Dinn Corporation

Dinn Corporation was a roller coaster designing and manufacturing company established in West Chester, Ohio in 1983 by Charles Dinn. The company is noted for moving and rebuilding several existing wooden coasters and building ten new wooden roller coasters in the United States.[1]

Dinn Corporation
TypePrivate
IndustryRoller coaster construction
FateClosed
Founded1983
FounderCharles Dinn
Defunct1991
Headquarters
West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio
,
United States
Key people
Charles Dinn, Denise Dinn Larrick, Randy Larrick, Jeff Dinn

History

Charles Dinn served as Kings Island's Director of Construction, Maintenance and Engineering, where he oversaw the design and building of The Beast[2] with a team including Al Collins, Jim Nickell, William Reed and Curtis D. Summers. In November 1983, Dinn left Kings Island and opened his own corporation in West Chester, Ohio. The corporation relocated three older wooden roller coasters from parks that had been closed to new parks[3] One of the firm's first projects was rebuilding the San Antonio Playland Park Rocket as the Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort.[1] In 1985 Dinn contacted Curtis D. Summers, Inc., an engineering firm in Loveland, Ohio, to provide the design for the restoration of the helix of Paragon Park's Giant Coaster which his company was moving to Wild World in Largo, Maryland.[1] That was the start of relationship that lasted until 1991. In 1987 the two started building new coasters, with Wolverine Wildcat and Raging Wolf Bobs both opening in 1988.

In 1991, Charlie Dinn closed the Dinn Corporation after a dispute that occurred during the construction of Pegasus at Efteling.[1] This was despite a possible project in the works for Kings Island to open in 1992.[4] However, Charles's daughter Denise Dinn Larrick formed the now-defunct company Custom Coasters International, with many of the key personnel from the Dinn Corp.[5]

List of roller coasters


As of 2019, Dinn Corporation has built 11 roller coasters around the world and assisted with at least 3 known restoration.[6]

Relocated/rebuilt coasters
NameParkCountryOpenedStatusRef
WildcatLake Compounce United States1927Operating[7]
Phoenix
Formerly Rocket		Knoebels Amusement Park
Playland Park		 United States1985
1948 to 1980		Operating[8]
[9]
Wild One
Formerly Giant Coaster		Six Flags America
Paragon Park		 United States1986
1917 to 1985		Operating[10]
[11]

New coasters
NameParkCountryOpenedStatusRef
Wolverine WildcatMichigan's Adventure United States1988Operating[12]
Raging Wolf BobsGeauga Lake United States1988Removed[13]
Timber WolfWorlds of Fun United States1989Operating[14]
HerculesDorney Park United States1989Removed[15]
Georgia CycloneSix Flags Over Georgia United States1990Converted
Now known as Twisted Cyclone		[16]
Texas GiantSix Flags Over Texas United States1990Converted
Now known as New Texas Giant		[17]
PredatorSix Flags Darien Lake United States1990Operating[18]
Thunder RunKentucky Kingdom United States1990Operating[19]
PsycloneSix Flags Magic Mountain United States1991Removed[20]
Mean StreakCedar Point United States1991Converted
Now known as Steel Vengeance		[21]
PegasusEfteling Netherlands1991Removed[22]

Water projects

The Dinn Corporation served as project managers on the following ride installations:[23]

References
  1. Seifert, Jeffrey (2008). "Dinn and Summers, A Brief Resurgence in Wooden coasters". RollerCoaster! Magazine. 29 (3): 18–27. ISSN 0896-7261.
  2. "Screeeeeeam!". Retrieved 2014-05-29.
  3. Rutherford, Scott (2002). The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion. Citadel Press. pp. 143. ISBN 978-0-8065-2309-5.
  4. "Rattler Letter mentioning Dinn Corp" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  5. "Roller Coaster History". Retrieved 2009-05-26.
  6. Dinn Corporation - rcdb.com
  7. Marden, Duane. "Wildcat  (Lake Compounce)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  8. Marden, Duane. "Phoenix  (Knoebels Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  9. Marden, Duane. "Rocket  (Playland Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  10. Marden, Duane. "Wild One  (Six Flags America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  11. Marden, Duane. "Giant Coaster  (Paragon Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  12. Marden, Duane. "Wolverine Wildcat  (Michigan's Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  13. Marden, Duane. "Raging Wolf Bobs  (Geauga Lake)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  14. Marden, Duane. "Timber Wolf  (Worlds of Fun)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  15. Marden, Duane. "Hercules  (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  16. Marden, Duane. "Georgia Cyclone  (Six Flags Over Georgia)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  17. Marden, Duane. "Texas Giant  (Six Flags Over Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  18. Marden, Duane. "Predator  (Six Flags Darien Lake)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  19. Marden, Duane. "Thunder Run  (Kentucky Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  20. Marden, Duane. "Psyclone  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  21. Marden, Duane. "Mean Streak  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  22. Marden, Duane. "Pegasus  (Efteling)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  23. Slade, Gary (1990). "Spotlight on Dinn Corporation (special section)". Inside Track (November 1990): 1–5.
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