POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Roller coaster carriage from the Big Dipper at Luna Park

Roller coaster carriage from the Big Dipper at Luna Park

Object No. 99/3/1

Carriage, roller coaster, Big Dipper, Luna Park Sydney, timber/ metal/ leather, Australia, 1930

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Summary

Physical Description

Carriage, roller coaster, Big Dipper, Luna Park Sydney, timber/metal/leather, Australia, 1930 Passengers' car for the Big Dipper roller coaster. Open car with no roof and four double seats with blue/grey leather upholstery. Frame and seats are timber, painted yellow. Metal brackets and bolts. Metal safety rails along sides and front. Two metal chains at front. Height: 110cm. Width: 129.5cm. Length: 342cm.

DIMENSIONS

Height

1100 mm

Width

1320 mm

Weight

15000 kg

PRODUCTION

Notes

The designer of the Big Dipper at Luna Park in St Kilda was Miller & Baker Inc, according to drawings cited by Sam Marshall in a fax to the Powerhouse Museum, 8 August 1996. The structure of the Glenelg/Sydney Big Dipper and its station were replicas of the St Kilda Big Dipper. Therefore the designer of the Glenelg/Sydney Big Dipper can be said to be Miller & Baker Inc. We cannot be certain that the design of the carriages was based on a design from Miller & Baker. Much of the mechanism of the Glenelg/Sydney Big Dipper was made in Melbourne, but it was assembled in Glenelg, Adelaide, in 1930. It was moved to Sydney in 1935. 1930

HISTORY

Notes

The Big Dipper operated at Luna Park in Glenelg from 1930 to 1934, and at Luna Park Sydney from 1935 until 1979. It was demolished in 1981. Used as part of the old timber Big Dipper at Luna Park. This roller coaster was originally built in 1930 at St Kilda and assembled at Luna Park Glenelg, where it operated for 5 years. It was transported to Sydney for Luna Park's opening in 1935.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Gift of Friends of Luna Park

Acquisition Date

11 January 1999

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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