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Legendary Atmosphere Since 1951

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History of Vuoristorata

1911

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1951
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13.7.1951
 

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1952

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1955

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1957

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1962

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1966

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1973

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1985

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1991

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1995

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2002

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2011

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2012

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2013

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2014

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2015

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2021

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© 2021 Vuoristoradan Jarrumiehet ry

View from ”Linnanmäki” in 1911. Who would have thought that in this place there would be one of the biggest roller coasters in Europe 40 years later?

Photo: Signe Brander / Helsinki City Museum

Building Vuoristorata in spring 1951. The project was led by master carpenter Valdemar Lebech (b. 1884, d. 1975) from Copenhagen’s Tivoli. Last autumn he had proposed to build a wooden roller coaster in Linnanmäki. The park’s management was excited to get a big attraction for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics.

Lebech invited experts from Denmark, who had built several roller coasters with him in Denmark and Sweden.

In the photo are (from left) constructor Madsen, representative of the sawmill, Valdemar Lebech, Madsen junior, Knud Lebech (Valdemar’s son) and Svend Jarlström. Also visible is the water tower guard’s cottage, which was demolished to make space for Vuoristorata.

Photo: Linnanmäki archive

Svend Jarlström was an important character behind Vuoristorata. He owned almost all amusement rides Linnanmäki had in the 1950s. Jarlström loaned 25 million Finnish marks from the Central Union of Child Welfare in order to fund the construction of Vuoristorata. The loan was guaranteed by Valdemar Lebech and Wolmar Lind, the manager of Danish Aalborg fairground. The roller coaster also remained in Jarlström’s ownership until 1959, when the Children’s Day Foundation, which owns Linnanmäki, bought the park’s rides from Jarlström. Pictured is Jarlström posing at Vuoristorata in the late 1950s.

Photo: Linnanmäki archive

Valdemar Lebech provided Linnanmäki with the drawings of the roller coaster of the Danish Bakken amusement park, according to which Vuoristorata was built. The length was increased by about 100 meters (328 ft) to make Vuoristorata the largest roller coaster in the Nordic countries at the time, 960 meters long (3,150 ft) and 24 meters high (79 ft).

The drawings were from 1931. The track was designed by Valdemar Lebech, the technical drawings were by Ernst Milne and Jurgen Adler-Nissen and the trains were drawn by F.J. Bird from England.

The original drawings of the trains and spare parts have been preserved, and they are stored in the Linnanmäki’s archives.

The spring of 1951 was a time of rapid construction. Vuoristorata was originally scheduled to open on the opening day of the amusement park on May 11, 1951, but the schedule was way too tight. There was a severe shortage of supplies in post-war Finland. The timber used for Vuoristorata was delivered from Korvenranta sawmill in Järvelä, Finland. It took a total of 620 solid cubic meters of timber to build the track and the supporting structure. In order for the construction to run smoothly, the trucks always left Järvelä the night before, so that the timber was ready in Helsinki at seven o'clock in the morning. As a thank you for the contract, Linnanmäki bought a milling machine for the sawmill, which is still in Järvelä today. The trains of the roller coaster were manufactured by Ilmasuojeluteollisuus Oy, which had previously manufactured parts for aircraft and machinery, e.g. for Finnish army. The electric motor pulling the lift hill's cable with its gearbox was purchased used. The original electric motor came from the ship.

Photo: Linnanmäki archive

The builders of Vuoristorata in the photo at the topping off in the spring of 1951. In addition to the Danes who came with Lebech, the roller coaster was built by Linnanmäki’s own men and foreign workers e.g. from Austria.

Sandwiches and pilsner beer were offered to the workers at the topping off, and the program also included some musical performances.

Photo: Linnanmäki archive

The opening of Vuoristorata was celebrated on Friday, July 13, 1951 at 4 pm. Mayor Erik von Frenckell and executive director of Children’s Day Einari Haltiavuori were amongst the riders in the first train. Vuoristorata was open to the public on the opening day from 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm, and a total of 3,400 people visited the roller coaster on the first day. Through the weekend, the then-popular American singing group Delta Rhythm Boys performed in Linnanmäki.

On Saturday, July 14, 1951, Linnanmäki advertised the program of the opening weekend of Vuoristorata in Helsingin Sanomat, the local newspaper.

Vuoristorata in the evening in 1952. The famous ”running lights” – of which there are about 3,000 in total on the roller coaster – have been in place since the beginning.

Photo: Monifoto / Helsinki City Museum

Because Vuoristorata is technically old-fashioned, there are no automatic brakes on the track, but during the course the train is slowed down by a Brakeman who operates the brakes of the train by pulling the brake handle on the last car. The first Brakemen were recruited from the Finnish Air Force, as the job was thought to require special abilities of the fighter pilots.

In the picture are the Brakemen of the summer 1951.

Photo: Linnanmäki archive

Vuoristorata and Linnanmäki during the Helsinki Summer Olympics in July 1952.

Photo: Pekka Kyytinen / Finnish Heritage Agency

The Olympic summer was ultimately a great disappointment for Linnanmäki, and it caused economic pressure that continued throughout the 1950s. By the summer of 1953, Vuoristorata's profit had dropped to a quarter compared to its first year. The construction of Vuoristorata cost 48 million Finnish marks (approximately €1.5 million in today's money), which was almost twice the original estimate. There were dark clouds over the roller coaster for several years, and many estimated it to last only 10 to 15 years. In 1959, Svend Jarlström sold Vuoristorata to the Children's Day Foundation, which began to develop the entire amusement park more efficiently. In the 1960s, the economic situation began to improve, and Vuoristorata sealed its place as the amusement park's number one attraction.

In the photo are Italian Olympic athletes on Vuoristorata in July 1952.

Photo: Volker von Bonin / Helsinki City Museum

According to many, one of the best sections of Vuoristorata is the so-called ”platform hill”, where the riders – especially in the first car – hop into the air. Judging by the look on the riders’ faces, this was the case already in 1955.

Photo: Helsinki City Museum

The flags of Vuoristorata’s platform told the visitors a story – we can thank the Danes for bringing the roller coaster to Linnanmäki. As early as 1957, waffles were one of the amusement park visitors’ favorite delicacies.

Photo: Alvar Kolanen

Originally, Vuoristorata’s Brakeman did his job sitting on his own bench in the last car of the train. The Brakemen had a rule that it was forbidden to stand up during the course. Stig Lindholm, who worked as a Brakeman from 1958 to 1973, was the first Brakeman to defy this rule in the late 1950s. He found that braking while standing was a better way to do the job, as the Brakeman can see the train and the surroundings better and at the same time gets rid of the rattling, making it easier to control the brake. Since then, Vuoristorata has been known for its standing Brakemen.

Since there are only six other operating roller coasters that have onboard Brakemen today, Vuoristorata is a very rare and valuable attraction.

The picture shows a style sample of the Brakeman from the summer of 1962.

Photo: Sky-Foto Möller / Helsinki City Museum

Perhaps the best-known visitor of Vuoristorata at the time was the eighth President of Finland Urho Kekkonen, who visited Linnanmäki on July 25, 1966. Kekkonen, who was nervous about the roller coaster ride, wanted the provost accompanying the party in the same car to make him feel safer.

In the picture, Bo Ekelund, then-CEO of Linnanmäki, is sitting next to Kekkonen on Vuoristorata. Stig Lindholm was the Brakeman for the ride.

Photo: Linnanmäki archive

Height restrictions for the riders were introduced in Linnanmäki for the season 1995. Before that the age limit was in place for all rides. In the 1960s, the age limit for Vuoristorata was 12 years.

In the picture, the young lad seems to be annoyed when he couldn’t get on board, and the lady also decided to stay and watch the roller coaster from the queuing area.

Photo: Volker von Bonin / Helsinki City Museum

In the 1950s, Linnanmäki's customers were offered many kinds of attractions, e.g. petrol car circuit, ghost train and ballroom. However, the overwhelming favorite was Vuoristorata.

Vuoristorata has been the most popular ride in Linnanmäki since its opening.

Photo: Monifoto / Helsinki City Museum

Calypso gave its riders a spin in front of Vuoristorata in the late 1960s. The Carousel which can also be seen in the picture, forms a legendary duo with Vuoristorata. The Carousel, built in Germany in 1896, is 125 years old, but it did not arrive in Linnanmäki until 1954 – therefore Vuoristorata is the oldest original attraction in the amusement park.

Photo: Pekka Kyytinen / Finnish Heritage Agency

Linnanmäki had considerably less rides and buildings 50 years ago than today, and Vuoristorata dominated the landscape as a massive landmark. For years, there were advertisements for various tobacco products on the outer wall of the tunnel, and the ferris wheel was also named after a cigarette brand. Outdoor advertising was banned by the Tobacco Act in 1978.

Aerial view of the amusement park from 1973.

Photo: Sky-Foto Möller / Helsinki City Museum

”The whole people of Finland will certainly want to make this trip,” said Erik von Frenckell at the opening ceremony of Vuoristorata on July 13, 1951. The mayor’s statement was not far from the truth – every year during the summer season, about 800,000 guests ride on the roller coaster. All in all, it has been estimated that Vuoristorata has been visited over 40 million times during the decades.

In the summer of 1973, one million annual visitors was exceeded for the first time in Linnanmäki, and Vuoristorata has played a very important role in increasing Linnanmäki’s popularity. For almost every amusement park guest, a ride on Vuoristorata is a part of the summer.

The warm summer air blew on the riders’ faces in the highest ”curve one” of Vuoristorata on a sunny day in July 1985, and the same experience can still be had in Linnanmäki.

Photo: Juhani Meronen / Helsinki City Museum

Vuoristorata’s birthday is celebrated each year on 13th of July. When Vuoristorata turned 40, the big red neon sign was installed on top of the hill in the middle of the roller coaster, and it is still in place today.

Pictured are Brakemen posing on the so-called ”text hill”, on Vuoristorata’s birthday on July 13, 1991.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

Although sun is shining during most of the days in summer, sometimes Vuoristorata needs to be operated in very variable weather conditions. On May 14, 1995 (which was the Mother’s Day in Finland) Brakemen were surprised by a heavy snowfall. But the trains kept on going.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

Brakemen travel each year to other amusement parks to check out wooden roller coasters around the world. A roller coaster that is the most associated with Vuoristorata is of course Rutschebanen of Bakken amusement park, which is located in Klampenborg, outside Copenhagen. Rutschebanen opened in 1932 and Vuoristorata has been built according to its drawings. Rutschebanen had its own Brakemen until 2009, after which the braking systems were automatised. So the original is now found only in Linnanmäki!

In the photo Brakemen are visiting Rutschebanen in 2002.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

The Brakemen in a ”class photo”, taken on Vuoristorata’s 60th birthday on July 13, 2011. The Brakemen in the picture have a total of 175 years of experience of operating the roller coaster, so the customers were in the safe hands of the professionals. To commemorate the early years’ Brakemen’s uniform, the dresscode was white shirt and black tie.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

Toivo ”Topi” Lipponen worked as a Brakeman during seasons 1975–2011. He started working in Linnanmäki in 1974 as a ride operator, and next year field chief Pekka Oksanen sent Topi to Vuoristorata for the Brakeman’s training. Topi worked as a Brakeman for 37 seasons, most of which he was Brakeman #1, which means he was the oldest working Brakeman at Vuoristorata. When Topi decided to retire, the Brakemen also retired his Brakeman number 1 as an honor for Topi’s long career as a Brakeman.

Photo is from Vuoristorata’s 61st birthday on July 13, 2012, when Topi had his last rides as a Brakeman.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

A lot of work not visible to customers is done at Vuoristorata. The track and the trains are checked every morning before the park opens, and during the off-season extensive maintenance takes place: all trains are disassembled and thoroughly serviced, and wooden parts of the roller coaster are being renewed on a certain section. The wooden parts of Vuoristorata have been renewed several times during the decades, and at this moment even the oldest parts are only about 30 years old. The timber used for the roller coaster is high-quality Finnish pine impregnated with creosote. Creosote provides excellent protection for the wood from weather fluctuations, and also gives Vuoristorata its iconic scent. The renewed parts and track sections are built according to the old ones, so that the ride on the roller coaster remains the same as it has been for 70 years.

Thanks to constant and careful maintenance, Vuoristorata has remained in excellent condition and is basically going to last forever.

In the photo renewed ”text hill” is under construction in the winter of 2013.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

One of the long-standing traditions of the Brakemen is driving so-called ”horn trains” on the last day of the season. This tradition is to celebrate the end of the season and it’s also a sign for fellow workers and customers that the summer has ended.

Before ascending from the highest curve with the train’s air horn blasting, all of the season’s Brakemen board the train to watch the fireworks together. Often the horn train is driven by a Brakemen who is retiring – a glorious way to end a career of many many years.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

The last day of the season is very important to the season workers and of course the Brakemen. Approximately 42,000 cycles are run during the summer season, so after six months’ work the last day is often sentimental. What follows is half a year of waiting for the next season, and for some the last day of the season is also their final shift at Linnanmäki.

The smile was delicate amongst the Brakemen of the last evening of the season on October 19, 2014.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

Vuoristorata has remained almost in its original shape for its lifetime. Perhaps the biggest upgrades have been made to the Brakeman’s workstation. Original brake handle used by the Brakeman was a straight and short bar, but for the 1988 season it was redesigned into a loop-like handle that makes braking much more practical when standing. The main brake of the trains is completely mechanical: when the Brakeman pulls the brake handle, the steel brake shoes in the last car of the train are pressed to the sides of the track, therefore slowing the train down. As early as in the 1960s, the back-up brake system using compressed air was added to the trains.

Photo: Brakemen’s archive

Year 2021 is Vuoristorata’s 70th anniversary. Throughout its history, the roller coaster has remained Linnanmäki’s most iconic and the most famous ride, and hundreds of thousands of customers will enjoy the legend again during this summer.

The Brakemen warmly welcome everyone to enjoy the wonderful rides of 70-year-old Vuoristorata!

Photo: Brakemen’s archive