The Thriller: The park wanted another larger coaster to add to its arsenal and they turned to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company for a the new ride.  In 1924 the park commissioned designer Herbert Schmeck to design the Thriller, a dogleg "out & back" wooden coaster, which was the P.T.C.'s coaster number forty-two.  The coaster was built by resident construction guru Howard Stonebeck and cost the park $90,000.  He worked for the P.T.C. before 1910 and knew how to read and interpret the company's designs and calculations.  The company sold the park the ride's parts (such as a the lift chain, brakes, etc.) and the three-car, four-bench trains.  The coaster had so many riders that it paid for itself within its first operating season.  Like most Euclid Beach coasters the ride was altered shortly after it opened.  The second hill opened at 60.5 feet, but was lowered to an estimated twenty feet.  The change resulted in massive airtime as the trains sped over the new bunny hop.  Herbert Schmeck was one of the best airtime designers in coaster history and Euclid Beach worked to keep his machine running smooth and fast through 1969.

The Flying Turns was a popular ride that drew many couples who enjoyed the fact that one of the riders sat in the other's lap.

          The Flying Turns: This ride was a collaboration between famous coaster designer John Miller and Norman Bartlett.  Their first ride opened in 1929 at Lakeside Park in Dayton, Ohio.  This version of the Flying Turns featured only one-car trains.  The Humphreys were so impressed with the ride that they hired the duo to design & build a larger version for Euclid Beach.  The ride opened for the 1930 season and was designed & built in cooperation with the two designers and the park.  The Beach's version of the ride utilized three-car trains that sped through the trough.  The ride started with a few rolling hills (pictured above) that turned into a series of high speed turns that often reversed directions and sent the cars high up on the walls.  The ride was a hit with guests and completed a skyline of thrills that many other regional parks could not match.  The lifthills of the Derby Racer, Thriller and Flying Turns stood near each other on the park's eastern side.  Many children grew up gradually walking to the next coaster in line and raising the thrill factor just a little bit.

          The Euclid Beach Carrousel: The carousel might be called the "yin" to the roller coaster's "yang."  While one represents thrills and exhilaration the other is the quiet, detailed artistry that master craftsmen carved and families enjoyed.  Euclid Beach first used Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel number nine.  That ride came to the beach for the 1905 season and was replaced five years later by P.T.C. carousel number nineteen.  This machine had four rows, forty-four horses and two chariots.  The chariots featured a Greek god and two cherubs with lots of leaf carving around the edges.  With time the classic look was lost in favor of a trendy art deco appeal (pictured above).  Although the ride was still a treasure many favored the faux-Baroque appeal that was held within the mirrors and small detailed carving appealed to most families.  If Euclid Beach had a center, both physically and emotionally, the carousel was it.  After the park closed in 1969 the carousel was moved and reassembled at Palace Playland in Maine. It operated there until 1996 when a group of investors from the Cleveland area offered the park a large sum of money for the ride.  Playland sold it, kept some of the money and spent part of the profits on a Chance fiberglass carousel that still spins today.  The ride was moved to Carousel Magic, a Ohio-based carousel restoration company.  After the horses were painstakingly restored the reopening plans went belly-up as no group could afford to build a new structure.  As of the time of writing the horses and (un-restored) mechanism sit in storage, waiting to spin for future generations.

          The Great American Racing Derby: 1921 saw the arrival of the Great American Racing Derby.  The exciting ride was built by the Prior & Church company of California.  It was a combination carousel and horse race.  The rows of horses jockeyed for position as the large, lumbering platform spun around.  At the beginning of each ride the riders would board, a bell was rung and the platform got up to full speed.  It was an amazing thing to see the 114-foot piece of wood spin and see the many horses move at a fast pace.  The magnificent steeds were carved by M.C. Illions and Sons of Coney Island, Brooklyn, N.Y.  As the ride slowed to a stop one of the four horses would be in the lead.  During the time the platform ground to a halt a ride operator walked around and placed a small American flag in the head of each horse.  The lucky winners got a free ride.  The Great American Racing Derby was removed from the park in 1965 and replaced with a Tilt-A-Whirl from the Sellner Company.  The derby was moved and opened at Cedar Point in 1967.  Today it remains as one of two Prior & Church racing carousels in existence (the other is at Playland in Rye, New York).  Although the Cedar Point version is not run as fast as it used to, the unique ride is a fun trip in the past.  The huge holdover from the amusement park's first era still uses simple levers, pulleys and cables to create an unforgettable experience.

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Adam Sandy, Copyright 2002.