skywheel88
  •  skywheel88
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Friday, May 13, 2005 10:58:27 AM
check this out! It's a british Sky Wheel, don't ask where I found these shot's-I do not know.[:D]
http://pg.photos.yahoo.c...dnm=6f15.jpg&.src=ph 
http://pg.photos.yahoo.c...dnm=c5a4.jpg&.src=ph 


Kenny.

orphaned
Friday, May 13, 2005 11:06:31 AM
Very interesting. Tubs almost look like Astro Wheel tubs. Wonder who made this?
JohnB
  •  JohnB
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Friday, May 13, 2005 11:18:18 AM
LONNOL
Friday, May 13, 2005 12:12:06 PM
Interesting. Perhaps Courtney or the Velares liscended the right to produce Skywheels in Europe or the UK. I know this was done with some other rides, such as Wisdom with the Sizzler or Larson and the Super Loops.

Adam
www.flatrides.com : Pimp-slapping you with all your flat ride needs.
swooper
Friday, May 13, 2005 2:31:45 PM
there is a 1945 abbot and costello (abbot and costello in hollywood)movie with a skywheel in it that has the same tubs.
also in a conversation i had about 20 years ago with the late billy baxter, he told me there were three early skywheels made with narrow seats and that that at least one of them went to mexico.
JW
  •  JW
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Friday, May 13, 2005 5:17:22 PM
I saw a picture of a sky wheel at a park somewhere in the US that had that style of seats on it- I'm thinking it was probably The Pike at long Beach, but I'm not 100% certain. After seeing swooper's post about the sky wheel in Abbott & Costello movies, it probably makes sense that it was in Long Beach as thats probably where it would have been filmed due to it's close proximity to Hollywood. - I think the Abbott & Costello Movies were filmed in the US (?).
I believe the sky wheel has had about three different seat designs through the years, one style was the more ornate design, very similar to the seats on the CVS space wheel, except it had side guards or hair guards (with a bunch of holes punched in them to match the design of the seats) integrated into the sides of the seats, that were higher than the back of the seats- that one was at The Pike in Long Beach (the Velare's park).

"Don't forget to be half fair and give a little credit to the small concessionaire"
Boils The Clown
Saturday, May 14, 2005 2:46:41 AM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by SkyWheel88

http://pg.photos.yahoo.c...dnm=cd70.jpg&.src=ph 



SWEET !! Now that's what I call Vintage !! I also dig the "Salt & Pepper" off to the lower right hand side of that pic. Cool Beans.
Come See My Fun House ,  & My Fun House Photo Gallery  
UserPostedImage
~ By All Means.....When In Doubt .....Jump On The "Blame Boils Bandwagon" ! ~
skywheel88
  •  skywheel88
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Saturday, May 14, 2005 3:23:08 AM
Glad ya like it, Boils! How's my fave Clown doing these days?
Kenny.

Flying Coaster
Saturday, May 14, 2005 5:04:17 AM
No trailers / hydraulics, I'd really love to see how they set that thing up.[?]
All Skywheels should be yeller.
Boils The Clown
Saturday, May 14, 2005 12:27:33 PM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Flying Coaster

No trailers / hydraulics, I'd really love to see how they set that thing up.[?]



Maybe The Discovery Channel will have a documentary soon to come.[;)]
Come See My Fun House ,  & My Fun House Photo Gallery  
UserPostedImage
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JW
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Saturday, May 14, 2005 2:36:47 PM
Is it just me, or do the wheels on Royal american's first sky wheel look slightly larger than the ones on most sky wheels ?

Thanks for posting the pictures SkyWheel88...Interesting.
"Don't forget to be half fair and give a little credit to the small concessionaire"
JW
  •  JW
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Saturday, May 14, 2005 2:52:40 PM
While on the subject of sky wheels...
Has anyone ever noticed the picture on the wall at the IISF carnival museum of the early sky wheel. It looks very similar to the early skywheel, with a whole bunch of bracing and outriggers on the towers and the main towers are box-beam lattice-type masts (or what ever the terminology is for that type of construction).
The really interesting thing about that sky wheel is that the wheels look to be almost full-size Eli-type wheels (complete with 5-point star in the center of the spokes).
Anybody know who built this wheel ?. Courtney ?, Was this wheel the prototype for the sky wheel?
"Don't forget to be half fair and give a little credit to the small concessionaire"
Keith
Saturday, May 14, 2005 5:50:11 PM
I remember seeing that Skywheel on RAS, sometime in the mid to late 50's. Built by the Velare Bros. See ad on page 32, volume 2 of Joe McKennon's history book. Velares had their Rotor on the show around the same time as well.