The Calico Mine Ride at Knott’s is not a roller coaster. It is the oldest ride at the park (dating back to 1960), and is a relatively gentle train trip through a gold mine, With an emphasis on visuals, not thrills. It speeds up a bit near the end, but there are no drops, and it definitely is not a roller coaster and never claimed to be one.
However, I must admit I’m a little freaked out to learn that it can derail. As mentioned in the article, the train drives along the edge of a very deep canyon, and when I was a kid I used to worry a little about the possibility of the train toppling into that chasm, something that I later assured myself wasn’t possible, given that it has operated safely for 60 years. But hearing now that it actually CAN derail makes my childhood paranoia seem justifiable.
More likely to happen to the engine at the top of the lift hill than anywhere else but these are rare and there are safeguards in place to stop the lift in the event that happens (used to drive the earn things)
I used to live in California and loved going to Knott’s Berry Farm. The Calico Mine Train was always one of my favorite rides, but it is definitely not a roller coaster. We could spend the entire day there walking around and taking in the ambiance of the Old West. When it was sold to a different company, ( I believe it was Cedar Fair), I watched all the changes being made, like taking out the gravity defying Haunted Shack, my absolute favorite attraction there.
The lagoon side of the park with the carousel, Livery Stables, and row boats was turned into more parking and the main park added many more death defying rides. It was then that the much younger generation started flocking there in droves. It never seemed the same as back when we used to have wagon train shows and the Birdcage Theater old melodrama shows. Things change, though, and not always for the better. Thank goodness they didn’t get rid of the Knott’s Chicken Restaurant. I could go there without even going into the theme park. It isn’t that I don’t appreciate some change, but once the park changed hands, the clientele became more rowdy. We were riding the Calico Mine Train once and I had won a huge stuffed tiger, which the staff made me leave in the last unoccupied car. There was a power outage and it got pretty dark so we were instructed to stay seated until someone escorted us off of the ride. As soon as the ride came to a stop, two teenagers jumped out of their car before the staff opened the doors to the cars, grabbed the tiger, and took off running. I am from a generation when things like this just did not happen. The park was gracious enough to replace the missing prize, however, they did not have another like it so I had to settle for a different one. My memories of Knott’s before the sell were wonderful, but after the sell, not as good,
Speaking as one who used to operate that particular ride and judging by the location this was as simple as physics won this battle. That stretch of track is down hill into a relatively sharp turn that also doubles as a switch track. Anyone familiar with trains can confirm that switches can cause derailments occasionally. As long as no one was hurt I’d chalk it up to bad luck and a bad day, leave the driver and the maintenance guys alone, and move on
Back when I was 18 I worked at Castle Park in Riverside california. And back then the owners of Castle Park owned Knott’s Berry farm and the main owner of Knott’s was a man that will affectionately called Uncle Bud. We used to be able to go to Knott’s Berry farm for free and ride the rights for free as you know I mean back then we were technically spies but now they’re called mystery shoppers. And honestly these days those rides that were built over half a century ago were built for people of a smaller frame because back then 90% of the people were of a smaller frame not only weight Wise but height wise wise. So yeah nuts needs to engineer the rights to properly address the change in the human frame that is occurring now as opposed to when those rides were built. Go to the Smithsonian and look at where they show the gowns for the presidents wives and suits for the presidents themselves. I mean George Washington was like 4.5ft tall and people have over the ages gotten taller. My point with that is it just shows how people have gotten larger not only height wise but you know obviously weight Wise as well so just saying.
Castle Park NEVER owned Knott’s Berry Farm. Up until it was sold to Cedar Fair it was owned by the Knott family. I worked for Knott’s for many years and know the history pretty well.
Bud didn’t own Knott’s Berry Farm but your right in one part the rides were operated up until the early 80s by Bud in the joint venture. But the Knott family owned and operated everything by the time I started working there in 1986. The rides were designed by Bud. It was after he left Knotts that Castle Park grew into its own. And several of Bud’s smaller rides left KBF to go to a new home at the fun Castle Park.
Not the first time it happened when I was a ride operator back in the early 90s it is the employee’s fault as he did not use the manual handbrake in time. When exiting the last block light going into the explosion tunnel you hold down the handbrake and slow the train before exiting F block. He failed to do this just like the incident in the 90s. I was there when that employee did the same mistake. He wanted to make a more thrilling ride and the train did the same as here in the same location. GLAD everyone was safe. Also, it is not a roller Coaster but each train is independent and driven by the ride operator. I worked on that ride for 8 of my 13 years at KBF. This is a Ride operator error he failed to use the hold brakes on exiting the F block of the explosion tunnel. There is a portion where there are no skid brake rails. That’s why at the halfway point in the explosion tunnel you apply hard braking. Many ride operators of the Calico Mine Ride want to make the ride more thrilling so they delay doing so but this is what happens when you don’t follow the rules and your training. It happened exactly in the same spot as in the 90s . So please be accurate reporting as this is a train ride again not a coaster.
“As you can see, the roller coaster completely derailed while Guests were riding it.”
I can see this ride is not a rollercoaster. Puzzling that the author thinks it is. It’s a dark ride with manually operated electric trains. It does have a lift hill to get the trains to the upper floor, but that’s the only remote similarity it has to a rollercoaster. The log ride across the way is more of a rollercoaster than this ride. LOL
That poor mine train has been having problems ever since the 60s and 70s when it first went in… My first ride on that darn thing we were stuck for half an hour.
Comments for Theme Park Train Coaster Derails With Guests on Board
Robin
I’m guessing lack of maintenance.
Joe
Considering each train is manually driven and that final stretch is coasting downhill on brakes alone, the brakes most likely failed to engage.
Michelle
That train in particular has had known issues with the brakes for a while now. The employee was fired for something that wasn’t even her fault.
Fred
The Calico Mine Ride at Knott’s is not a roller coaster. It is the oldest ride at the park (dating back to 1960), and is a relatively gentle train trip through a gold mine, With an emphasis on visuals, not thrills. It speeds up a bit near the end, but there are no drops, and it definitely is not a roller coaster and never claimed to be one.
However, I must admit I’m a little freaked out to learn that it can derail. As mentioned in the article, the train drives along the edge of a very deep canyon, and when I was a kid I used to worry a little about the possibility of the train toppling into that chasm, something that I later assured myself wasn’t possible, given that it has operated safely for 60 years. But hearing now that it actually CAN derail makes my childhood paranoia seem justifiable.
Dobs
More likely to happen to the engine at the top of the lift hill than anywhere else but these are rare and there are safeguards in place to stop the lift in the event that happens (used to drive the earn things)
Debby Rusovick
I used to live in California and loved going to Knott’s Berry Farm. The Calico Mine Train was always one of my favorite rides, but it is definitely not a roller coaster. We could spend the entire day there walking around and taking in the ambiance of the Old West. When it was sold to a different company, ( I believe it was Cedar Fair), I watched all the changes being made, like taking out the gravity defying Haunted Shack, my absolute favorite attraction there.
The lagoon side of the park with the carousel, Livery Stables, and row boats was turned into more parking and the main park added many more death defying rides. It was then that the much younger generation started flocking there in droves. It never seemed the same as back when we used to have wagon train shows and the Birdcage Theater old melodrama shows. Things change, though, and not always for the better. Thank goodness they didn’t get rid of the Knott’s Chicken Restaurant. I could go there without even going into the theme park. It isn’t that I don’t appreciate some change, but once the park changed hands, the clientele became more rowdy. We were riding the Calico Mine Train once and I had won a huge stuffed tiger, which the staff made me leave in the last unoccupied car. There was a power outage and it got pretty dark so we were instructed to stay seated until someone escorted us off of the ride. As soon as the ride came to a stop, two teenagers jumped out of their car before the staff opened the doors to the cars, grabbed the tiger, and took off running. I am from a generation when things like this just did not happen. The park was gracious enough to replace the missing prize, however, they did not have another like it so I had to settle for a different one. My memories of Knott’s before the sell were wonderful, but after the sell, not as good,
Mark L Sheldon
Stuff like that has always happen your delusional at best
Crystal
My mom
And I feel the same. We loved Birdcage Theater and the wagon train shows!
Ken
Darn but I don’t think he can. We need him so we can sit sometimes. Of course if you pull his finger it might help LOL!!
Robert Balderrama
Redneck, I knew it.
UrNitemare
This is however racist
Rodger
Good nobody was hurt.
That would be a little shockeing to be on.the ride and have that happen..
Satanic_Hamster
But don’t anyone dare accuse you of being racist, right.
Dobs
Speaking as one who used to operate that particular ride and judging by the location this was as simple as physics won this battle. That stretch of track is down hill into a relatively sharp turn that also doubles as a switch track. Anyone familiar with trains can confirm that switches can cause derailments occasionally. As long as no one was hurt I’d chalk it up to bad luck and a bad day, leave the driver and the maintenance guys alone, and move on
Just saying
Back when I was 18 I worked at Castle Park in Riverside california. And back then the owners of Castle Park owned Knott’s Berry farm and the main owner of Knott’s was a man that will affectionately called Uncle Bud. We used to be able to go to Knott’s Berry farm for free and ride the rights for free as you know I mean back then we were technically spies but now they’re called mystery shoppers. And honestly these days those rides that were built over half a century ago were built for people of a smaller frame because back then 90% of the people were of a smaller frame not only weight Wise but height wise wise. So yeah nuts needs to engineer the rights to properly address the change in the human frame that is occurring now as opposed to when those rides were built. Go to the Smithsonian and look at where they show the gowns for the presidents wives and suits for the presidents themselves. I mean George Washington was like 4.5ft tall and people have over the ages gotten taller. My point with that is it just shows how people have gotten larger not only height wise but you know obviously weight Wise as well so just saying.
Mark Sheldon
Your delusional
Greg
Castle Park NEVER owned Knott’s Berry Farm. Up until it was sold to Cedar Fair it was owned by the Knott family. I worked for Knott’s for many years and know the history pretty well.
Tim Lewis
Bud Haulbut Owned The Calico Mine Ride and the log ride and Castle Park for a long time.
Chris
Bud didn’t own Knott’s Berry Farm but your right in one part the rides were operated up until the early 80s by Bud in the joint venture. But the Knott family owned and operated everything by the time I started working there in 1986. The rides were designed by Bud. It was after he left Knotts that Castle Park grew into its own. And several of Bud’s smaller rides left KBF to go to a new home at the fun Castle Park.
Justin
George Washington was 6′ 2″.
Ed
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Rob
“Rollercoaster” lol. Anyone who has been on that ride knows you can walk not even briskly and still outpace that train.
Mark L Sheldon
Your trash
Linda
What does immigration status have to do with it. Racist much?
UrNitemare
Facts. People hate truth…
UrNitemare
Yes, join now…
UrNitemare
That was facts, not racist
Richard Karl
This is in Illinois.
Check John for clean sheets and trump stuff.
Becks
I don’t think you can label this as a roller coaster. I have been on this ride many times, and it doesn’t go over 15 mph 🤣
Chris
Not the first time it happened when I was a ride operator back in the early 90s it is the employee’s fault as he did not use the manual handbrake in time. When exiting the last block light going into the explosion tunnel you hold down the handbrake and slow the train before exiting F block. He failed to do this just like the incident in the 90s. I was there when that employee did the same mistake. He wanted to make a more thrilling ride and the train did the same as here in the same location. GLAD everyone was safe. Also, it is not a roller Coaster but each train is independent and driven by the ride operator. I worked on that ride for 8 of my 13 years at KBF. This is a Ride operator error he failed to use the hold brakes on exiting the F block of the explosion tunnel. There is a portion where there are no skid brake rails. That’s why at the halfway point in the explosion tunnel you apply hard braking. Many ride operators of the Calico Mine Ride want to make the ride more thrilling so they delay doing so but this is what happens when you don’t follow the rules and your training. It happened exactly in the same spot as in the 90s . So please be accurate reporting as this is a train ride again not a coaster.
Mike
OMG so scary probably the lack of maintenance or the track could be rusty and old probably needs some maintenance
Greg
“As you can see, the roller coaster completely derailed while Guests were riding it.”
I can see this ride is not a rollercoaster. Puzzling that the author thinks it is. It’s a dark ride with manually operated electric trains. It does have a lift hill to get the trains to the upper floor, but that’s the only remote similarity it has to a rollercoaster. The log ride across the way is more of a rollercoaster than this ride. LOL
KJames90755
That poor mine train has been having problems ever since the 60s and 70s when it first went in… My first ride on that darn thing we were stuck for half an hour.
Comments are closed.