A historic seaside wooden roller coaster in San Diego that survived a fatal fire, a decade-long closure and threats of demolition has received a little TLC to smooth out the ride on the 101-year-old landmark.
San Diego’s Belmont Park is putting the final touches on a $1.6 million renovation of the 1925 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster that replaced 250 feet of track and added structural reinforcements during the six-week project by Great Coasters International.
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The final steps include painting the new wood sections and reinstalling lighting elements on the coaster structure.
The refurbished coaster has been getting rave reviews from riders, according to Screamscape.
“The ride experience is said to be much improved,” according to Screamscape.
The 1925 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster at San Diego’s Belmont Park. (Courtesy of Belmont Park)
The Prior & Church coaster in Mission Beach was built in four weeks for $50,000 by the same team that designed the 1924 Giant Dipper wooden coaster at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
The 73-foot-tall Giant Dipper at Belmont Park reaches a top speed of 55 mph over a 2,600-foot-long track featuring twisting drops and banked turns.
The 1925 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster at San Diego’s Belmont Park. (Courtesy of Belmont Park)
The up and down history of the Giant Dipper includes a 1955 fire that took the life of coaster operator Walter Barney.
Belmont Park fell into disrepair in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The coaster closed in 1976 and sat idle for more than a decade amid threats of demolition.
San Diego’s Belmont Park underwent a $1.6 million renovation of the 1925 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster. (Courtesy of Belmont Park)
A grass roots preservation effort got the coaster added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
The Giant Dipper underwent a $2 million renovation by D.H. Morgan Manufacturing and finally reopened in 1990.
San Diego’s Belmont Park underwent a $1.6 million renovation of the 1925 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster. (Courtesy of Belmont Park)
The classic ride was granted landmark status in 2010 by American Coaster Enthusiasts as a roller coaster of historic significance and joined a distinguished list of award-winning thrill rides that have stood the test of time.
Other California coasters that have been bestowed ACE Landmark status include Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland, New Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Montezooma’s Revenge at Knott’s Berry Farm and Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.