Herbert Paul Schmeck (born 1890 in
Reading,
Pennsylvania, died 1956) was an American
roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
designer. From 1923 to 1955, Schmeck designed 84 coasters for the
Philadelphia Toboggan Company. As a designer and president, the company became the most prominent manufacturer of roller coasters in the
United States.
Schmeck originally worked as a carpenter for the Reading Furniture Works, before he was hired to work on a construction crew for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. He was offered more jobs when his work ethic impressed company owners.
He served as a
foreman
__NOTOC__
A foreman, forewoman or foreperson is a supervisor, often in a manual trade or industry.
Foreman may specifically refer to:
*Construction foreman, the worker or tradesman who is in charge of a construction crew
* Jury foreman, a head j ...
at
Paragon Park on
Nantasket Beach in 1916. There he worked with designer
John A. Miller
John A. Miller (born August John Mueller; 1872 – June 24, 1941) was an American roller coaster designer and builder, inventor, and businessman. Miller patented over 100 key roller coaster components, and is widely considered the "father of th ...
on the construction of "
The Giant Coaster." He continued to work with the Philadelphia Tobaggan Company assisting with the construction of coasters. Despite no formal training as an engineer, Schmeck learned to design rides by studying
blueprints and with his construction knowledge.
[ In 1923 Schmeck designed his first coaster, the Wild Cat at Hersheypark. He later mentored ]John C. Allen
John C. Allen (May 21, 1907 – August 17, 1979) was a roller coaster designer who was responsible for the revival of wooden roller coasters which began in the 1960s. He attended Drexel University. He started working for the Philadelphia Tobogga ...
.[
Two of his designs, Phoenix at ]Knoebels' Amusement Resort
Knoebels Amusement Resort () is a family-owned and operated amusement park, picnic grove, and campground in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1926, it is America's largest free-admission park. The park has more than 60 rides including three woo ...
, and Comet at The Great Escape have frequently been honored as two of the top ten roller coasters.[
]
Notable designs
* Wildcat – Lake Compounce
* Comet – The Great Escape
* Phoenix – Knoebels
* Thunderhawk – Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
* The Wild One – Six Flags America
* Rollo Coaster
Rollo Coaster is a wooden roller coaster located at Idlewild and Soak Zone near Ligonier, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1938 by the leading roller coaster designer and builder of that era, Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was Idlewild's first and ...
– Idlewild and Soak Zone
Idlewild and Soak Zone, commonly known as Idlewild Park or simply Idlewild, is a children's amusement park in the Laurel Highlands near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, United States, about east of Pittsburgh, along US Route 30. Founded in 1878 as ...
* Comet – Hersheypark
* Little Dipper - Kiddieland
Kiddieland Amusement Park (stylized as "KiDDieLAND") was an amusement park located at the corner of North Avenue and First Avenue in Melrose Park, Illinois. It was home to several classic rides including the ''Little Dipper'' roller coaster, w ...
(1950-September 2009) Six Flags Great America (April 2010–Present)
* Wild Cat - Idora Park
Idora Park was a Victorian era trolley park in north Oakland, California constructed in 1904 on the site of an informal park setting called Ayala Park on the north banks of Temescal Creek. It was leased by the Ingersoll Pleasure and Amusement P ...
Construction Supervisor
* Mountain Dips Coaster (1920-1939) - Rocky Glen Park in Moosic, Pennsylvania
Notes
Amusement ride manufacturers
Roller coaster designers
1890 births
1956 deaths
{{1890s-US-business-bio-stub
20th-century American businesspeople