Photos

Snow on the ground. Cold in the air. Red Noses. Cold toes. Work continues on the coaster no matter what.

The first photo in this series shows a pile of Anti Roll Back, which ensures the train will not roll backward when the cars are being pulled up the first hill.

The track is being covered with the steel tracks each bent to the curve of the run. The track is eight layers of wood topped off with the metal track and while these layers are nailed to one another, they are then bolted straight through top to bottom to keep them together and not moving.

The curved (why not?) roof of the loading dock can also be seen in these photos.  The “heart” of the coaster is the motor house. This is also nearing completion.

All about the Track alignment!
This series of photos show the work on installing the metal to the wooden tracks. A machine is used to scribe along the curve of the track so the excess wood can be trimmed making the metal track fit perfectly.

After a 5 inch snowfall on December 21st and another 2 inches overnight into the 22nd, the new coaster and grounds were snow covered as these photos show. Despite snow and cold weather, the work on the coaster continues. The main structure is complete and workers now install the track and put other finishing touches to the structure. In these photos you can see the “hills” the coaster will travel with trainloads of delighted “travelers”.

Footing construction is nearing completion. Nineteen more footings need to be laid and it is estimated they could be complete by the 1st week of December. Today concrete arrived for four more footings at the far west side of the site. This area will complete the end or “out” of the track where the coaster makes a loop to its return.

Meanwhile other footing have been backfilled and topped with stone. Vehicles move dirt and level out areas where construction is complete.

The curve of the coaster is beginning to close as seen in these photos. After completed, work will begin to head west for the “out” section of the ride.
The three flags flying at the tallest bent are the City of Green Bay flag, the American flag, and the Miron Construction flag.

Miron workers can be seen in man-lifters near the top of the coaster guiding a new bent into place and fastening it to the structure. Others operate the big cranes, skidsters and other vehicles. Men on the ground continue build more bents, work on the inspection step system and install the tracks.

Longer, taller. The Zippin Pippin is shaping up into the fabulous coaster it was designed to be. Remember when you came out on October 9th to sign your name to the tallest bent?  (Well, maybe you didn’t because you were not in the city or couldn’t make it) But today was a milestone as the bent was raised and flagged with both the American and Miron flags. Sounds filled the air with hammers, drills and sounds of trucks rolling in and out. Footings continue to the outer limits of the site with the round back taking place sometime next week. Three truckloads of concrete were poured for footings today and it is expected with good weather the footing construction will be completed by the end of November. Meantime, excavation for future footings was taking place while Miron crews crawled the coaster installing both bents (upright structure) and the tracks, while others on the ground constructed more bents and walking structures. The walking structures will be used daily by inspectors maintaining the integrity of the structure throughout the life of the coaster.

The last week of October was stormy with high winds and rain (which also knocked out our web cam) kept the construction crews committed to ground work. Miron Construction crews spent their time creating a series of bents which have been raised this week creating the “round” of the coaster. Trucks rolled in dumping fill, “dosers” moved the fill into place and others tamed it down. Workers created more bents for later erection, while others worked on more footings. The construction on the footings continued  extending to to the “out” of the coaster. Earthwork is in progress for the footing of the outer area of the coaster. Others worked on the tracks for the coaster hanging high in the sky. Earth moving equipment filled the air with their sounds and rumbles of trucks filled the air. The sights and sounds are thrilling as the coaster begins to take it shape!

The construction day began under sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of 59 degrees before the clouds and light rain began rolling in. Curious residents rode through the parking lot trying to catch a glimpse of the construction progress. Activity on the site was noisy with trucks, construction vehicles, and the sounds of saws, drills and hammers against nails. Everyone was busy with their tasks. The Zippin Pippin is beginning to take the shape of the coaster it will become with each rising of a new bent. Vehicles smoothed out the fill surrounding the coast, more footings were constructed with three new ones filled with concrete today. Bents lay alongside the outskirts ready to be raised while crews continued to make more. The coaster now has a definite curve to it as workers installed more bents raising them with a huge crane. Piles of gravel awaited distribution around the base of the new coaster. Bulldozers moved piles of dirt and nearby the perimeter of the coaster lay materials needed for construction including the steel tracks.

Work on the footings continue today. Crews had seven forms in place taking three truckloads of concrete to fill them. City engineers are on site making sure the construction process proceeds with order. They check the temperature of the concrete to make sure it will cure properly and check each load for Slump (a sample of the concrete is put into a measuring device, stamped down and measured after for how far it “slumps” or falls. A measure of 4” is acceptable). The concrete is also measured for water and air content. Each is crucial in the curing process, too much of each will cause faulty concrete footings. Work continued on the erection of the coaster and crews worked on building the footfalls which will be installed for the daily inspection/repair of the coaster throughout the years. The final photo in this series shows the footprints the large vehicles imbed in the sand surrounding the construction site.

Sunny, warm temperatures brought out families to put their names on a piece of the Zippin Pippin. Those who first arrived and selected their spot on the new wooden bent. Kids were intent on their selection of where to sign and carefully put down their mark. Construction plans and a model of the coaster were on display. Zippin Pippin Tee-shirts were for sale for the fundraising project and each participant received a free Zippin Pippin pencil and refreshments of ice cream and pop. Members of the Wildlife Sanctuary were on hand with animals and news media interviewed prospective riders. Mayor Schmitt welcomed everyone and introduced members of the fundraising committee, city aldermen and city staff involved with the construction of the coaster. Bay Beach Amusement Park offered free train rides to those attending the event and the train was full of happy riders. As the day progressed, the bent became full of signatures and people began to be inventive in their signing by going underneath  to sign from below. Mayor Schmitt himself got inside the new bent to put his name into history. All in all, it was a fun event for all those involved.

Under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70’s the Zippin Pippin construction site bustled with activity once again. Construction crews moved materials, trucks brought in backfill, and Department of Public Works staff saw to it that things moved according to plan and according to standards set forth in the contract. The coaster is now looking more like a roller coaster with a curve now in shape which reaches approximately 40 feet in height. Work continues on footings with two loads of cement being poured today. The web cam is in place and will be activated hopefully by the end of the week. These photos also show on the site the necessary materials needed to make this coaster happen and how the bents are raised into place after being constructed on the ground.

Today Mayor Schmitt visited the construction site to view the progress of the Zippin Pippin. More of the upright pieces were installed adding to the excitement of the project. Workers moved the pieces into place and drilled holes to accept the large bolts which hold them securely in place. In other areas of the site, workers worked on more of the footings which were filled with concrete later in the day. On top of the future coaster, construction workers nailed in the pieces which will be used for the daily inspections of the roller coaster.

The excitement continues today. The site is still bustling with trucks and construction vehicles. The first of the uprights was raised this morning giving the site a feeling of the real roller coaster to come. These photos show some of the site activity and the raising of the first upright.

The construction site is busy and noisy with the sounds of trucks, dozers and hammers echoing through the sunlit site. Trucks loaded with pulverized asphalt rolled in and out of the site with the recycled material being used as backfill for the footings. The first photos are from the top of the giant slide, which is also where the web cam will be located, at a height of 42 feet above the ground. At this point you can see the coaster beginning to take shape. At ground level additional machinery arrives, footings are being assembled and the first pieces of the coaster are being assembled and laid aside for erection in the next day or so. Each of these pieces takes about 15 minutes to assemble. Three more truckloads of concrete arrived today for more footings and men were busy finishing off the concrete. All in all, a very exciting time for Bay Beach and the Zippin Pippin!

Construction on footings continues while Miron Construction readies for the erection of the Zippin Pippin. It is estimated about 30% of the footing work has been completed thus far. These photos show the complexity of the project and some of the artistic aspects also. The first photo in this series shows the personal construction safety that Miron Construction employs. These are stations for fire extinguishers which will be set throughout the construction site. The footings so far installed are being backfilled with some materials supplied by the City. Some of the backfill looks like black dirt but it is actually ground up asphalt being recycled into this project.  Everyone is busy either moving equipment, wood, supplies or preparing the structure for assembly. Piles of wood wait the hammers of the construction crew. It is expected that the preliminary construction will begin on September 29th or earlier.

Lumber began to arrive at the construction site on Tuesday. A-1 grade lumber is being trucked in by semi's and the team from Miron Construction is unloading and stacking them until they are ready to start assembling the coaster. In the meantime, the footings continue to be laid on the site.

With the forms in place it was time for the concrete trucks to arrive. The 150 foot strip footings took four loads of concrete.

Footings are being laid at Bay Beach Amusement Park for the new Zippin Pippin. Crews are working on assembling the footings each morning for the next day's concrete pouring. Things are looking good!

See the photos of the Groundbreaking Ceremony which took place on August 25, 2010 at the site of the new Zippin Pippin. Footings for the coaster are being put in with construction of the coaster to begin in the next few months. Mayor Schmitt thanked the Fundraising Committee members and reminded people of the opportunities available to contribute to the building of the coaster. A roller coaster that will be a focal point of the park for 80-100 years.