We are back in action here at The Amusement Blog and will be sharing another two images with you today from Busch Gardens Williamsburg as it appeared in August of 1998.
Today we have two more German inspired things to share with you from the park!
Up first is another attraction that has been relocated within the park since the time of the photo. Below is what used to be known as Der Katapult, which pretty easily translates from German to English as The Catapult.
Der Katapult was removed from its original location (which can be seen in this 1997 park map) to make way for one of the park's newest attractions, the Mach Tower, and the overall reimagining/resprucing up of Oktoberfest that took place in 2011.
Der Katapult was moved to New France (think Canadian frontier and wilderness) and was renamed Le Catapult to fit its new French speaking territory. Le Catapult took the place of the former Canadian Palladium. During the transformation from Der Katapult to Le Catapult this scrambler style flat ride also received a new red paint scheme and wilderness inspired logo to match its new surroundings.
The ironwork fencing surrounding the ride was beautiful! Today the majority of rides in Oktoberfest still have that great and unique ironwork fencing surrounding them.
And our sendoff for today...
One of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's three unique steam engine trains. Each of the three trains at BGW resembles the look of a period steam engine from a different country. At the time steam engines were being built every country around the world building them built them differently and thus a German, American, and British train from the same time period all look very different!
Most theme parks (such as Disneyland and Walt Disney World) use American inspired recreations or real repurposed American steam engines. Busch Gardens Williamsburg's trains are unique in that they really do look different than any steam engine trains that most people have seen.
The train seen in the image above is train #238 Der Hochbeinige and was made for Busch Gardens in the German style of steam engines. Busch Gardens Williamsburg's other two trains are #661 the Balmoral Castle done in the British style of steam engine trains and #17 the Alpine Express done in the American style of steam engine trains.
For a lot more on the steam engine trains and railroad of Busch Gardens Williamsburg be sure to check out the amazing www.AmusementPics.com website. A direct link to the BGW Railroad page from Amusement Pics can be accessed here.
Alright folks, that wraps things up for today! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for even more from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, August 1998.
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