened the same year (1927) as Traver's other Cyclones; however,

198-539: The track length was shortened because of space limitations at Oaks. It also featured shorter trains. Sesquicentennial Cyclone The Sesquicentennial Cyclone was a steel-framed wooden roller coaster which was operated at the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition in 1926. Designed and built by Harry Traver of Traver Engineering , it was a medium-sized prototype of Traver's later Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters . The coaster

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216-668: The train bodies was said to be one used in aeronautical engineering. Construction of the Cyclone took approximately half the time of a comparable wooden roller coaster. After the Sesquicentennial Exposition, the Cyclone was removed from the fairgrounds. Some sources report that it was put into storage for several years at the Traver Engineer Company's factory in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania , whereas others report that

234-555: Was The Palisades Cyclone which suffered increased maintenance problems as a result. The laminated wood also had problems with moisture at many locations. The geometry of Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters was extreme compared to their contemporaries, featuring very tight turns, spirals, and figure eights. These elements drew inspiration from the swoops and spirals of earlier Prior and Church roller coasters like The Bobs . Curves on Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters were often banked to much steeper angles, with some approaching 85 degrees. Beyond

252-449: Was built as a smaller-scale prototype to the larger Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters (the "Terrifying Triplets") which Traver built in 1927. In addition to its innovative all-steel frame (described by promotional material as being "[s]trong as the Rock of Gibralter [ sic ]" ), the coaster was also innovative in its use of aluminum-body roller coaster trains. The aluminum alloy used in

270-489: Was damaged when the wooden track on the coaster partially burned. The model line of Jazz Railways (built at Rocky Glen Park and other locations) was marketed by Traver as the first roller coaster to utilize a completely steel frame. Its stretches of rapidly undulating track were also an innovative feature that saw use in the later Traver Cyclones. The next step towards the Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters

288-782: Was larger than the Jazz Railways, but smaller than the "Terrifying Triplets". The Terrifying Triplets was a nickname given to three roller coasters which were opened or built by Traver in 1927. The Crystal Beach Cyclone was the first to open, followed by the Revere Beach Lightning and then the Palisades Cyclone . Each coaster had the characteristic steel-frame structure with wood-laminated steel track typical of Traver-designed coasters. The rides were relatively short in duration but notable for their lack of straight track. Their trains had five 4-seat cars, which differed from

306-559: Was the Sesquicentennial Cyclone at the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia (and several other later locations ). The installations of this coaster used the steel frame design introduced with the Jazz Railway, but began to add in the extreme elements which were characteristic of the "Terrifying Triplets" and the Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters more generally. The main difference was the scale. The Sesquicentennial Cyclone

324-504: Was the first to ever bear the name "Cyclone", though other sources argue it was the Revere Beach Cyclone or another coaster. As with the later Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters, there was very little straight track in the Sesquicentennial Cyclone. The coaster was shorter and more compact than the "Terrifying Triplets" however. It was 60 feet (18 m) tall and operated in a footprint of 90 by 290 feet (27 by 88 m). It included

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