Cyclone

The Cyclone or Sesquicentennial Cyclone was a steel-framed wooden roller coaster which was operated during the late 1920s and early 1930s at Birmingham's Alabama State Fairgrounds.

The Cyclone was designed and constructed by Harry Traver of Traver Engineering for the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The innovative design served as a precursor for Traver's "Giant Cyclone Safety Coaster" which debuted in 1927. The Cyclone was designed for rapid erection, and occupied a ground area of 90 feet by 290 feet. During the fair it was credited with generating gross revenues of $28,000.

After the exhibition closed, the coaster was dismantled. Some accounts suggest that it went into storage at Traver's Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania factory, but it is also reported that the Alabama State Fair & Exhibit Association acquired the coaster and its sibling, the "Jazz Railway" ride and brought them to Birmingham.

With the onset of the Great Depression, the Fair Association sold the rides again. They were erected at Burnham Park in Chicago for the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition, where it grossed over $75,000. The following year it was relocated to Northerly Island, near the newly-built Adler Planetarium.

References

• Mangels, William F. (1952) The Outdoor Amusement Industry. New York, New York: Vantage Press ISBN 0848820029.
• Cartmell, Robert (1987) The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press Popular Press. ISBN 9780879723422