Backety-Back Scenic Railway
{{Short description|Wooden roller coaster at Crystal Beach Park}}
{{Infobox roller coaster
| name = Backety-Back Scenic Railway
| image = Backety-Back Scenic Railway Post Card.jpg
| imagedimensions =
| caption =
| previousnames =
| location = Crystal Beach
| locationarticle = Crystal Beach Park
| section =
| subsection =
| coordinates = {{Coord|42.8675000|-079.0591667|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| status = Removed
| opened = {{Start date|1909}}
| closed = {{End date|1926}}
| cost = $50,000
| previousattraction =
| replacement =
| extend =
| type = Wood
| type2 = Shuttle
| type3 =
| manufacturer =
| designer = John H. Brown
| model =
| track =
| lift =
| height_ft =
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| speed_mph = 10
| speed_km/h =
| inversions = 0
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| trains =
| carspertrain = 2
| rowspercar = 5
| ridersperrow = 2
| single_rider =
| accessible =
| transfer_accessible =
| rcdb_number = 1855
}}
Backety-Back Scenic Railway was a wooden roller coaster located at Crystal Beach Park. The ride opened to the public in 1909 and operated until 1926.{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Backety-Back Scenic Railway |location=Crystal Beach |rcdb_number=1855|accessdate=August 9, 2013|url=}} The Backety-Back Scenic Railway was notable for a backward-traveling innovation which would be adopted many years later in more modern steel roller coasters.{{cite book |last1=Francis |first1=David W. |last2=Francis |first2=Diane DeMali |title=The Golden Age of Roller Coasters |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=4d9oXyOZubIC |access-date=August 9, 2013 |year=2003 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn= 0738523380 }} It was also one of the earliest shuttle roller coasters to be built,{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=List of shuttle roller coasters |location= |rcdb_number=|accessdate=9 August 2013|url=http://rcdb.com/r.htm?order=-10&ot=2&ca=115&page=10}} as well as being the second roller coaster to be built in the Crystal Beach amusement park.{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=Crystal Beach |location= |rcdb_number=4716|accessdate=August 9, 2013|url=}} The coaster has been cited as a particularly beautiful example of roller coaster architecture.{{cite book |last=Cartmell |first=Robert |title=The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qtyoe7tlkVcC |access-date=August 9, 2013 |year=1987 |publisher=Popular Press |isbn=0879723424 }}
History
Backety-Back Scenic Railway was built in 1909 by Pennsylvanian John H. Brown and construction of the coaster cost $50,000.{{cite book |last=Hirsch |first=Rose Ann |title=Western New York Amusement Parks |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xtrLDCJYVsAC |access-date=August 9, 2013 |year=2011 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-0738574561 }} Backety-Back Scenic Railway was the only roller coaster Brown would ever build.{{cite RCDB|coaster_name=List of John H. Brown roller coasters |location= |rcdb_number=|accessdate=August 9, 2013|url=http://rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&pe=7101}} In 1904, however, he patented the unique track-reversal design which made the coaster a predecessor to modern shuttle roller coasters.{{cite web |url=http://cec.chebucto.org/ClosPark/Crystal.html |title= Crystal Beach Park (1888-1989) |author= |website=Closed Canadian Parks |publisher=Coaster Enthusiasts of Canada |access-date=August 9, 2013}}
Track layout and ride experience
Being a shuttle roller coaster, Backety-Back Scenic Railway traveled over its course both forwards and backwards. The coaster had two lift hills and also necessitated the operation of a switchman when the coaster had reached the end of its forward progress. Following this reversal, the train would engage a second reversal and continue on its way. The course of the roller coaster was a twister layout{{cite book |last=Rossi |first=Erno |title=Crystal Beach: The Good Old Days |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DGCOnKjHvicC |access-date=August 9, 2013 |year=2005 |publisher=Seventy Seven Publishing |isbn=0920926045 }} and the roller coaster had a curved tunnel in its course as well. Trains had 2 cars of 5 rows apiece, with each row having two riders.
The coaster had a large station which resembled a riverboat in shape. Inside this station was a ticket office (tickets were sold for 10 cents) and the queue for the ride itself.