D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
TypePrivate
IndustryAmusement ride manufacturing
Founded1983
DefunctJune 14, 2001
FateAcquisition
SuccessorChance Morgan
HeadquartersLa Selva Beach, California
Key people
Dana H. Morgan, Paula Morgan
ProductsRoller coasters, Carousels, thrill rides, family rides, gentle rides

D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, later simply known as Morgan, was a manufacturer of roller coaster trains, custom amusement rides, roller coasters, children's rides and other amusement devices. Founded in 1983, the company was originally headquartered in Scotts Valley, California.[1] In 1991, the company moved to La Selva Beach, California, and into a new 55,000-square-foot indoor manufacturing facility.[2] That facility was later increased to 75,000 square feet.[3] The company produced a variety of rides from 1983 until 2001, but is probably best known for its steel hyper coasters.

History

Dana Morgan, the son of Arrow Development co-founder Ed Morgan, founded D. H. Morgan Manufacturing in 1983. He got his start in the amusement industry at age 14 as a ride operator at Playtown, a small children's park in Palo Alto, California, that was owned by Arrow Development.[4] Upon graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo he went to work for Disney, primarily doing design work for the Walt Disney World project. During the construction of Disney World, Morgan went to work for Arrow Development which was building rides for Disney World.[4] In 1974 Morgan left Arrow Development to become the general manager of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.[2] When Huss Maschinenfabrik purchased Arrow Development in 1981, Morgan was appointed president of the newly formed Arrow-Huss.[5] Morgan left Arrow-Huss in 1983 to form his own company, D. H. Morgan Manufacturing. Morgan had originally intended to build carousels, but the company's first contract was to build new trains for the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.[2] The demand for new coaster vehicles was so great that the carousel-building business had to be put on hold until 1988.[4] In the meantime, the Electric Antique Car Line was developed, and customer requests came in for custom attractions as well.[4] In March 1991, the company moved to larger facilities in La Selva Beach, California.[4] Dana Morgan continued building trains for wooden coasters until 1994 when on June 8, he sold the wood train manufacturing operation to competitor Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters.[6] The last Morgan trains built for a wooden coaster were delivered to Yomiuriland in Japan.

In 1995 Morgan built a Mine Train type ride for Michael Bonfante for what was then called Hecker Pass — A Family Adventure in Gilroy, California. The coaster, Quicksilver Express, was manufactured in 1995 but sat at the Morgan Manufacturing facility for five years before it was finally installed in 2000. Bonfante Gardens opened to the public a year later in 2001. In 1995, Richard Kinzel of Cedar Fair asked Morgan to build a 200-foot hypercoaster for Valleyfair in Minnesota. Utilizing designer Steve Okamoto, whom he had worked with at Arrow Dynamics, Morgan opened Wild Thing in 1996.[7] Morgan went on to build seven more steel coasters, including two more for Cedar Fair. D. H. Morgan Manufacturing also redesigned the former Arrow Coaster Steel Phantom at Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania.[8]

Dana Morgan retired from the amusement industry in 2001 and sold the assets of his company on June 14, 2001 to Michael Chance, who was the sales representative for competitor Chance Industries, Inc.

List of roller coasters


As of 2019, D.H. Morgan Manufacturing has built 9 roller coasters around the world.[9]

NameModelParkCountryOpenedStatusRef
Phantom's Revenge
Formerly Steel Phantom		Hyper CoasterKennywoodUnited States United States2001Operating[10]
Wild ThingHyper CoasterValleyfairUnited States United States1996Operating[11]
Santa Monica West CoasterJunior CoasterPacific ParkUnited States United States1996Operating[12]
Steel ForceHyper CoasterDorney ParkUnited States United States1997Operating[13]
MambaHyper CoasterWorlds of FunUnited States United States1998Operating[14]
Steel EelHyper CoasterSeaWorld San AntonioUnited States United States1999Operating[15]
Steel Dragon 2000Hyper CoasterNagashima Spa LandJapan Japan2000Operating[16]
Quicksilver ExpressMine Train CoasterGilroy GardensUnited States United States2001Operating[17]
Superman el Último EscapeHyper CoasterSix Flags MexicoMexico Mexico2004Operating[18]

Wooden roller coaster trains

OpenedNameParkNotesRef
1983Giant DipperSanta Cruz Beach Boardwalk[19]
1985/86Le MonstreLa RondeReplaced by PTC trains in 2013[20]
1985CycloneSix Flags New EnglandReplaced by PTC trains in 2000[21]
1986The GrizzlyCalifornia's Great America[22]
1987Texas CycloneAstroWorldClosed 2005, demolished March 2006, trains moved to La Ronde[23]
1987ColossusSix Flags Magic MountainCoaster converted to Twisted Colossus running RMC trains[24]
1989AnacondaWalygator Parc[25]
1988Dragon CoasterPlayland (New York)[26]
1989Jack RabbitSeabreeze Amusement Park[27]
1989Giant DipperBelmont Park (San Diego)[28]
1992The RattlerSix Flags Fiesta Texasreplaced by PTC trains in 1996[29]
1994White CanyonYomiurilandCoaster closed in 2013[30]

Steel roller coasters trains

OpenedNameParkNotesRef
1987Polar CoasterStory LandHopkins Rides coaster with train supplied by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing.[31][32]

Carousels

OpenedVenueLocationSizeNotesRef
1989Town Center MallThornton, Co.30 footMenagerie carousel (may have been removed from mall)[33]
1989Belmont ParkSan Diego, Calif.30 footLiberty themed with 12 custom paintings of San Diego's history. Features replicas of Looff and Dentzel menagerie characters[33]
1990Vallco Fashion ParkCupertino, Calif.30 footNorth American wildlife theme (may have been removed from mall)[33]
1991Playland ParkVancouver, B.C.30 footRestoration of Arrow Dynamics Carousel. 12 hand painted scenes of B.C. Landscape[33]
1992Fiesta TexasSan Antonio, Tex.47 footGerman themed, 16 scenes of Germany countryside[33]
1993Entertainment CityKuwait47 footArabian horse themed, 56 custom Arabian horses[33]
1996Carousel Park, Broadway at the BeachMyrtle Beach, Calif.Restoration of Allan Herschell carousel. New fiberglass horses[3]
1999Islands of AdventureOrlando, Fla.47 footDr. Seuss themed, 54 animals from classic Dr. Seuss stories[33][34]
2001Disney's California AdventureAnaheim, Calif.47 footKing Triton themed (Now Jessie themed), 56 sea creatures and multiple icons of Calif. historic seaside parks and as of 2019, Toy Story 2 animals[33]

Electric guide-limited auto rides

Morgan produced two styles of cars: Classic Antique cars with two or four-passenger vehicles, and 1950s-themed cars with a working radio that played classic 1950s tunes.

OpenedParkNotesRef
1985Santa Cruz Beach BoardwalkAntique style cars (removed 1999)[33]
1986Lake CompounceAntique style cars[33]
1987KennywoodAntique style cars (removed 2009, currently in storage)[33]
1987Six Flags Magic MountainAntique style cars (removed 2008)[33]
1992Fiesta TexasDual track, 1950s style cars with radio — '56 T-bird, '57 Vette, '59 Caddy (closed August 2014)[33][35]
1995DollywoodDual track, 1950s style cars with radio — '56 T-bird, '57 Vette, '59 Caddy
2001Bonfante Gardens1950s style cars with radio — '57 Chevy, '57 Vette, '59 Caddy[33]
2001Bonfante GardensAntique style cars — 1900s Mercer Raceabouts[33]
2002Michigan's AdventureDual track, 1950s style cars with radio — '56 T-bird, '57 Vette, '59 Caddy (removed 2020)

Miscellaneous projects

OpenedRideParkNotesRef
1988Train crash mechanismUniversal Studios Hollywood[33]
1988Children's Boat RideLotte WorldUnder water track and drive system[33]
1988Children's ChariotLotte World[33]
1990Tour boat rideHaw Park Villa, Singapore16-passenger boats themed as 100-year-old Chinese junks[33]
19928 Ball RideFiesta TexasTeacup-style ride, named Hustler.[33]
1992Dark Ride Transport SystemKings IslandOriginally for Phantom Theater, later re-used for Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle and Boo Blasters on Boo Hill[33]
1992Teddy Bear Ferris WheelLotte WorldHighly themed with teddy bears holding candy canes[33]
1992Balloon RideKnott's Berry Farm[33]
1993Outrigger CanoesLeofoo Village Theme Park300-foot underwater track and drive system[33]
1996Delta boat rideOpryland Hotel20-passenger ADA accessible battery-powered boats[3]
1999Fairy Tale BrookLegoland California4-passenger rail-guided boats themed to look like floating leaves.[3][34]
2001Garlic Clove RideBonfante GardensTeacup-style ride, named Garlic Twist.[33]
2001Balloon RideBonfante Gardens[33]
2001Children's Hand Car RideBonfante Gardens[33]
2001Custom MonorailBonfante Gardens[33]
2001Circular Boat RideBonfante Gardens[33]
2001Artichoke RideBonfante Gardens[33]
2001Strawberry RideBonfante Gardens[33]

References

  1. ↑ D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, Inc. product catalog (undated)
  2. 1 2 3 "Dana Morgan", Morgan Fun Times, Fall 1997
  3. 1 2 3 4 D. H. Morgan Manufacturing Inc. Fact Sheet (undated)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Schwabe, Lee (1992). "Morgan Manufacturing: More Than Just Trains ACEers Love to Hate". RollerCoaster! Magazine. 13 (3): 17–23. ISSN 0896-7261.
  5. ↑ O'Brien, Tim. Legends: Pioneers of the Amusement Park Industry, Ripley Entertainment Inc., 2006, p:224
  6. ↑ Althoff, David. "The Roller Coaster Almanac". Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Wild Thing". Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Phantom's Revenge". Archived from the original on 14 December 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  9. ↑ D. H. Morgan Manufacturing - rcdb.com
  10. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Phantom's Revenge  (Kennywood)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  11. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Wild Thing  (Valleyfair)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  12. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Santa Monica West Coaster  (Pacific Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  13. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Steel Force  (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  14. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Mamba  (Worlds of Fun)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  15. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Steel Eel  (SeaWorld San Antonio)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  16. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Steel Dragon 2000  (Nagashima Spa Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  17. ↑ Marden, Duane. "QuickSilver Express  (Gilroy Gardens)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  18. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Superman el Último Escape  (Six Flags México)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Giant Dipper". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  20. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Monstre". Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  21. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Cyclone  (Six Flags New England)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  22. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Grizzly". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  23. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Texas Cyclone  (AstroWorld)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  24. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Colossus". Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  25. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Anaconda". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  26. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Dragon Coaster". Archived from the original on 12 December 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  27. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Jack Rabbit". Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  28. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Giant Dipper". Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  29. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: Rattler". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  30. ↑ "Roller Coaster Census: White Canyon". Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  31. ↑ Baldwin, Timothy; Seifert, Jeffrey (2000). Guide to Ride 2000. Zanesville, Ohio: American Coaster Enthusiasts Worldwide Inc. p. 67. ISBN 0-9703987-0-0.
  32. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Polar Coaster  (Story Land)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  33. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1996 D. H. Morgan Mfg. Inc. Partial list of Clients and Projects
  34. 1 2 O'Brien, Tim (May 17, 1999). "New Family Rides Add Plenty Of Capacity". Amusement Business. 111 (20): 20.
  35. ↑ "Farewell to an Iconic Classic - the Motorama Car Ride". sixflags.com. "Six Flags Entertainment Inc. August 1, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
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