Walter House's Unique Roller Coaster Wows the World from Amarillo

You would be surprised by the genius that has come out of Amarillo. I know a lot of people dog on Amarillo, but truthfully some of the coolest and smartest ideas have come from people who were born and raised or who have lived in the Yellow City.

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One of the great pleasures in life is going to an amusement park, carnival or fair and riding rides. One of the most thrilling rides is a roller coaster. Roller coasters bring the thrill of the unknown and for some, it's a near-death experience because of the height, speed, and twists and turns. For some roller coaters bring that thrill, for others it brings the upchuck reflex. Regardless of which one, most people have ridden a roller coaster at least once.

Thrill, Chills, and Fun!

However, one of the most unique roller coasters created was the brainchild of an Amarillo man named William House. William House was the brainchild of the Tobaggan Roller Coaster, which was unlike any other. This roller coaster took you up a tube vertically and once at the top it twisted you around and around until you made it to the bottom. The ride is 45 feet tall with 450 feet of track and lasts 1 minute and 10 seconds.

House designed this roller coaster to be a carnival ride that would fit on two trailers for easy transport to move from place to place. House sold the manufacturing rights to Chance and they began producing the coasters in 1969. While in production 32 of the Tobaggan coasters were built. The cost of a Tobaggan roller coaster was $35,000 in 1969.

But, Wait, That's not all!

Not only did House design the Toboggan, but he also created a prototype for the Super-Loops and took it to Larson International where they perfected the ride.

Walter House lived in the Cliffside/Bishop Hills area of Amarillo where he worked on all these great rides and ideas for carnival fun.