Tilt-A-Whirl Tribute - One of the best amusement park rides ever invented

Tilt-A-Whirl Tips by Duane Alan Hahn

This small animation was created by Duane Alan Hahn. It's an edited version of Ken Denton's original color video. Used with Ken Denton's permission.

The Tilt-A-Whirl is a near-perfect blend of chaos and skill. Most amusement park rides have two problems: they are devoid of randomness and your participation usually starts and ends with getting in and holding on. No matter how exciting the ride is, you're usually stuck with what you might call a passive experience. You don't have those problems with the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Tilt-A-Whirl Randomness

You never know which way your car is going to spin. If you sit there and try to do nothing, one minute you could be spinning clockwise and the next minute you're spinning the other way.

Tilt-A-Whirl Control

The person at the controls can affect your spin at certain times if they want to, but skillful riders can also:

Influence the direction of the spin during lulls.
Make their car spin faster.
Help to defuse the spin in some cases if they are riding with someone who starts to feel sick to their stomach.

Tilt-A-Whirl Tip for Newbies

You can try to get your car to spin in the direction you'd like during lulls, but if your car seems to be favoring a certain direction, it's usually best to go with the flow. If you don't fight it and choose to help it along, the ride will usually be more enjoyable since you'll get faster spins.

Tilt-A-Whirl Tips for Wimps

If spinning fast makes you sick, don't get on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
Stay away from the Tilt-A-Whirl if you hate the uncertainty that randomness provides.
When you don't want to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl because of one of the reasons above, but someone talks you into it anyway, watch the cars while standing in line. Sometimes one of the cars will be kind of a dud. It just doesn't seem to want to spin that much. Keep your eye on that car and try to be the first to grab it when you're let in.

Tilt-a-Whirl E-Mail from Bill Lambert
(Friday, August 28, 2009)

I operated and helped move a Tilt-a-Whirl numerous times while in the employ of Astro Amusements out of Crystal Lake Illinois. I worked for them on and off over the course of 3 yrs in the early '90s and worked on a few of their rides. I consider the "Tilt" one of the greatest rides ever built. Its drive train was so sturdy and serviceable that it remained basically unchanged until the mid '80s. That's where Tim comes in.

Tim Morris, this particular "tilt's" Foreman, was a wild man and a good friend. This man had no real education, nor design of acquiring one. He was chaotic on all aspects of life except running the tilt and being loyal to people dear to him. Chaotic movement and a chaotic man, is there a better pair?

When the new electric 7 came out, Astro bought one and relegated the old one to the second unit. Tim got to run the new one. Once it was a couple years old, Tim was made foreman. He then developed a way to manipulate the tubs spinning in such a refined way never seen before. At any given time 6 of the 7 tubs would run chaotic while one remained under his thumb. The tub could be any one of the 7. He would pick them at random and take control of its movement.

Many a "tilt man" has done this with the old units equipped with a single motor and clutch. With the new 7 motor system Tim was able to do it better than anyone had ever done it before and I saw potential. The last half of my last season I was put on the tilt to help Tim. We took it to the next level soon thereafter.

The pendant consists of three buttons. An on button, an off button, and a button labeled joy. The joy button is the only one needing explanation. It kills the power to all the motors and applies the brake to the table but not to the tub. This allows the tub to keep spinning free while the table brake redirects force to the free spinning tub. Instead of letting it run at or just below full speed, we would set one tub on the high side left of the gate and lean it toward swinging down hill going counterclockwise. Once it comes around you lift off the joy button and the 7 motors apply force to the table yanking the tub the rest of the way around. With practice we got our timing down to where we could take two minutes to let the table make one revolution while concentrating on the one tub. It spun so fast that the rotational force would lift the whole bullplate and dolly up from the track and slam back down instantly like the back end of a rubber band every time it came to the low side, three times in a revolution. The G-forces involved in spinning so fast, I can only guess. I know from personal experience that the force of the Kamikaze, running at full speed doesn't compare.

I must now note that ride operators caught doing these techniques are heavily fined by the rides owners. The tilt was never designed to hold up to such activities. It breaks apart the dollies and wheels. It also tears up the track over time and warps the bullplates. But man what a ride.

Tim's been dead about four years now. He is missed by many.

Bill Lambert

Tilt-A-Whirl Links

Image courtesy of Sellner Mfg. Co.

Sellner Manufacturing Company

Builders of the Tilt-A-Whirl and other family amusement rides.

The Science of Fun

Chaos theory and the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Building Up The Tilt-A-Whirl

Images of a Tilt-A-Whirl being put together from start to finish (Lawrie's Carnival and Amusement Park Pages).

Tilt-A-Whirl Chaos I

Part one of two articles about the Tilt-A-Whirl and chaotic systems by Ivars Peterson (Science News Online).

Backup link (MAA Online). Kid Version.

Tilt-A-Whirl Chaos II

Part two of two articles about the Tilt-A-Whirl and chaotic systems by Ivars Peterson (Science News Online).

Backup link (MAA Online).

Chaos at the Amusement Park

Science Frontiers Online.

Tilt-A-Whirl Photo Links

Image courtesy of Sellner Mfg. Co.

David Burton's Amusement Ride Extravaganza

Various images and information.

The Dentons 1st Annual Amusement Park Outing (Mike and Michelle)

Close-up of one car (from this page).

Belmont Park

Side view (Joyrides.com).

Cliffhanger Web Journal

Close-up side view of one car through bars.

Image courtesy of Sellner Mfg. Co.

Midway of Fun

Overhead view.

Hersheypark

Platform level side view (hersheypa.com).

Branson USA

Two pics, side view and car with track (Theme Parks Online).

Fantasy Farm Memorial

Side view.

Midwest Midways

Side view.

Cedar Point

Close-up of one car.

5centride Photos

Following 3 photos courtesy of Sue Nichols from www.5centride.com.

Morey's Pier in Wildwood NJ

Close-up side view of one car.

Morey's Pier in Wildwood NJ

Side and back of two cars.

Morey's Pier in Wildwood NJ

Side view.

Tilt-A-Whirl in the Movies

This is a growing list of movies and TV shows that have a Tilt-A-Whirl in them. If you know of any movies or TV shows not listed here, please let me know.

Sliders: Invasion

Joe Dirt (2001)

Hearts in Atlantis (2001)

Carpool (1996)

Sliders: Invasion (1996) [TV show]

The Net (1995)

The Little Rascals (1994)

Wilder Napalm (1993)

Explorers [car] (1985)

The Twilight Zone: In Praise of Pip (1963) [TV show]

Unbreakable (2000) [DVD only]

At Close Range (1986)