Comments on: EXACTING REQUIREMENTS MET BY WOODEN FLUME (Oct, 1923)

By: David Brodbeck

David Brodbeck — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:50:33 +0000

@10: I think “Bobsled” style roller coasters fell out of style mainly because they couldn’t do inversions (e.g., loops and corkscrews.)

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:28:55 +0000

I’ve seen a lot of flame wars in my time, could this be the start of the first flume war?

fluuuuume.

By: sporkinum

sporkinum — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:00:44 +0000

They made the first half pipe/skatepark. Too bad the urethane wheeled skateboard wasn’t invented for another 40 years.

By: blueferretdog

blueferretdog — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:34:12 +0000

I once rode a ride in St Louis called the “Bobsled” that had a flume like this. That was a long time ago late 50′s early 60′s . It had sleds that were mounted on casters and rolled freely down the flume. Probably too “dangerous” for modern times but was loads of fun. I wonder if that was it. The ride later burned to the ground.

By: Toronto

Toronto — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:50:38 +0000

I’ve still got one beer left from my six pack after playing the “Flume!” drinking game.

Wait! There’s a sixth in the photo caption! (pssht!)

By: LightningRose

LightningRose — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:26:55 +0000

Rick, I think the flume is an outdoor flume, and the beams across the top of the flume are to provide tensile strength for the flume.

By: Rick Auricchio

Rick Auricchio — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:03:02 +0000

It appears to be indoors.

Aha! The prototype for Disneyland’s “Pirates of the Caribbean!”

Side note: The “Pirates” ride at Disneyland opened in 1967. The first film in the series opened in 2003. A couple years later, Disneyland reworked the original ride to include bits from the films, including an animatronic Johnny Depp character.

So the film was patterned after the ride, which was then patterned after the film…

By: Harry

Harry — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:55:06 +0000

It was probably water-filled conveyor system, possibly for lumber.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:33:12 +0000

Eamon: I have no idea, but it sure is a pretty piece of carpentry.

By: Craig

Craig — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:47:24 +0000

Get your flume on.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:02:09 +0000

Obviously a reason to use the word ‘flume’ as many times as possible in an article. Flume.

By: John

John — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:16:14 +0000

People sometimes do things simply because others say they can’t be done.

By: Eamon

Eamon — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:36:40 +0000

Ok, but why?