Crystal Beach Comet

Crystal Beach had some very famous roller coasters. The Cyclone of course was one of 3 built at the time, with the CB one being the most frightening. The Cyclone's replacement was The Comet. Built in 1948, using materials from the Cyclone (removed in 1946) The Comet was a hit. The ride thrilled visitors for 40 years.

One of the many postcard shots of the Comet taken from the pier showing the red train heading down the back stretch along the Lake.
(APHAN Collection)

The first drop was 27metres and the entire length of the run was 1280metres. In the 1980's, the first 2 cars on each of the Comet rains was reversed, giving riders a completly new ride experience. However, in my opinion, riding The Comet backwards, even in the front seat, was still not as bad as facing forward in the 3rd or 4th car back. The operating life of The Comet finally came to an end on Labour Day 1989. The final day of park operations. Lineups were long, with people riding over and over, not ever knowing if they would get a chance to ride this famous ride. The Auction in October 1989 brought people from all over. Many people were bidding, otheres were just watching, reminiscing, and wondering what will happen to thier favorite rides. The Comet finally came up for bids, and after the dust had settled, was sold for $210,000.00. After being dismantled at the park, parts of the ride were stored in the parking lot of Fantasy Island on Grand Island NY. The ride later went to The Great Escape in Lake George NY, where it was rebuilt with more modern features, opening in 1994, to thrill visitors for many years to come.