Dinn Corporation

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Dinn Corporation
TypePrivate
IndustryRoller coaster construction
Founded1983
FounderCharles Dinn
Defunct1991
FateClosed
Headquarters
West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio
,
United States
Key people
Charles Dinn, Denise Dinn Larrick, Randy Larrick, Jeff Dinn

Dinn Corporation was a roller coaster designing and manufacturing company established in West Chester, Ohio, in 1983 by Charles Dinn. The company is noted for moving and rebuilding several existing wooden coasters and building ten new wooden roller coasters in the United States.[1]

History[]

Charles Dinn served as Kings Island's Director of Construction, Maintenance and Engineering, where he oversaw the design and building of The Beast[2] with a team including Al Collins, Jim Nickell, William Reed and Curtis D. Summers. In November 1983, Dinn left Kings Island and opened his own corporation in West Chester, Ohio. The corporation relocated three older wooden roller coasters from parks that had been closed to new parks[3] One of the firm's first projects was rebuilding the San Antonio Playland Park Rocket as the Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort.[1] In 1985 Dinn contacted Curtis D. Summers, Inc., an engineering firm in Loveland, Ohio, to provide the design for the restoration of the helix of Paragon Park's Giant Coaster which his company was moving to Wild World in Largo, Maryland.[1] That was the start of relationship that lasted until 1991. In 1987 the two started building new coasters, with Wolverine Wildcat and Raging Wolf Bobs both opening in 1988.

In 1991, Dinn closed the Dinn Corporation after a dispute that occurred during the construction of Pegasus at Efteling.[1] This was despite a possible project in the works for Kings Island to open in 1992.[4] However, his daughter Denise Dinn Larrick formed the now-defunct company Custom Coasters International, with many of the key personnel from the Dinn Corp.[5]

On July 6, 2021, Dinn died at the age of 88 in Clermont, Florida.[6]

List of roller coasters[]

As of 2019, Dinn Corporation has built 11 roller coasters around the world and assisted with at least 3 known restoration.[7]

Relocated/rebuilt coasters[]

Name Park Country Opened Status Ref
Wildcat Lake Compounce United States United States 1927 Operating [8]
Phoenix
Formerly Rocket		 Knoebels Amusement Park
Playland Park		 United States United States 1985
1948 to 1980		 Operating [9]
[10]
Wild One
Formerly Giant Coaster		 Six Flags America
Paragon Park		 United States United States 1986
1917 to 1985		 Operating [11]
[12]

New coasters[]

Name Park Country Opened Status Ref
Wolverine Wildcat Michigan's Adventure United States United States 1988 Operating [13]
Raging Wolf Bobs Geauga Lake United States United States 1988 Removed [14]
Timber Wolf Worlds of Fun United States United States 1989 Operating [15]
Hercules Dorney Park United States United States 1989 Removed [16]
Georgia Cyclone Six Flags Over Georgia United States United States 1990 Converted
Now known as Twisted Cyclone		 [17]
Texas Giant Six Flags Over Texas United States United States 1990 Converted
Now known as New Texas Giant		 [18]
Predator Six Flags Darien Lake United States United States 1990 Operating [19]
Thunder Run Kentucky Kingdom United States United States 1990 Operating [20]
Psyclone Six Flags Magic Mountain United States United States 1991 Removed [21]
Mean Streak Cedar Point United States United States 1991 Converted
Now known as Steel Vengeance		 [22]
Pegasus Efteling Netherlands Netherlands 1991 Removed [23]

Water projects[]

The Dinn Corporation served as project managers on the following ride installations:[24]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Seifert, Jeffrey (2008). "Dinn and Summers, A Brief Resurgence in Wooden coasters". RollerCoaster! Magazine. 29 (3): 18–27. ISSN 0896-7261.
  2. ^ "Screeeeeeam!". Retrieved 2014-05-29.
  3. ^ (2002). The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion. Citadel Press. pp. 143. ISBN 978-0-8065-2309-5.
  4. ^ "Rattler Letter mentioning Dinn Corp" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  5. ^ "Roller Coaster History". Retrieved 2009-05-26.
  6. ^ "Charles Dinn Obituary". Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  7. ^ Dinn Corporation - rcdb.com
  8. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wildcat  (Lake Compounce)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  9. ^ Marden, Duane. "Phoenix  (Knoebels Amusement Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  10. ^ Marden, Duane. "Rocket  (Playland Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  11. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wild One  (Six Flags America)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  12. ^ Marden, Duane. "Giant Coaster  (Paragon Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  13. ^ Marden, Duane. "Wolverine Wildcat  (Michigan's Adventure)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  14. ^ Marden, Duane. "Raging Wolf Bobs  (Geauga Lake)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  15. ^ Marden, Duane. "Timber Wolf  (Worlds of Fun)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  16. ^ Marden, Duane. "Hercules  (Dorney Park)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  17. ^ Marden, Duane. "Georgia Cyclone  (Six Flags Over Georgia)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  18. ^ Marden, Duane. "Texas Giant  (Six Flags Over Texas)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  19. ^ Marden, Duane. "Predator  (Six Flags Darien Lake)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  20. ^ Marden, Duane. "Thunder Run  (Kentucky Kingdom)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  21. ^ Marden, Duane. "Psyclone  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  22. ^ Marden, Duane. "Mean Streak  (Cedar Point)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  23. ^ Marden, Duane. "Pegasus  (Efteling)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  24. ^ Slade, Gary (1990). "Spotlight on Dinn Corporation (special section)". Inside Track (November 1990): 1–5.
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