Derby Racer
A horse racing ride similar to a very fast carousel without the poles
The
American Derby at Euclid Beach Park (defunct) in Cleveland, Ohio.
The
Euclid ride was saved and moved to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio
| The Derby Racer is similar to a
Carousel but about twice as fast and the horses move forward and back and up and down like
they are racing. There are four horses per row and there will be one winner for each row
per ride. The horses are only connected to the floor and are posed to look like they are racing at full speed. Rotational speed is about 6 RPM (10 seconds per rotation) but with the wide diameter of the rotating platform, the outside horses are quite fast (about 25MPH). The rotation is counter-clockwise. There seems to have been at least five to six Derby Racers produced over the years. The ride was designed by Prior and Church (of rollercoaster fame) who also manufactured all but the UK unit. Three are still in operation. Two in the USA and one in the UK. The Playland ride runs considerably faster than the one at Cedar Point. The horses on the ride at Rye were carved by Illions. |
The
quite fast Derby Racer at Playland Park, Rye, NY
| Operating Derby Racers | |
| Cedar Point (Cedar Downs) | Sandusky, OH |
| Playland (Derby Racer) 1928 | Rye, NY |
| Blackpool Pleasure Beach | UK |
© 2000 Joel W Styer. All
rights reserved. Updated Tuesday, January 13, 2004
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