Antique Kiddie Cars Head Home To Museum

4/26/2003

MIDDLEBURY, Conn. – They’ve gone home to be with their maker. Eight antique amusement ride cars hit the road here Saturday for the 395-mile journey back to western New York where they will find a permanent home in the very factory where they were built. Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury donated the Allan Herschell kiddie auto ride cars (circa 1945) so they may become part of a display at the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo. The museum is housed in the former Herschell plant where hundreds of amusement rides were once built and shipped throughout the world. The ride operated for decades at Quassy before being taken out of service in the late 1990s to make room for a new water raft attraction. “It gives us great honor to be able to give back to a community and see a ride no longer in service at our park put to good use, preserving a piece of history within our industry,” said George Frantzis II, vice president of Quassy. “Like an old Chevy, these great old amusement rides never die.” Packing up eight of the ride’s 10 original cars into the back of a cargo van were Chuck and Rae Proefrock, both officers with The Carrousel Society of the Niagara Frontier which helps oversee the operation and fund-raising for the non-profit museum. Mrs. Proefrock has been with the society since 1979 and now serves as a trustee, while Mr. Proefrock is vice president of the organization. Both are retired teachers. They started their trek from western New York on Friday, arriving at Quassy late Saturday morning to load up the cars. The park was scheduled to open for its 95th season of operation, but canceled the day’s activities because of heavy rain. With the assistance of Ron Gustafson, Quassy’s public relations director, the Proefrocks managed to squeeze eight of the nine cars into their cargo van. The 10th car on the ride was previously donated to The Golden Age of Trucking Museum, which is only a few miles from the amusement park. The remaining car will remain at Quassy for its collection of memorabilia. The ride’s drive mechanism had to be scrapped because it was no longer functional. “The museum and carrousel society really appreciate the donation of the historic Allan Herschell kiddie cars,” Mrs. Proefrock said after the van was loaded. “This ride was one of the company’s mainstays of success for many years. It’s especially fun to be on a road trip that will return these cars to their home factory.” “They will be a significant addition to our artifact collection at the museum,” Mr. Proefrock added. They also hinted that the ride may be put back into service for the museum. The Proefrocks pointed out that park owners who have such historic rides and either still maintain them for operation or donate them to museums are helping to preserve the history of the nation’s amusement industry. Quassy still operates a number of Herschell rides, including the Little Dipper roller coaster, Monster (Mad Mouse) roller coaster, helicopters, Sky Fighter jets, kiddie boats, and pony karts. Though the Allan Herschell Co. stopped manufacturing rides more than 30 years ago, the Carrousel Society of the Niagara Frontier purchased and returned the company to North Tonawanda in the late 1990s from Chance Manufacturing of Wichita, Kan. Today the Allan Herschell Co. supplies parts for all remaining Herschell amusement rides, with the exception of its carousels. Chance Manufacturing retained those rights. The kiddie car ride at Quassy is only a memory for those countless children who rode it throughout its years of service at the lakeside park. But it may provide laughter and thrills again now that eight of the cars have returned to their birthplace. For more information on the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum and The Carrousel Society of the Niagara Frontier, visit www.carouselmuseum.org For more information on historic Quassy Amusement Park, visit www.quassy.com --- 30 --- with photos Chuck and Rae Proefrock load cars from an antique amusement ride into their van Saturday during a downpour at Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury, Conn. The cars are being returned to their birthplace: The site of the former Allan Herschell Co. in North Tonawanda. N.Y. (photo1 Museum) Rae Proefrock helps to secure one of the Allan Herschell kiddie cars for the journey back home to western New York. (photo 2 Museum) A drenched Ron Gustafson, Quassy Amusement Park’s director of public relations, was glad to help the Proefrocks get the cars loaded into their van during Saturday’s downpour. (photo 3 Museum)