The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 146

Thursday, Aug. 3, 1989 The Philadelphia Inquirer 5-BC Special to The Inquirer ROGER TUNIS Hercules, billed as the world's tallest wooden roller coaster, has a Special to The Inquirer ANDREW EINHORN At Lansdale plant, Morris Southwick works on a coupler for a roller-coaster car. 157-foot drop; the new ride opened this spring at Dorney Park in Allentown. quickly," he says. the first seat, up where the wind would plaster He takes the front seat always with the his eyelashes to his temples.

cool detachment of a coroner at an autopsy. He "That first drop and the ultra-high speed doesn't scream. He dissects. Observes the curve," he said, and felt no need to complete smoothness of the ride. Evaluates the transi- the sentence, but shook his head in appreciation in curves.

Considers the G-forces. "I'm tion of excellence like a connoisseur who has looking for perfection in engineering. I look just finished a glass of Chateau Latour 1961. for all the little glitches," he said. High was commissioned to do the work by His wife, Linda, knows a thing or two about Charles Dinn, whose company built the Hercua good roller-coaster ride too, but she's no les structure.

The total cost, including the "enthusiast," she says. Enthusiasts ride for the cars, was $6 million. fun of it. She rides out of obligation. A spin on "In the amusement industry, when you have the coaster is the amusement-ride industry's a roller coaster, you know the people who version of the businessman's lunch.

build them," said Eileen Laverty, a love to look at them," she said. "I love to woman for Dorney Park. "People have known watch people get on and off. But I'm not a real Sam for years and years. It was a matter of, we're building a coaster, we need the The front office of the Lansdale factory is Philadelphia Toboggan which grosses papered with snapshots of roller-coaster cars, "in the sevenish figures," according to High, a newspaper clip showing a youthful Ted Ken- built Dorney Park's other wooden roller coastnedy riding a PTC coaster in Agawam, er in 1923.

High restored that one last year and and one portrait of Dolly Parton, a gift from a the park decided to give it a name: Thunderfriend. It also has a framed photocopy of the hawk. original company charter, signed on Jan. 21, The course of time has not changed the 1904, by Pennsylvania Governor Sam Penny- essence of roller coasters much, said High, packer, a distant relative of High's. who, with his candy-colored striped shortIn among the office files is a list of all the sleeved shirt, white hair and ruddy cheeks, roller coasters the company has built in its 85 looks like Christmas in July.

years. "The 1 materials are the same as they were 30 Number one on the list reads: "1904: Norfolk, years he said. Va. Pine Beach (torn down)." High esti- The old cars had a solid oak chassis. Oak has mates that about a third of the roller coasters as much strength and flexibility as the modthe company has built have been razed ern aluminum version, he said, but the wood casualties of The Great Depression, poor is too heavy for the higher, more spectacular amusement-park management, or fire.

structures that the public demands in this age Number 137 on the list is Hercules. of the upped ante. On April 30 at 10:30 a.m., it took its first train "They're making them bigger and they're of passengers from the 157 feet heart-on- making them go faster," he said. "The public tongue apex to the tongue-on-lap bottom. is demanding more thrills." Naturally, High was there.

Despite the grander scale, High said he He could have had a seat on that maiden doesn't believe the risk of riding roller coastvoyage, but there was only room for him in ers is any greater now than before. Although the middle of the train. That would have earlier models didn't make such dramatic dulled the experience, he said. He waited for swoops, the cars had no safety belts or rethe second go-round and sat himself down in (See ROLLER COASTER on Page 26).