Ranch Cogan

 Manufactured by the Italian company Cogan, the Ranch Cogan wagon was released in the early 1990s and remained one of their most popular rides for many years.  It was certainly an immediate hit on the British market, distributed by SB Machines under the name of "Wild West Wagon", and could be seen outside numerous arcades in most seaside resorts throughout the 90s.


2000 Cogan Flyer

The ride consists of a covered wagon pulled by two small horses, one cream and one brown.  The ride went through several slight modifications over the years, mainly in colour but also in the design of the base, with differences in the shape of the "West" sign on the coin post and the speaker being moved from the front to the back of the post.  A vulture is perched on top of the coin slot "West" sign.  He has also gone through several colour changes.  I've seen him painted black, purple and green over the years!  In fact, I picked up two separate flyers advertising this ride at the Amusement Trade Exhibition in 2000, and even those show two slight variations!


2000 Cogan Flyer (2) - Colour/"West" Sign Variation

The description from one of those flyers (still used on Cogan's website many years later) reads:

"This kiddie ride is a lifelike far west scene where everything is proportioned to children: the covered wagon gentle oscillating movement is accompanies by that of the little horses at a gallop.  The music is cheerful and adventurous at the same time and is the right frame for the caravan.  The log with the funny vulture in miniature keeps the counter-slot, the cash-box and the electronic card (all according to CEE laws) making money collection and maintenance operations easier.

The safety of this kiddie game is assured as the two little horses have a friction device blocking them immediately if children try to ride them.
The kiddie game is delivered together with its tow-bar and use and maintenance handbook."

The popularity of this ride inspired Cogan to make several variations using the same principle with two little horses pulling various vehicles.  None proved the test of time in the same way as the Ranch Cogan though.


2000 Cogan Flyer

This is a ride that holds special personal memories for me.  The local bowling alley/leisure centre had one when I was four or five and my parents would sometimes take me there especially to ride it in the evenings as a special treat.  I never knew the building as a bowling alley or leisure centre but as "The Magic Stagecoach Place".  This may be partially explained by the fact that the Ranch Cogan had replaced a Bafco Magic Roundabout ride.  Before the Ranch Cogan arrived, I had nicknamed the arcade as "The Magic Roundabout Place".  Obviously, by my four year old logic, if the roundabout was magic, the new ride must be as well!

Unfortunately, this ride is not half as common as it used to be but there are still a few to be found at British seaside resorts at the time of writing.


Funland Amusements, St Osyth, May 2019