Tumble Bug

This article is about an amusement park ride. For the insect, see dung beetle. For other uses, see Tumblebug.

A Tumble Bug is an amusement park ride with a circular track.^[1]

Kennywood "Turtle", a Tumble Bug ride

The ride has a central axis and a circular track. The track has changes in elevation in it, and the cars, each attached by a rod to a central pivot attachment point and connected together, are propelled around the track via motors between the cars. Power is carried to the motors via slip ring brushes at the center and cables.^{[citation needed]}

Only one full-sized Tumble Bug remains operating today in the United States, in Pennsylvania: at Kennywood in West Mifflin. All full-size instances were made by Traver Engineering, and its successor, R.E.Chambers.^[1] The ride also exists in a miniature children's form. The size of the full-size Tumble Bug is 100 feet in diameter. The full-size has 5 or 6 cars, while the kiddie version has 3 to 4 cars. There are more kiddie versions operating today than there are full-sized. The one in Conneaut Lake Park has been removed as of April 2021.

Drive details of Kennywood "Turtle"

Tumble Bug sites

Operating

Conneaut Lake Park Tumble Bug

Conneaut Lake Park Tumble Bug

Conneaut Lake Park Tumble Bug

• Kennywood Park (1927–present) West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, (known as the "Turtle," 6 car model)

Defunct

• Cascade Park (1969–??), New Castle, Pennsylvania
• Cedar Point (1934–1963), Sandusky, Ohio
• Chippewa Lake Park (??–1978), Chippewa Lake, Ohio
• Conneaut Lake Park (1925–2019) Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania, (known as the "Tumble Bug," 5 car model)
• Crescent Park (1930s–1979), Riverside, Rhode Island
• Euclid Beach Park (??–1969), Cleveland, Ohio
• Geauga Lake (??–1977), Aurora, Ohio
• Hersheypark, (1933–1981), Hershey, Pennsylvania, (called "The Bug," replaced by Wave Swinger)^[2](Ride tubs sold to Whalom Park)
• Idora Park (1941–1984), Youngstown, Ohio, (known as the "Turtle," 5 car model)
• Coney Island (1925–1971) / Kings Island (1972–1985), Mason, Ohio. Moved from Coney Island (Cincinnati) to Kings Island. Sold to Kennywood Park to use for parts on their Tumble Bug.
• Olentangy Park (1929-1937), Columbus, Ohio^[3]
• San Souci Park, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania^[4]
• Seabreeze (1926-1970), Rochester, New York
• West View Park (1929–1977), West View, Pennsylvania
• Whalom Park (??–2000), Lunenburg, Massachusetts, (Moved to Edaville USA, Carver, Massachusetts in mid-late 2000s, never operated at Edaville. Sold for scrap metal in 2010)

References

1. "Tumble Bug Rides". ridezone.com.
2. Silver Anniversary Twenty-Fifth Annual Picnic Harrisburg Retail Grocers Hershey Park, Harrisburg Retail Grocers, 1932
3. "List of Rides." Olentangy Park and Theater Wiki. Published 22 March 2024. Accessed 5 May 2024. http://olentangypark.com/wiki/index.php/List_of_Rides
4. Renita Fennick (May 5, 1996). "For Generations, Sans Souci Park Was Valley's Wonderland Stomach-churning Rides on the Bear Cat and Dreamy Gatherings at the Dance Pavilion Live on Only in Memory".