photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Karl R. Josker | all galleries >> Buffalo >> Crystal Beach > The Comet Entrance
previous | next
8-89 Karl R. Josker

The Comet Entrance

When the park closed forever, the Comet was sold to another park, located on Lake George in eastern New York. I've driven by and seen it, but I didn't have time to stop. One of these days, I will go and visit my old friend.


other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
rob 12-Jun-2008 03:09
i dont agree marty the ride is the same as i remember it, throwin you around on every turn yes there is no lake but the ride is as great as i remember it
louis nemeth 03-Feb-2008 15:00
hey frank i also worked on the merry go round in 56 the year of the riots i also remember changing the lights or cleaning them on a stepladder while the ride was running and one day i was riding on the inside and my belt on my jacket got caught on the big lever used to start the ride tore my jacket right of, and making sure ther was no grease on the horses i also put time in on the comet in the spring before the park opened for the summer breaking in the bearings on the cars and pushing them up the hills when they stopped and running around the curve and jumping in our super jack almost missed one day on the top curve on the west end and during the season we always went first to make sure every thing was ok also had fun breaking in the auto scooters riding it all day and getting paid to boot cool !
Diane Serrianne 05-Jun-2004 00:30

I have so many fond memories of Crystal Beach. We went there atleast once or twice every summer when I was growning up. Once I had three sons we did the same things. It was such a great place. Loved the funnel cakes, the fun house...either going in it, or watching people walk through it. The Tunnel of Love was wonderful when I went there while dating my son's father. What a great life it was back then. Thanks
Frank 22-May-2004 22:08
I grew up in Crystal Beach all my life untill I left the area in 1976, I was 26 years old, as a kid living in the village you waited until te warm days of spring to rush down to " Tha Park " as we called it to get a great summer job. Lots of money ( Started frist year @ $ 0.80/per hr.) but best of all was the fun we all had after the Park would close at night with teh beach parties and the GIRLS,

Lots of young people from the towns around came to get summer jobs Welland, Pt. Colborne etc. When I first started working there I was on the Merry-Go-Round , it was great riding it all the time as we had to collect the tickets after the ride started moving. After a few days you were good enough at timing your step to get on and off the ride as is moved around a quite a fast speed, by the end of a week you could get on and off with two cold drinks in your hand. Call that balance.

The next ride I worked on was slips my mind as to what it was called but it was like a lot of wagon wheels that were going around in a circle. you and maybe a partner were straped into opposite seat's facing each other, and then as the ride moved there was a brake peddle at the bottom, if you pushed on it you would flip over. What a blast.

As I got older and you kind of worked you way up throught the pecking order of the places to work in the Park, I next worked on the best and most fantastic ride of all ...
YES I MADE IT TO THE " C * O * M * E * T "

This was the best palce in the world to work as a 15 or 16 year old guy. The chicks thought you were way toooo cool that you worked there. Made for some late nights getting home after the place closed. I rode the ride every day countless numbers of times. I would go around in the last car, at least 3 times a day to oil the track. The COMET is listed as one of the worlds best WOODEN coasters even to this day. I know everbody is saying that they remember it was made out of steele. You are right the stucture is steele, but the bed the track is built on is made of laminated wooden planks, hense that is why it is listed as a wooden coaster.

My main job was to check the cars after they came in when the ride was stopped. You would not believe what we would find in the cars. All the stuff in the front 2 cars would be on the floor at the front of the car, and the back 2 cars all the stuff was on the floor in the back of the car. Tons of ZIPPO lighters....

My final job in the Park my last years of high school and well into the fall after Labour Day when the Park was closed was at the Penny Arcade. I had a great interest in electronics so this was the place to be. When I worked there it was owned by the E.G. & J Knapp Co. of Crystal Beach, they also had arcades in N. Falls and every year at the CNE in Toronto. I worked for Eldon Knapp one of the owners what a great guy. I was one of the "mechanics" as we were called. If your coin got stuck or the machine did not work right I would get you going again.

Well I could go on for a very long time about good old Crystal Beach, the Hot Dog stands, the "frat' parties that went on all summer,the year of the "riot" and so on. I will let it go for now but what a great thing to see these pics af my old stompin ground. If you search the web for Crystal Beach there is a site with more photos and I think even some things for sale like the suckers and Cronfelt's or Smeaders Loganberry. Which by the way I use to make for Mrs. Smeader.

Thank again for a walk throught the past...
Norm Crawford 28-Apr-2004 13:55
My most exciting memory of Crystal Beach is when I was about 13 years old. When 5 of my friends and I decided to ride our bikes from home in Niagara Falls to the park on a Saturday. We planned it for days not telling our parents. We left around 8:00 am and told them that we were at each others houses, because there was no way that we would have gotten permission!!!!
The longest length of our venture was the pedal down Sodom Rd. It seemed to last for ever ( it felt like 100 miles )!!!!! After we passed over the QEW bridge we were stopped by a patrol car and asked where we were going, he wrote down our names. After what seemed like hours of harrasment we were sent on our way and reminded us to ride in single file. After our arrival we parked our bike ( unlocked ) try that today.....
We had a blast for the rest of the day in the park and headed home.
We didn't plan very well because as we were heading home it started to turn to dusk. Our stomachs were sore from all the candy and no real food ( remember we were only 13 )!!!! When we finally arrived home after dark our parents were already aware of our day. One of our parents had talked to the police and our names were our demise. I really don't remember much about the punishment but I'm sure it was worth it. All I really remember is how sore my legs were from peddaling and how much fun we had that day on our adventure. It was a great memory and thanks for letting me share!!!!!!!!!
Guest 11-Apr-2004 03:42
Thanks for this. It took me "way back". . . I remembered the time in the late sixties when my sister and I, as teenagers, took a bus ride to Crystal Beach just to ride the Comet. We rode it 9 times in a row, ate a fried fish sandwich, and returned home to Buffalo on the bus. . .Fun memories!!!
Marty Agius 02-Apr-2004 16:23
I have ridden the new comet and it is not the same - It sits next to a forest so you are not looking at that huge drop over the lake. Plus they made it a smoother ride - not as much fun at the original