ArizonaGuy

Here's a new pic from SFFT Facebook page.

Yeh. It's for sure gonna be a great coaster. I didn't realize how crappy my picture was but that's what you get when you take a picture while you're driving and don't have the option to stop. Lol hopefully SFFT starts to post some more pics of the progress to their Facebook page.

Drive by today. Still only about less than 1/4 of the first drop. As far as the crowd, very light compared to 12/23.

I think Robb hit the nail right on the head when he said...... Robb has every right to respond the way he did and quite frankly it would have pissed me off as well if someone came into "my house" and criticized the way I did things. The comment of "I want to show my kids but I have to turn down the volume first" because of the profanity. Really??? Give me an eff'ing break. You make it seem like there is profanity in every video in which there isn't. The only thing I can think I've heard was an "oh $#!t" and I highly doubt your kids have never heard a cuss word before. I know the one thing that annoys the hell out of me personally (and what really pissed Robb off)is when someone sets up their argument and tries to justify their argument by throwing in "most people" in there. Had the viking22 guy just said "I really don't like when....." Or "some people don't like when...." He probably would have gotten a different response. So yeh, don't be surprised at the response you get when you come on their website and pretty much insult all the hard work that is done putting all of these DVDs together. I'd say it's the equivalent of walking up to Robb and kicking him in the balls because you didn't like how he set up the ERT schedule at a coaster event.

When six flags took over management at SFFT, the event was also called Holiday in the Park just as it was at SFAW and SFFT. From what I remember, SFAW's Holiday in the Park was the first to get pulled, then SFFT got cut after that. Lone Star Christmas was used 94-95 before Six Flags took over management. I remember working the event in 96-97 and the crowds were never as big as they are now. Also, I thought HiP started back up in 08??? I just remember going while Goliath was under construction. I didn't recall them doing it the previous year in 07. I also agree with Jake. The have done a great job making it into a larger event than what it used to be. I was really surprised at how large the crowd was on 12/23/12. I'd say my favorite lights are in Los Festivales and Spassburg.

I'm hoping mine will be Iron Rattler.

I rode last Sunday when it wasn't too cold out and although I noticed it was lots quieter, it hauled ass through the entire ride with no slowing down at all. I used to remember a bit of a slow down right at the middle of the ride and then it would gradually pick up speed through the last twists and turns before the corkscrew. This year seemed quiet different I was totally surprised.

We used to run 3 train operation on the Rattler when I was a Rattler ride op from 96-99, not really sure when they got rid of the third train but I believe it was in the mid 2000's. Even with all the newer coasters added over the years it was still the coaster with the longest line everytime I visited the park through out the years after I stopped working there. I'm sure with the ride being a bit shorter, 2 train operation is what they'll run fir iRat considering no mid course brake. In any case, I can't wait for it. It's gonna be amazing. The drop already looks pretty good just driving by. Dunno if they're working during the holiday weeks but I'm gonna drive by this Saturday to see if there is any progress.

Went to Holiday in the Park tonight as well. Got my season pass processed quickly and rode all the coasters that were open. One thing I noticed is that the employees were extremely friendly this year. Every employee i came in contact with was very nice and all had good attitudes. The ride ops were actually efficient for doing one train operation on Goliath and Poltergeist. Unfortunately I didn't get any new pics of iRat because I went to the park in the evening but when we passed by during the day, the lift looks pretty awesome with the orange track and that first drop is truly gonna be amazing. One thing I also noticed is that Poltergeist is a lot more quiet than it used to be. It doesn't have the same roar it used to have. Maybe a new type of wheels??? Anyone know?

Cool deal. Nice to hear that Poltergeist is open. I'm headed to the park tonight so hope it's still running since its usually not open during HiP. How are the crowds??? Looks like a lot of people in the CrackAxle Canyon picture.

Oh yeh, I forgot about that. It's been years since I've been to HiP. Gonna be headed there this weekend though so I can't wait!!

^^ I totally agree. Thanks for chiming in Robb, I was missing you on this thread. This coaster is gonna be a great improvement,regardless and of course proven by NTAG.

^^ I highly doubt Six flags had an unlimited budget for NTAG. LOL I love how we have so many engineers in the forum. They really can't work much on the Last part of the ride after the tunnel considering the train is still running through that area during Holiday in the Park, isn't it? IN any case, they're not finished yet

THANK YOU!!!!! That's why I'm waiting to see what happens considering if they weren't going to use that part of the old return going back into the station they would have already demolished it before starting the retrack of the lift hill. That would only make logical sense to me. In all the pictures of the lift, it's still there over the lift hill and over Road Runner Express. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one. On another note, the Six Flags Fiesta Texas Facebook site has several new panoramic pics of the coaster. Looks like they honored my request from a previous post and took a few pictures from the Gully Washer platform.

I was just wondering since I haven't been able to find something about it but is there a reason they are using a lot of concrete slab foundation vs. just using footers????

Another lift hill picture. They need to start getting pictures from down on the Gully Washer platform.

Oh cool deal. I'll be driving in from Phx this weekend so I'll get to see some of the progress first hand.

Nice pictures. Thanks for the update! I can't wait to see the rest of the drop take shape.

First legit coaster was XLR-8 at Astroworld and I was 8 years old in 1984. My first coaster with a loop was Viper at Astroworld and I was 14 in 1990, then rode Ultra Twister right after that and Greezed Lightning right after that. Needless to say 1990 is when I was hooked.

^^ Yup!!! I also like the fact that you can see where still taking apart the bottom of the first drop. With as much work that has been done there still seems like a lot of work to do.

^^ That lift looks awesome!

I wouldn't hold my breath for iRat to open on opening day. The last coaster they were able to open on opening day was SKC but that was back in 2000.

It'll probably be most effective when they're running all the trains. As far as people complaining about not being able to choose their own seats, oh well.....they'll get over it. Disney assigns seats all the time and I've never seen anyone complain about it when I've been at their parks.

Lift hill picture from SFFT Facebook page

^^ I will agree. Prior to TTD, the scariest coaster for me was Shiekra as well.