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John C. Allen
Born (1907-05-21)May 21, 1907
Died August 17, 1979(1979-08-17) (aged 72)
Occupation Roller coaster designer
Years active 1934–1979
Known for Philadelphia Toboggan Company manufacturers

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 Toboggan Company in 1934 as a coaster operator and rose to become president of the company by 1954. He has designed more than 25 coasters and made significant contributions to roller coaster technology. He once said, "You don't need a degree in engineering to design roller coasters, you need a degree in psychology."

List of roller coasters

The following is a list of roller coasters were credited as designed by John C. Allen:

Name Location Built Status
Nightmare Joyland 1949 Demolished
Jet Flyer/Sea Dragon Gooding Zoo Park/Wyandot Lake/Jungle Jack's Landing/Adventure Cove) 1956 Operating
Valley Volcano Angela Park 1956 Demolished
Flyer Dinosaur Beach 1957 Demolished
Ghost Town Jet / Mighty Lightnin' / Comet Rocky Glen Park 1959 Demolished
Skyliner Lakemont Park 1960 Operating
Golden Nugget Mine/Black Diamond Knoebels Amusement Resort 1960 Operating
Tornado Wedgewood Village 1961 Demolished
Starliner Miracle Strip/Cypress Gardens 1963 Demolished
Blue Streak Cedar Point 1964 Operating
Jetstream Riverview Park 1964 Demolished
Mr. Twister Elitch Gardens 1965 Demolished
Skyliner Fair Park 1965 Demolished
Swamp Fox Grand Strand Park/Family Kingdom 1966 Operating
Cannon Ball Lake Winnepesaukah 1967 Operating
Shooting Star Lakeside Park 1968 Demolished
Zingo Bell's Amusement Park 1968 Demolished
Tornado Petticoat Junction 1970 Demolished
The Racer Kings Island 1972 Operating
Woodstock Express Kings Island 1972 Operating
Great American Scream Machine Six Flags Over Georgia 1973 Operating
Comet Funway Amusement Park 1973 Demolished
Woodstock Express Kings Dominion 1974 Operating
Rebel Yell/Racer 75 Kings Dominion 1975 Operating
Woodstock Express Carowinds 1975 Operating
Screamin' Eagle Six Flags St. Louis 1976 Operating
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