Hersheypark Comet: A New ACE Roller Coaster Landmark

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originally posted on 6/7/2021

Photo: Courtesy Hersheypark. View full-sized image.

Have you ever thought back to how differently things might have been if a major event in your life had never happened? A decision you made that caused you to turn right instead of left on the “highway of life?” One of the biggest events that changed my life forever was deciding to ride my very first roller coaster, the Comet at Hersheypark. I am sure that other enthusiasts can relate by remembering when they, too, had their first thrilling coaster experience that caused them to develop a unique passion unlike any other.

Before I took my very first coaster ride, I was intimidated by the appearance of roller coasters and the thought of what they might do to their riders. Why would anyone want to get on something that climbed high into the sky and then dropped and whipped them around at breakneck speeds? “No, thanks, I will stay on the ground,” I thought. Dark rides and flat rides were more my speed at the time.

Photo: Bobby Nagy. View full-sized image.

That fateful day took place in the summer of 1971 when I took a trip to Hershey Amusement Park with my parents and a friend. My sister could not go with us, but she did issue a challenge to me to ride the park’s roller coaster. “You will love it,” she said. Okay, we’ll see. Maybe!

While my parents opted to tour around the town, my friend and I had a good time riding most everything in the park except the Comet. Shortly before we had to leave, we decided, “Oh, what the heck. Let’s just go for it and ride the coaster.” So with great anxiety and butterflies in our stomachs, we boarded the ride.

Photo: Gary Slade. View full-sized image.

As the train rose to the top of the lift hill, I was bracing for the worst. Then over the top, down the first drop and up into the first turnaround. The anticipated bad feeling in the pit of my stomach actually felt wonderful. As the ride continued along seemingly endless drops and weightless hills, my earlier intimidation about coaster rides vanished and turned to elation. And as soon as we disembarked, we wanted to get right back on it again. Needless to say, I was hooked! I had a new passion in my life and wanted to experience roller coasters at other parks.

So what would have happened if I had chosen not to ride the Comet that day? Most certainly I would not have met Paul Greenwald and Richard Munch at the Rebel Yell marathon that took place at Kings Dominion in June 1977. The three of us meeting over the course of the marathon led to us working together to found what is now the world’s largest ride enthusiasts organization, American Coaster Enthusiasts.

Photo: Howard Gillooly. View full-sized image.

For many months that followed, the three of us planned the very first convention of roller coaster enthusiasts to be held in June 1978 at Busch Gardens “The Old Country” (as it was called back then). It was because of this event that American Coaster Enthusiasts was born. And to think I might have decided not to ride the Comet that day in 1971…

Deciding to ride a roller coaster for the first time may require an internal struggle to conquer your fears, just like other challenges people tackle each day in their lives. All you have to do is sit down, lock yourself in, hold onto the lap bars and hopefully you will enjoy the ride. But what if you never take the chance and choose not to ride? You may miss out on a very special and unique experience.

Photo: Allan Reid. View full-sized image.

First-time riders may need help to understand that logically there is nothing to fear and that roller coasters are not dangerous, as our hearts may lead us to feel. To the uninitiated, the cars appear to be riding on top of the tracks. Upon closer inspection, there are three points of contact that keep them locked on the tracks: wheels ride on top of upper rails, side friction wheels keep the cars aligned with the tracks and upstop wheels located under the tracks complete the assembly.

Which coaster do I suggest for a first-time rider? My personal favorite is the Comet at Hersheypark, a perfect coaster for a first-time rider, a child of minimum height and a future coaster enthusiast. While it does have a few big drops, the total ride experience is both exhilarating and just plain FUN.

Photo: Courtesy Hersheypark. View full-sized image.

The Hersheypark Comet opened in 1946 at what was originally called Hershey Amusement Park with two trains (three seats per car) riding the rails that were designed by Herbert Schmeck and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC). Riders savor 3,360 feet of thrills that includes a 96-foot drop from the top of the lift hill. The two trains featured stationary lap bars and metal rings for riders to hold onto. These were eventually changed to more modern three-seat cars with pull-down lap bars, more commonly referred to as “buzz bars.” (The buzzing sound signaled that the bars could be lowered and locked and unlocked later at the conclusion of the ride.) The Comet’s structure was originally painted a foreboding dark forest green. In 1977, the ride was repainted a bright white, similar to the way new wooden coasters at other parks were painted at the time. To further preserve the ride for future generations to enjoy, major maintenance was performed in 2007 when the roller coaster was retracked.

Photo: Tim Baldwin. View full-sized image.

The Comet has continued to be a significant treat in my life. When I relocated to the Hershey area and began working as a part-time ride operator and trainer, it was the first ride I ever operated. That was indeed a very happy coincidence!

I celebrate all that the Comet and coasters have brought to my life and look forward to the many years of screams and thrills and fright that the Comet will continue to deliver, thanks to the perseverance of the Hershey team to maintain this treasured ride.

— Roy J. Brashears

American Coaster Enthusiasts is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, appreciation and safe enjoyment of roller coasters. With 6,000 members worldwide, ACE is the largest and longest-running enthusiast organization in the world. Members of ACE receive exclusive park benefits, newsletters, magazines and the opportunity to attend national, local and even international tours at parks. You can enjoy the benefits of members today! Join at join.aceonline.org.