So... yeah... in my quest to see and do everything there is in Florida... This mini-adventure brings me to the Central Florida Railroad Museum in Winter Garden, Florida.
How thrilling.
It's part of the Winter Garden Downtown Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. woo. Oh hey, and its free to go inside!
Built inside of the 1913 Tavares and Gulf depot.
That's like, dinosaur old as far as modern Florida goes.
The museum itself opened in 1983.
The museum is on the smaller side and mostly features photos and artifacts of Railroad History within Florida.
Woo woo, SunRail (funrail!)
Little train model setup.
Woo woo, B&M!
(Boston and Maine)
Uh, a crossing sign? And some single lights
Even Walt Disney World is represented here!
More photos and renderings of trains past.
A collection of Amtrak dining car china.
I found artwork for Stone Mountain Georgia! (something I've done twice now, including on my first visit to Georgia)
Sweet, MARTA shout out too!
(I've got that Subway credit)
What what! They even have some Disney Monorail paraphernalia
(this was actually from my second trip to Six Flags New England in 2014, the first trip it was raining so I saved this update for my second trip, where it was nice and sunny)
Woo, the New England SkyScreamer!
In 2014 Six Flags New England opened the tallest swing tower ride in the world, at a lovely 409 feet.
The ride was accidentally semi-announced back in 2012 as a 2013 addition but Six Flags held off on adding the ride so a slightly shorter tower could open at Six Flags Over Texas first. (letting them claim tallest in the world for a single season) for 2013 the park decided to add a water slide complex to Hurricane Harbor, Bonzai Pipelines and also reopen the SBNO Thomas Town as the new "Whistlestop Park" they also announced that at the end of the season Taz's Daredevil Dive, the parks Sky Coaster would be removed (possibly temporarily) so of course on my 2013 visit, I had to take one last flight. Once Six Flags made their park wide 2014 announcements the New England SkyScreamer was once again re-announced for Six Flags New England as the parks 2014 attraction.
Woo
So yeah, the New England SkyScreamer!
Using the old queue and ride space that once held Catapult.
It's 409 feet of fun!
Although riders themselves don't reach that height.
And placed at the highest point in the park!
Me.. uh.. looking thrilled to be taking my second ride on SkyScreamer.
(I had been up some 24 hours at this point having worked overnight at Disney and then taking a 6am flight from Orlando to Atlanta to Hartford and then driving to the park... on my way to the middle of New Hampshire via Vermont.)
Top of the World?
Or maybe just the top of New England.
The views from the top are pretty fantastic.
Although the ride cycle is extremely short... Once getting to the top you get maybe one revolution before coming back down.
Its a great addition to the park, I just hope they can adjust the cycle so you feel the ride was worth the wait. (IE: I'd rather wait in line a little longer if the ride cycle was a little longer!)
I also happened to be at the park just a few days after Cyclone was closed for good.
It was one of the worst kept secrets in the amusement fandom. Everyone knew Cyclone would get a makeover for 2015 so during my June visit I made sure to get my one-last backseat ride. Soon after that visit the park announced Cyclone would be closing forever on July 20th (these photos are from my visit on the 22nd)
Yup, it sure has.
They had this neat little setup next to the rides entrance where you could "sit" in the train for a photo op... sadly, people were just hogging it and using it as a bench so I was unable to get a nicer photo of it
(or even a photo of me in it... but whatever)
I sure did!
Just not on this visit.
About a month after my visit the park announced the rides replacement... The amazing looking
But part of me is gonna miss the original Riverside Cyclone.
The amazing airtime on the first drop... The awesome mid-ride drop under the life hill... And the wicked S-Curve where the on-ride photo used to be.
The park wasted no time starting the makeover, even before its announcement.
The signs that lined the queue had already been removed.
As had both trains
Farewell to what was Massachusetts' newest wood coaster...
Soon to be it's newest steel....
And while were at it... Weeks later the park also announced that they would be removing the New England Skyway at the end of the season. One of the last remaining Riverside rides
History plaque near the Northend station...
And an on-ride view coming into the southern station. Since I didn't know it was gonna be removed I didn't take many photos of it. In fact, this was the first time in a few years I even rode it. The line was always longer than the walk to the other station would take and in its last few years it seemed to run less and less cars... I think it only had six operating during this trip.. But it'll be missed and due to it not taking up any real space, its something being removed that won't be getting replaced with anything new.
And for fun...a video of the New England SkyScreamer from CoasterForce via YouTube.
