Giant Dipper
Wood Twister at Belmont Park, San Diego, California. Opened 1925.
- Height
- 73 ft
- Drop
- 60 ft
- Top speed
- 55 mph
- Length
- 2,600 ft
- Inversions
- 0
- Ride time
- 1 min 45 s
- Designer
- Prior and Church
Giant Dipper is a wooden roller coaster at Belmont Park in the Mission Beach area of San Diego, California. RCDB lists 2,600 feet of track, a height of 73 feet and a top speed of 55 mph, with no inversions. Each train has six cars and carries 24 riders.
History
Frank Prior and Frederick Church designed the coaster, which opened on July 4, 1925, as part of the Mission Beach Amusement Center, built by John D. Spreckels to draw visitors to Mission Beach. A fire in 1955 burned the station, the engine room and several cars and killed the ride's operator, Walter T. Barney. The park later declined, and the coaster stood unused after 1976 while the city considered demolishing it.
Local residents campaigned to save it. The Giant Dipper was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. After a restoration in 1989 and 1990 it reopened on August 11, 1990.
Sources
- rcdb.com/203.htm (Operating at Belmont Park; designers Frederick Church and Frank Prior; wood sit-down; length 2,600 ft; height 73 ft; 55 mph; 0 inversions; 6 cars per train, 24 riders; former names Earthquake, Roller Coaster; Walter T. Barney died in the February 14, 1955 fire that burned the engine room, loading area and several cars.)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Dipper_(Belmont_Park) (Opened July 4, 1925; Prior and Church; drop 60 ft; duration 1:45; Spreckels development; 1955 fire; NRHP December 1978; NHL 1987; restoration 1989-90. Also gives height 75 ft, length 2,800 ft, speed 48 mph.)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belmont_Park_(San_Diego) (Park opened July 4, 1925 as the Mission Beach Amusement Center; Giant Dipper fell into disrepair, faced demolition, reopened in 1990 after a $2 million renovation.)
Numbers are from the ride's manufacturer and park where published; "n/a" means we have not confirmed that number yet. Spotted an error? Tell us.