D. H. Morgan Manufacturing
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amusement ride manufacturing |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Dana Morgan |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Fate | Assets sold to Michael Chance |
| Headquarters | La Selva Beach, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana Morgan (founder) |
| Products | Roller coaster trains, bespoke amusement rides, carousels, electric guide-limited auto attractions |
D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, later referred to simply as Morgan, specialized in producing roller coaster trains, bespoke amusement rides, and various other entertainment devices. Established in 1983, the firm was originally based in Scotts Valley, California. In 1991, it shifted operations to La Selva Beach, California, moving into a facility that initially covered 55,000 square feet and was subsequently expanded to 75,000 square feet. The enterprise remained active until 2001 and gained recognition primarily for its steel hypercoasters.
History
Dana Morgan, whose father Ed Morgan co-founded Arrow Development, launched D. H. Morgan Manufacturing in 1983. His involvement in the amusement sector began at age 14 at Playtown in Palo Alto, California, a property owned by Arrow Development. After completing his studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he contributed to design projects for Walt Disney World and later joined Arrow Development during the construction phase of Disney World. In 1974, Morgan was appointed general manager of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and became president of Arrow-Huss following Huss Maschinenfabrik's acquisition of Arrow in 1981.
In 1983, Morgan departed from Arrow-Huss to establish his own enterprise, initially focusing on carousel construction. Nonetheless, the company's first project involved manufacturing new trains for the Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Due to high demand for coaster vehicles, carousel production was postponed until 1988. Additionally, the company created the Electric Antique Car Line alongside other custom attractions. The relocation to more spacious premises in La Selva Beach occurred in 1991.
Production of wooden coaster trains continued until 1994 when that segment was sold to Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters; the final trains were supplied to Yomiuriland in Japan.
In 1995, Morgan designed the Mine Train ride Quicksilver Express for Michael Bonfante’s Hecker Pass — A Family Adventure (later known as Gilroy Gardens), although installation did not take place until 2000. That same year, Richard Kinzel of Cedar Fair commissioned a 200-foot hypercoaster for Valleyfair in Minnesota. Partnering with designer Steve Okamoto, Morgan unveiled Wild Thing in 1996 and went on to construct seven additional steel coasters, including two commissioned by Cedar Fair. The firm also undertook a redesign of Kennywood Park’s Steel Phantom coaster.
Dana Morgan retired in 2001 and on June 14 sold the company’s assets to Michael Chance, a sales representative for competitor Chance Industries.
List of roller coasters
By 2019, D. H. Morgan Manufacturing had produced a total of nine roller coasters globally.
| Name | Model | Park | Country | Opened | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phantom's Revenge Previously Steel Phantom |
Hyper Coaster | Kennywood | United States United States | 2001 | Operating | |
| Wild Thing | Hyper Coaster | Valleyfair | United States United States | 1996 | Operating | |
| Santa Monica West Coaster | Mini Coaster | Pacific Park | United States United States | 1996 | Operating | |
| Steel Force | Hyper Coaster | Dorney Park | United States United States | 1997 | Operating | |
| Mamba | Hyper Coaster | Worlds of Fun | United States United States | 1998 | Operating | |
| Steel Eel | Hyper Coaster | SeaWorld San Antonio | United States United States | 1999 | Operating | |
| Steel Dragon 2000 | Hyper Coaster | Nagashima Spa Land | Japan Japan | 2000 | Operating | |
| Quicksilver Express | Mine Train Coaster | Gilroy Gardens | United States United States | 2001 | Operating | |
| Superman el Último Escape | Hyper Coaster | Six Flags Mexico | Template:Country data MexicoTemplate:Namespace detect showall Mexico | 2004 | Operating |
Wooden roller coaster trains
| Year Opened | Train Name | Amusement Park | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Giant Dipper | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | |
| 1985/86 | Le Monstre | La Ronde | Switched to PTC trains in 2013 |
| 1985 | Cyclone | Six Flags New England | PTC trains replaced the originals in 2000 |
| 1986 | The Grizzly | California's Great America | |
| 1987 | Texas Cyclone | AstroWorld | Closed in 2005, dismantled in 2006, trains transferred to La Ronde |
| 1987 | Colossus | Six Flags Magic Mountain | Transformed into Twisted Colossus featuring RMC trains |
| 1989 | Anaconda | Walygator Parc | |
| 1988 | Dragon Coaster | Playland (New York) | |
| 1989 | Jack Rabbit | Seabreeze Amusement Park | |
| 1989 | Giant Dipper | Belmont Park (San Diego) | |
| 1992 | The Rattler | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | Updated with PTC trains in 1996 |
| 1994 | White Canyon | Yomiuriland | Ceased operations in 2013 |
Steel roller coaster trains
| Year Opened | Train Name | Park Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Polar Coaster | Story Land | Manufactured by Hopkins Rides with train supplied by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing |
Carousels
| Year Installed | Location | City/Region | Diameter | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Town Center Mall | Thornton, Colorado | 30 feet | Menagerie style carousel (status possibly removed) |
| 1989 | Belmont Park | San Diego, California | 30 feet | Liberty-themed featuring twelve custom paintings depicting San Diego's history; replicas of Looff and Dentzel menagerie figures |
| 1990 | Vallco Fashion Park | Cupertino, California | 30 feet | Themed around North American wildlife (potentially removed) |
| 1991 | Playland Park | Vancouver, British Columbia | 30 feet | Refurbished Arrow Dynamics Carousel showcasing twelve hand-painted scenes of B.C. landscapes |
| 1992 | Fiesta Texas | San Antonio, Texas | 47 feet | German countryside theme with sixteen scenic panels |
| 1993 | Entertainment City | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 47 feet | Arabian horse motif featuring fifty-six custom Arabian horses |
| 1996 | Carousel Park at Broadway at the Beach | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | — | Restoration of an Allan Herschell carousel incorporating new fiberglass horses |
| 1999 | Islands of Adventure | Orlando, Florida | 47 feet | Themed after Dr. Seuss, including fifty-four animals from classic tales |
| 2001 | Disney's California Adventure | Anaheim, California | 47 feet | Originally themed around King Triton (now Jessie-themed), with fifty-six sea creatures and icons representing historic California seaside parks; updated in 2019 to feature characters from Toy Story 2 |
Electric guide-limited auto attractions
Morgan manufactured two main variants: Classic Antique vehicles accommodating two or four passengers, and 1950s-inspired cars equipped with functional radios playing vintage music.
| Opening Year | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk | Antique-style vehicles (discontinued in 1999) |
| 1986 | Lake Compounce | Antique-style vehicles |
| 1987 | Kennywood | Antique-style vehicles (removed in 2009; currently stored) |
| 1987 | Six Flags Magic Mountain | Antique-style vehicles (removed in 2008) |
| 1992 | Fiesta Texas | Dual-track, 1950s-themed cars with radios — models include '56 Thunderbird, '57 Corvette, '59 Cadillac (closed August 2014) |
| 1995 | Dollywood | Dual-track, 1950s-themed cars featuring radios — '56 Thunderbird, '57 Corvette, '59 Cadillac |
| 2001 | Bonfante Gardens | Both antique-style and 1950s-themed cars with radios — including early Mercer Raceabouts |
| 2002 | Michigan's Adventure | Dual-track, 1950s-themed cars with radios — '56 Thunderbird, '57 Corvette, '59 Cadillac (removed in 2020) |
Additional projects
| Opening Year | Attraction | Location | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Train crash effect | Universal Studios Hollywood | |
| 1988 | Children's Boat Ride | Lotte World | Featured an underwater track and propulsion system |
| 1988 | Children's Chariot Ride | Lotte World | |
| 1990 | Tour boat attraction | Haw Par Villa, Singapore | Boats seating sixteen passengers designed as century-old Chinese junks |
| 1992 | 8 Ball Ride | Fiesta Texas | Teacup-style ride named Hustler |
| 1992 | Dark Ride Transit System | Kings Island | Initially created for Phantom Theater; later adapted for Scooby-Doo and the Haunted Castle and Boo Blasters on Boo Hill |
| 1992 | Teddy Bear Ferris Wheel | Lotte World | Decorated with teddy bears holding candy canes |
| 1992 | Balloon Ride | Knott's Berry Farm | |
| 1993 | Outrigger Canoes | Leofoo Village Theme Park | Utilized a 300-foot underwater track and drive mechanism |
| 1996 | Delta Boat Ride | Opryland Hotel | Battery-powered boats accessible for ADA compliance, seating twenty passengers |
| 1999 | Fairy Tale Brook | Legoland California | Rail-guided boats for four passengers themed as floating leaves |
| 2001 | Garlic Clove Ride | Bonfante Gardens | Teacup-style ride named Garlic Twist |
| 2001 | Balloon Ride | Bonfante Gardens | |
| 2001 | Children's Hand Car Ride | Bonfante Gardens | |
| 2001 | Custom Monorail System | Bonfante Gardens | |
| 2001 | Circular Boat Ride | Bonfante Gardens | |
| 2001 | Artichoke Ride | Bonfante Gardens | |
| 2001 | Strawberry Ride | Bonfante Gardens |
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