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Knott's Berry Farm ride creator Bud Hurlbut dies

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 5:46 pm
by Zamperla
Knott's Berry Farm ride creator Bud Hurlbut, 93, dies
BY MICHAEL MELLO and MARK EADES
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Bud Hurlbut, who created some of Knott's Berry Farm's centerpiece rides, died Wednesday. He was 93.

Wendell "Bud" Hurlbut worked for years with Walter Knott, the founder of Knott's Berry Farm. There, Hurlbut designed and built the Calico Mine Ride and the Timber Mountain Log Ride -- two attractions that, decades after they were built, remain among the most popular rides in the park.

Hurlbut became known in the industry for his innovation -- like the locomotives' electric motors on the Mine Ride -- and attention to detail. Even into his nineties, he could be found in the middle of his workshop, just across La Palma Avenue from Knott's Berry Farm.

Photos of Bud working on his rides:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-283078--.html?pic=1

Re: Knott's Berry Farm ride creator Bud Hurlbut dies

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 11:45 pm
by Jaffa23
Knott's was the very 1st international theme park that I visited, about in early 2000 - I was blown away by the rides, the atmosphere - everything about it (I guess I was only basing this on what we had in Oz)...

Memories of the some of the theming (Mine Road, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, Ghost Rider,) and especially Mystery Lodge (How the hell did they just do that???), just left me wanting to get back there again,,,

Jaffa23