Flyer Comet (Whalom Park)

Flyer Comet was a wooden roller coaster located at Whalom Park in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. The roller coaster was built in 1940 and operated until is permanent closure in 2000. In 2006, after the lift motor and part of its electronics were gutted, Flyer Comet was demolished.[1] The tracks were then reclaimed by the park.

Flyer Comet
Entry to the coaster
Whalom Park
LocationWhalom Park
Coordinates42.576193°N 71.745996°W / 42.576193; -71.745996
StatusRemoved
Opening date1940 (1940)
Closing date2000 (2000)
General statistics
TypeWood
ManufacturerNational Amusement Devices
DesignerVernon Keenan
Height70 ft (21 m)
Length2,640 ft (800 m)
Speed40 mph (64 km/h)
Duration1:50
Flyer Comet at RCDB
Pictures of Flyer Comet at RCDB

Flyer Comet was located next to the amusement park, Whalom Park, which operated until 2000. The ride consisted of a wooden wheel with stop buttons built into its outer rim. The main building was located underneath the ride and passengers would sit on benches inside of the building. The outside of the building was covered in glass to hide the rollers so they could be easily discovered. The wait at Flyer Comet would last anywhere from 2-3 minutes to three hours.

History

When the 1923 Shooting Star roller coaster was destroyed in 1938 by a hurricane, Whalom staff hired the National Amusement Device Company and designer Vernon Keenan to create a new coaster for the park. Many parts from the Shooting Star were used to construct the ride, which was then called the Comet. The ride was Whalom Park’s third roller coaster since the park opened in 1893, and no new coasters ever replaced it or were added to the park.

Whalom Park was bought by Global Developments in 2001. They started clearing the land on October 10, 2006; the roller coaster was dismantled on Oct. 18. The area is currently being redeveloped into Emerald Estates.

Themes

The entrance to the ride was decorated with shooting stars/comets. The Black Hole tunnel was added over a hilly portion of the track in 1990, and was meant to add to the space theme of the ride.

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References
  1. Marden, Duane. "Flyer Comet  (Whalom Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
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