thunderbolt85
Friday, January 18, 2013 11:12:04 AM
Thought I would open up a discussion on the Round-Up. We talk about a lot of big rides on here, but sometimes miss the good ole major rides.

We had a Round Up on our show, the first one I am not sure of the maker, but all the cages had to removed and racked at one end of the trailer, it was a little smaller unit as well. We sold that one and got a folding Round Up which was much better and faster. We had our painted white on the cages, with a green trailer, and red/yellow boards on the inside. We didn't have the outside running lights on top, but did on the cages and inside and we had the feathers for the crown. About 2 years before the show owner sold out we bought a second folding round up.

I always enjoyed running the round up, sometimes would take them up, then down a bit, and then back up again if it was slow and it was a good crowd. However, with those old ones, I get hit one night in Mount Airey with the puke, those of you that have operated one you know what I am talking about. To make matters worse I had the worse migrain that night and that crap hit my jacket and hat.

Had the "foolish" riders as well, someone trying to switch positions with someone beside them. For those of you that haven't seen a Round-Up its sorta like a Dartron Zero Gravity, little bigger, and when you ran it, you stood on the loading steps, had a switch to start the motor, and then a long bar out from the motor to raise the ride up and let it down.

Anybody got any good stories running a Round-Up, or interesting paint jobs/theming? Don't see a lot of them on the "big" shows anymore, except for maybe the Zero Gravity or that Zendar which I have only seen once at the FSF. Seems like it was a good ride, but when pulled it was a full load, although we used to "sneak" and put an umbrella ride behide it on a ball hitch, only got stopped once pulling it that way.
IndianaTED
Friday, January 18, 2013 11:33:42 AM
How long is the trailer on the Round-Up where the 3-person cages and sweeps fold on both ends. Unlike the Zero Gravity, where they all fold on one end of the pup trailer. The Round-Up trailer appears longer than a 28-foot pup, but not by much. And if it like 32-feet, can it still be pulled as a double? Seems like I've seen it done here in Indiana.
I've never been "with it", just been an interested observer of carnivals for more than 50 years.
Johnny's United Shows..."A Family Tradition" and "All for Fun, Fun for All".
The carnival of my youth, which had roots that originated in my hometown.
rodler
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Friday, January 18, 2013 12:09:07 PM
I was recently watching a video of Butler Amusements and I believe they had a super round up at the Riverside county fair.
RodB
thunderbolt85
Friday, January 18, 2013 1:03:41 PM
I believe ours was 40', we weren't really supposed to pull with that one as double, especially with a ball hitch, but we did it anyway.

I can answer truthfully for other Round-Ups, but most that I have seen being pulled (on Deggeller, AofA, others) were pulled as just one load.

I have seen pics of that Super Round Up as well, nice ride. I think the Super R-Ups take two loads but I could be wrong.

I know Deggeller bought a special one back in the early 80's that had platforms around it, extra scenery, but if I remember correctly it was actually a little smaller than other R-Ups. He bought from someone associated with the rides at the World's Fair in Knoxville, I don't it was ever used and it took two loads to move it. He only used it two years and sold it, I saw it once at the Upper SC State Fair.
rideguyray
Friday, January 18, 2013 1:28:08 PM
Thunderbolt, your thinking of Deggeller's Larson Galactica ride
i prefer good old round ups to the newer zero gravities

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thunderbolt85
Friday, January 18, 2013 3:43:27 PM
Originally Posted by: rideguyray 

Thunderbolt, your thinking of Deggeller's Larson Galactica ride
i prefer good old round ups to the newer zero gravities

http://www.facebook.com/...2&type=3&theater 



No, I know what you are talking about, which was like the Enterprise. But this was an actual "specially" built Round-Up (not a Huss UFO) in which the rides stood up during the ride.

Carnival Mag did an article on it several years back I think in their "Do you Remember", so I will look back and provide some more details on it.
kadoty
Friday, January 18, 2013 3:49:06 PM
34 ft. ted .It can be doubled but not legal.
kadoty
ringmaster
Friday, January 18, 2013 10:00:51 PM
This is not a good story, but it is true. We were booked in on Bob Bowling's Mid South Shows, for at Mardi Gras in Mobile on the jig lot in 1976 .
The Governor had the Alabama National Guard on standby. Late on a slow midweek night I left my set of King punk rides to get a drink. As I walked up by the Roundup the ride jerked to a stop. I'd never seen this happen, soon the jock and several riders were standing at the bottom near the steps of the ride pushing on the cages. Of course I had to see. A tall black teenager was sitting on the and t legs of another man were sticking out between the traveling sweeps and the trailer bed, about four inches. The big sign and the people standing around blocked the view from the midway, the sweeps and trailer were painted red.
Fireman were on the scene almost at once and went through a dumb show of trying to raise the ride and give first aid.
Although there weren't many people on the midway, things got tense fast. Bob Bowling came out of the office wagon with a twelve gage pump. The Mobile PD blocked the gate and tried to usher people out. I went to my bosses( Don 'Short range' Anderson bus and put his revolver in my apron, then went to the ticket box and told him what happened. He had me drop the trailer and drive the semi tractor of the lot, while he rode his bike off.
At this point it wasn't funny. I walked back to the trucks with my gun drawn, good thing. After I unhitched I walked around the back of the trailer to meet five hundred Alabama National Guardsmen in riot gear. All I could do was raise my hands, and gun in the air [punk] and slowly walk to the cab. Nothing happened and I got the motor started and put all the lights on and slowly drive across the parking lot. Half way across my nerves let go, I floored the big rig and stared working the hand pump air horn. There was a crowd coming on to the lot from the projects next door. I kept the horn up, and drove through a high hedge. On the other side was a crowd watching a Mardi Gras parade. I kept going over the sidewalk, pulled into the parade and out at the next side street.
Next day, business as usual.
JustJeff
Saturday, January 19, 2013 2:01:24 PM
Can't top ringmasters story,butI did like running the roundup..You could sit on the top step and have a good view of the crowds versus rides where you are at ground level (scrambler,hurricane)..Also if boss was not around I would position myself just so and work the lever with my foot .As for set up/tear down-- We had the easy one on our show..One guy used to tear it down in about an hour.(Leon).He would tell Tthe owner not to even send him any green help,he could do it faster alone.I would help on occasion if my regular ride was not there though so I learned it pretty much.. I also had the honor of tearing down JCJs a couple years ago and it was not the easy version..Just my 2 cents ,being as how we were asked...lol..jeff
flamo
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Saturday, January 19, 2013 4:34:09 PM
The Round up came in 2 versions. 22' and 30'. Most were the 30' version. It was one of if not the first trailer mount / hydraulic rides. Back then everything was on the ground. No fork lifts, no cherry pickers or crane. Back in the early 60s I was with WT Collins. We were previewing the Nebraska State fair in Lincoln. Short raised the round for the fair board and OOPS. He raised it into a 4400 volt power line and snapped the line. The wire hit the Tilt lightburning an arc into it. Jim Whitman took a 2x4 and moved the live wire out of harms way. We moved the ride about 10 feet up the midway. No harm no foul.
I'm there, Old, Tired, Broke and Henpecked
Patrick McGuire
Sunday, January 20, 2013 9:23:31 PM
Originally Posted by: rodler 

I was recently watching a video of Butler Amusements and I believe they had a super round up at the Riverside county fair.



Yes, they did and I was there last year. Planning to go again this year too. It belongs to Manuel Martinez. He spent much $$ completely refurbishing it in 2010 and it has been on one of Butler's units ever since. It's been at the State Fair 3 years in a row now. It has also played our Lodi Grape Festival for the last 3 years. I had quite a talk with one of his assistants who told me the process of refurbishing it. It was a lot of work, but the end result looks fantastic. All lights are lit with the original florescent lighting. The ride lacks the middle ornament and spokes that come down in the center. There was some talk a couple of years about adding that back on but I think they lack the parts. I love the ride though. It was and is my all time favorite carnival ride. The only other one I know of on the portable circuit is in Anchorage, AK, formerly belonged to Carnival Time Shows. Larry Davis was the owner originally.

Patrick McGuire
Stockton, CA
pmcguire16@comcast.net
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