cream and cotton candy house. There it included miniature boats, miniature race cars, a miniature version of Disneyland's flying teacups, Bulgy the Whale — a miniature flying coaster — and a small merry-go-round. Miniature train ride In the original Kiddieland, to the east of the Flying Aeroplane tower, was a miniature train powered by a scaled-down steam locomotive engine, which ran along a generally oval but slightly meandering path on a scaled-down steel-and-timber railroad track. Operated by a costumed engineer who sat on top and astride the engine, it pulled a number of 4-person open cars and a red caboose. The Skyrocket A large wooden roller coaster was always the centerpiece and primary attraction at the park. First built around the turn of the 20th century, the original coaster was known as The Southern Belle. Some time later, after an extensive re-design, it was named Leap The Dips. The final design was a much speedier and thrilling coaster, called The Skyrocket. Shortly before its final demise, the name was abbreviated to The Rocket for use in the role it played in two Hollywood feature films. Built in 1927 by Edward Vettel, The Skyrocket entertained and thrilled the residents of eastern Virginia and North Carolina for many decades. It usually had two heavy trains of iron-framed, wooden cars simultaneously on the track, which served a steady stream of passengers, and they would plummet down the first drop of probably 60–70 feet at a breathtaking pace. Shaking, rattling,and kicking up sparks over successive hills, drops and tight radial turns, it often gave its riders the feeling that the cars would "skip the track" and send them flying in all directions. In February 1958, a fire that destroyed a large portion of the west end of the park also caused extensive damage to the western end of The Skyrocket. The coaster was rebuilt by Herbert Schmeck. It remained the favorite ride of many people throughout the years, and riding it - especially without holding on - became something of a "badge of courage" for many a brave youth in the "Tidewater" area of Virginia. Age and size restrictions were often enforced. Children under 6 years old were refused entry and children over 6 years old were refused entry without an accompanying adult. Pregnant women and the infirm were also discouraged from boarding this ride. Hats and wigs were also prohibited and, after an