1949 Göso, Coney Island Coaster in Original Box
Marked, "Made in U.S. Zone, Germany", this clockwork Coney Island Roller Coaster manufactured by Göso is one of the most elaborate and difficult to find amusement park toy. 15 pieces in all with most of it being track it's a tough toy to find complete, working, and with its original box. This one has it all! The toy is made from heavy gauge tin litho. When assembled it measures nearly 4 feet long. It's slightly over 16" at its tallest point. The Coaster features an automatic car elevator which not only lifts the vehicles into starting position, but also keeps them separate so they won't hit against each other. It's a particularly well engineered toy. Twists and turns, banked track, and several clever automatic mechanisms were needed to make it work. Tower height, car weight, and car height were all taken into account. The track itself has several unique features. To keep them from separating the tracks are latched together with a hook system built into the underside of each piece. Three track section ends were "boxed" in to prevent the cars from jumping the track. It also uses a spring lever drop mechanism which automatically lowers cars to the next level. It also incorporates a twisted "Y" shaped track which actually holds one car in place while the other is being elevated. Once the raised car exits the tower, the elevator drops down and triggers a lever underneath the "Y" track to release the second car. Also, the "A-frame" pylons were precisely placed where they would do the most good, yet their number was kept to a bare minimum. Smooth, round nickel plated wheels were used in the cars. Lastly and probably one of the most ingenious, yet simple concepts...the clockwork housing has a removable roof panel for easy access. The toy comes with two towers (16½" and 14" tall), ten track sections, four permanently attached pylons, two coaster cars with two riders in each, and its original nickel plated cast iron key. The shorter of the two towers has an on/off motor lever. When setting up the toy the position of the elevator inside the tower is critical in making sure that it functions properly. Everything has to be set precisely, or the car falls off, or the elevator doesn't drop. Once I had it fine tuned it ran and ran and ran. It made seven complete runs before the motor wound down. I assembled it without the benefit of having original directions. When I sold this toy I provided a schematic, written instructions, or photos to convey the exact position of each piece. The huge box was made from heavy, pressed gray card stock. Corners were held together using right angle staples. The cover still has its original, full color, poster illustration which is reminiscent of the style used to advertise U.S. circuses. The box still has its original insert. Size: Box 21" x 13" x 5". Length 45". Sold: Dec. 2006
Price Sold: $ 1475
