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About 1890 the two Mumford brothers of Pennsylvania, emboldened by the popularity of their Mauch Chunk Gravity Railroad with tourists (it was built to haul coal), decided to build what would have been the grandmother of all roller coasters close to New York city. The Dunderburg Spiral railroad would have climbed over 900 up Dunderburg Mountain (now part of Harriman State Park in Rockland County, NY) using two stationary engines (essentially two chains). From there it was to descend back to its start with an 8 mile downhill coast consisting of a double spiral around the mountain peak (and the planned but never built hotel thereon) and three elongated switchbacks. Over a million dollars (a PRINCELY sum in those days!) was spent and much of the grading was completed. The financial panic of the early 1890’s stopped work and it was never resumed leaving miles of brooding grade wandering through the woods, with two partially completed tunnels and stone arch bridges to entertain hikers. There is an unconfirmed legend that the decision to place the upcoming world’s fair in Chicago instead of New York had something to do with thr project’s demise.
In honor of this remarkable project I made this sandbox park. You will see the Hudson River complete with the Hudson River Day Line steamboats (that will entertain you by sailing through rather than around each other) and the West Shore (later New York Central) Railroad. There are rides somewhat consistent with the times and the area lumber and iron industries. The Dunderburg Spiral Railway itself is about one tenth scale horizontally and about half scale vertically. It got good numbers and the peeps like it.
There wasn’t room for a hotel, but an observation tower will have to suffice,
Let me know what your peeps think.

Section Parks
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Date Uploaded Dec 26, 2010
Liked by SMITEM1, SMITEM1

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