THE UPS & DOWNS
OF HARRY TRAVER
The creator of some of the country"s best amusement rides lived and worked right here
in Western Pennsylvania.

Here's a crucial Pittsburgh question: "What's your favorite ride at Kennywood?" Oh, the most common answer is probably one of the excellent coasters. And some sweet folks may say the magnificent carousel, but occasionally you'll find a weirdo like me who loves the Auto Race. It's the ride with vintage two-seater cars that kids can steer along wooden tracks by the entrance to Kiddieland.

When I learned this ride was locally made -- designed and built in 1930 by the Traver Engineering Co. of Beaver Falls -- it became even more fascinating and lovable.

Harry Traver had been a teacher, a machinist and an apprentice to a mechanical engineer, but he began designing and building amusement-park rides in New York City in 1903. He invented and sold the first Circle Swing, which eventually evolved into rides like the shiny metal rocket ships that used to glide out over Lake Kennywood. Later, in 1919, he moved to Western Pennsylvania and leased a factory in Beaver County. In just five years, he became the world's largest producer of amusement-park rides, shipping his thrilling contraptions to parks around the world.

Traver may be most famous for building (and sometimes designing) a number of extreme, rib-breaking roller coasters in the 1920s, many constructed with steel when most coasters were exclusively wooden. They had steep drops and rugged banked turns, humps, twists and wicked zigzags. He never built a coaster in Western Pennsylvania, although Kennywood was considering erecting one when Traver Engineering Co. was shut down in December 1932.

Kennywood did feature one of his excellent dark rides, Laff in the Dark, from the early 1930s until the mid-'60s. And although Traver died in 1961, he is survived by several of his classic machines: the Turtle at Kennywood is a fine example of what was originally called a Tumble Bug ("re-themed" with turtle-shaped cars in the 1940s). And there's an old Traver specialty called the Caterpillar (with a canvas cover that makes a cocoon around the riders) at Idlewild near Ligonier.

But best of all is still the Auto Race, with its timeless style, its well-oiled wooden track and its loading platform, where you might imagine the spirit of Harry Traver watching, amused, as the little autos go zipping by.

Rick Sebak's "Kennywood Memories" is one of the first and still one of most popular documentaries in "The Pittsburgh History Series." Get a copy of this classic program on DVD (with extras!) by calling 800/274-1307 or order online. All items in the "Shop WQED" catalog are 20 percent off until June 30.

Thanks to researcher Paul Korol and Kennywood's Melissa Kelly for their help with this story. Photos courtesy of Kennywood.