Crystal Beach Roller Coaster Article – May 1951

Proper maintenance of amusement park rides has long been a safety concern. Just as Cedar Point in Sandusky makes it a priority today, Crystal Beach in Vermilion did more than seventy years ago.

The article below, which appeared in the Lorain Journal back on May 5, 1951 provides a nice glimpse of the work involved in removing rust from the roller coaster at Crystal Beach.

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Rust Removing Crew Works To Ready Big Vermilion Coaster

Tour Hard Work On First Trip

By ROBERT TATE

Ever wonder – as you took your stomach on a two-minute tear on a roller coaster – how it would be to get out and walk and push the one - ton car up one of those deep tips?

Three men were doing that yesterday afternoon at Crystal Beach Amusement park, Vermilion.

RUST BATTLES RUST ON GIANT COASTER

Every year about this time, Rust battles rust on the big coaster, 11 miles west of Lorain.

It's Henry Rust, the man in charge of the dipsy doodle speedway in the sky, who attacks the red rust on the strip metal tracks.

Because of the rust, the six-passenger coaster cars can rarely get around the nearly half-mile circuit on the first attempt each spring.

To get everything ready for the first night of thrills tomorrow, Rust enlisted Paul Ries, Vermilion, shooting gallery operator, and James Ryan, Crystal Beach's manager, to help.

Equipped with oil cans, the trio rode a single car up the first incline. At the top, the cable released the car for what is normally a gravity-powered dash up, down and around to the starting point.

But with rust dragging at the under wheels and side wheels which prevent sway by pressing against side boards, the car slowed to a stop half-way up two dips. Each time safety locks caught the car and the Big Push was on.

Over the top, the men dived back aboard like sailors scrambling into a lifeboat.

To keep up speed on the easy slopes, they pushed with one leg like kids on a giant scooter. Three times the journey was made before the oiling and rust-wearing was done.

Ryan, who lives at 1202 Hawthorne-av, and is safety director of Lorain, said the highest point is 60 feet.

"In the dips, they reach a speed of 70 m.p.h.," he said. That's considerably faster than Ryan's policemen will permit motorists to drive on city streets.

"There is absolutely no danger as long as everyone sits down and keeps his safety belt strapped," Ryan went on. He said the only bad accident in 26 years came when a boy stood up.

The coaster gets faster as the season progresses. Tomorrow night the ride will take two and a half minutes, elapsed time. Later on it will require just one minute, 55 seconds. Both times include one minute towing to get to the top.

After the season closes in the fall, and until winter sets in, Rust inspects and repairs the man-made forest of timbers. He and his family live inside the roller coaster jungle in a small house.

"We use only Alabama long leaf pine with very few knots," commented Ryan. "Wood that we remove is used elsewhere around the park. It's still good."

As far as the skimpy coat of paint on the structure, he explained that, altho customers have more confidence in pretty, heavily-painted framework, insurance inspectors frown on it. They don't want possible defects covered up.