The Tornado was enlarged from it's original 58 feet tall to 75 feet tall for the 1962 season to compete with Springlake's Big Dipper. Pictures are not completely clear on the layouts, but the original configuration seems to have been a crossed double out and back, with the first drop before the first turn. After modification, the lift led immediately into a turn before a new first drop, and a new high turn was added at the station end, with the rest of the ride apparently being unchanged.
Parts of the Tornado were used to build the Tornado at Petticoat Junction (Panama City, Florida). The two roller coasters differed significantly in layout with the Petticoat Junction Tornado being a simple out-and-back layout. |