EastCoastn07
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Posts posted by EastCoastn07
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I hope they have it open for Coaster Con which starts next sunday
It will not be open for Coaster Con.
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The point being, don't judge this ride by the way it looks. I know I said in post awhile back that the trains actually looked a little small for someone tall like me, but the seats might be bigger than what I thought and that illusion led me to believe they were small.
LOL, no it's not an illusion at all...the seats really are small especially the back row. If you're tall, you'll probably have to stick to the first row of one of the cars because the back is really tight and the front has the most room of any of the rows. I think tall people and overweight people may have some problems with these trains.
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Meh, it seems a little slow IMO. That being said I have never ridden, but the second half does not look very good to me. THat beins said the first half looks awesome. Also, their may be some awesome airtime off the MCBR in the back!
The copper fins on the mid-course trim are going to be adjusted. I heard some may be removed because it shouldn't lose that much speed going through this area. When I was leaving the park today there were workers up on a manlift looking at the fins, so many some of them ended up being removed. Guess we'll find out whenever the next round of testing begins.
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I'm not exactly sure how the testing schedule looks, but over the last week or so the people at Premier and several people from the maintenance department have tediously been working on checking clearances with the LSMs and trains. Basically they are checking that the magnets on the train have enough clearance on each side of the LSM motor going through each stator. This isn't as tedious on the straight section of the launch considering every stator is in line with one another, but since there are several LSM's on the curved approach up the lift hill, it becomes pretty tedious in that area. I forgot what the term for it is, but since you have a straight section of magnets going through another straight section of LSMs on a curved track, obviously you can't just set all the stators straight and hope they work. The LSMs are required to be staggered so that in no point in this particular section will the top of the channel that the LSMs go through on the train rub on the LSMs. So they've basically been raising and lowering one side or another on the channels that the LSMs are resting on to ensure there is enough clearance on all points of this curved section of stators.
The other day I noticed that the first car of the first train was no longer at the end of the launch and is now waiting to be hooked up near the beginning of the launch. I believe early this week they are going to hook up the train and pull both cars through the launch to double check all the clearances and then they would be able to torque all the bolts down. I'm not sure if any other testing is required, but I believe after this is done they should be able to start launching the train. I have also heard they are NOT doing a full pull through and I'm assuming this is all for the sake of getting the ride open as soon as possible. There's no areas that the train really comes close to any of the track anyways so I'm not sure its even necessary...
While the coaster seems to be almost done, theres still a lot of work needed to be done on the miscellaneous things on the coaster. Queue line rails still need to be installed, asphalt needs to be poured for the queue going up towards the launch and station, the exit ramp needs to be built, the team member stairs need to be built, and all the fencing going around the ride also still needs to be done. If all this stuff was done already I'm sure we'd see this thing opening really soon, but there's still quite a bit of work to be done even though the coaster is just about ready for full operation.
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The carpenters at the park have been working on the queue for over a week now and all they have to show for it is that one staircase, and it doesn't even have to go up 11 feet in the air like the entrance and exit ramps do to get to the station.
Okay, it did not take all week for them to build those stairs.
So saying they will get this whole queue done in a week is a complete lie.I said it CAN be done in a week, not WILL. I NEVER lied.* DO NOT CALL ME A LIAR! That being said, I would not be surprised if the queue is built over a span of two weeks. The queue does not need to be complete until the ride has completed testing.
Also, the entire ride IS NOT still surrounded by the original Turnpike fencing.Oh, I'm sorry. Only 90% of the ride is surrounded by a fence. My bad.
You obviously are looking at a different construction site that I see with my very own eyes every single day at work.You see it from the road on the way to work. I see it from inside the park. Hmmmm...
I guess I should trust you though because you must be the master of construction.It's funny you should mention that, because that's almost the exact meaning of "architecture" in Greek which is the language the word is derived from. Coincidentally, I've been studying to become a certified architect in school.
It is okay to express your OPINION (keep in mind that's all it is), but there is no reason to be as RUDE as you are. You tend to be too quick to shoot others down.
Again, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Sky Rocket will most likely be ready for ERT at CoasterCon.
*This post is meant to express the individual views of the poster and is not supposed to be taken as fact by the reader.
First and foremost I would like to clarify that I didn't mean to be rude, but considering you were very snappy in your last post and shot everything I said down like you knew everything, I had to shoot you down instead. Secondly, it pretty much did take the whole week for that staircase to be built as I regularly walk over and check on the construction site when I have some free time and they just finished that up a day or two ago and just started on the ramp up to the station TODAY as I saw them putting up the first posts for it. In terms of the queue area, NOTHING else has been complete other than land preparation. Also, the platform they started a few days ago was STILL being worked on today. So like I said, that is all they have done in terms of queue line and miscellaneous work. So once again, don't expect them to be finished with the queue in a week.
Also, I'd like to repeat that the only Turnpike fencing left is the fencing along the old Turnpike entrance, everything else is TEMPORARY. Also, there is no fencing surrounding the ride by the photo booth and onlooker area, so this is yet another thing that needs to be done as well as fencing in other areas in the next few weeks. I'm also assuming there will need to be fencing somewhere around the second drop as the queue line is in this immediate area. If someone would hop the fence they would be in danger if there was no fencing stopping them from going in that area.
Also, nothing I said was an opinion except for me saying I don't think the coaster will be done by Coaster Con. Everything else I have seen with my eyes or heard from very reputable sources. But once again, I guess you know more since you're in architecture. I won't even give you the satisfaction of going into what I'm in school considering it means absolutely nothing in this case...
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The trains for the skyrocket, look just like the trains for the cliffhanger at ghost town.
Look here...
No...maybe the front style but that's it.
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The park has repeatedly said that the ride will require no more than two weeks of testing. They have been in the process of building the queue and have the electrical and drainage infrastructure in place. The queue and fencing can be all installed within a week's time and keep in mind that the entire ride is still surrounded by the original Turnpike fencing. This ride IS INDEED on track to open by Coaster Con.
You obviously are looking at a different construction site that I see with my very own eyes every single day at work. Yeah they're in the process of building the queue, but the only part they actually have built is the stairs leading up to the station on the hillside behind the photo booth. All the handrails for the main queue need to be built not to mention the entrance and exit ramps from the station. I guess I should trust you though because you must be the master of construction. The carpenters at the park have been working on the queue for over a week now and all they have to show for it is that one staircase, and it doesn't even have to go up 11 feet in the air like the entrance and exit ramps do to get to the station. So saying they will get this whole queue done in a week is a complete lie. Also, the entire ride IS NOT still surrounded by the original Turnpike fencing. The only fencing that still remains is the fencing along the pathway next to Garfield. Everything else is either temporary or non-existent, like the fence that will be around the turn out of the station. Also, if you think they're just going to keep the second drop area open with only that Turnpike fencing, you're crazy. That's a total safety hazard considering how close it comes to the ground. Anyone would be able to take a stroll through the ride area and take a chance of getting hit. The park is aiming for a June 19th opening, but as of right now testing for the whole coaster probably won't even start until next week. They're cutting it really close but in my honest opinion I don't see it opening in time for Coaster Con.
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The trains arrived yesterday May 27th for Sky Rocket and testing will start next week. An estimated opening date of June 17th and should be available for ERT during Coaster Con.
I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet...In my honest opinion, I don't see this coaster opening by Coaster Con. I see Sky Rocket everyday while going to work, and while the coaster should be up and running by next week at the latest, the station ramps and queue line are nonexistent at this point. There is absolutely no fencing at all surrounding this ride anywhere. With the queue line going directly underneath this coaster, theres going to have to be some kind of barrier from guests accessing the second drop area as that comes very close to the ground and someone could definitely get hit by a train if they had access to that area. Also, the only part of the queue they have done is a staircase leading up to the station. You also have to keep in mind that they're not just going to test this thing for two days and say its good. I'm not positive if they are doing a pull through or not with the coaster, but testing is going to take at least a week I'd think. All I'm saying is, while it seems like Sky Rocket is almost done, there's actually a surprisingly amount of work that still needs to be done before they can open this coaster. I'd say the park is going to be tight trying to meet this deadline they've set for themselves.
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Not really sure if this bugs anyone else, but due to the ascent not being completely vertical and the drop being vertical, it gives the allusion of the hill being tilted to the one side. I see this everyday at that park when I'm working and for some reason it bugs the crap out of me. Also, I have to say the first hill is really oddly shaped. I really don't know why Premier didn't just take the Intamin approach and use a real top hat for the first hill instead of just a 90 degree drop.
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^If I had to speculate, I would say it wouldn't be that loud. At least it doesn't look like it would be that loud.
Superman at Magic Mountain also has I-beam track. Its the loudest coaster I have come across..
If I'm not mistaken, I think the LSM motors have a lot to do with the noise S:TE makes.
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Myself I have a question for you. In the second picture, is the launch track extended up hill yet?
They have one piece installed for the first hill thus far, however, the first hill is going to be the last element that will be built as they have to get the crane out of the construction site before they can complete it. Also, one piece of the pullout is also installed before the entrance to the top hat. I'd look forward to work starting on the first hill later next week sometime.
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In other news, I watched the Phantom test several time today and I must say, I think they did a really good job on the new rail they installed. the train no longer whips from one side to another like it did last season, so I'm sure it's going to offer a much more enjoyable ride this season. For those who rode it last season will know exactly what I'm talking about.
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I'm terribly sorry EastCoastn07. It honestly did not come to mind. I will delete them if you want me to. Again sorry.
They're not my pictures, but I just wanted to let you know that it might be best to ask for his permission before posting them. I just know sometimes people get angry about this kinda stuff so I'm just watching your back for you.
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^ I understand you are trying to keep everyone in the loop, but I might advise that you might actually want to ask the owner of those pictures (Myself) before you start posting them around on other forums.
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http://www.pointparkglobe.com/sky-rocket-launch-delayed-for-kennywood-opening-1.1433814This summer, long-time guests to Kennywood will have a new attraction to look forward to. Sky Rocket is set to open to the public this season and will be the first new roller coaster built in the park since the Exterminator in 1999. However, riders are going to have to wait until well into the season before they get a chance to conquer this multi-million dollar rocket.
Sky Rocket was designed by Premier Rides. This new thriller will launch riders 55 miles per hour in three seconds and then send them 95 feet skyward. From there, riders will experience three inversions, several highly banked curves and numerous moments of weightlessness as they blast through the 2,100-foot course.
While the park’s opening day is set for May 8, Sky Rocket currently has an estimated opening time of early June. Major delays in construction were encountered due to the massive amounts of snow that crippled the east coast this past winter.
The national organization known as the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) has been eagerly awaiting its chance to experience this new attraction since it was announced in August. Bill Linkenheimer III, former national president and current regional representative for ACE, said he is “ecstatic that Kennywood is finally putting in a new coaster.”
Linkenheimer also admires how the park “manages to blend the old and the new together” with the coexistence of older, classic rides and the newer high-tech rides currently on the market for amusement parks.
While many people are thrilled with the idea of a major new roller coaster being erected at Kennywood, the new addition does not come without sacrifice. Sky Rocket will be located on the site of a longtime favorite of the younger riders, the Turnpike. This choice was met with mixed emotions from the general public. Opened in 1966, the Turnpike was an antique car ride that took Kennywood by storm with its scenic course and the opportunity for children to drive. Jeff Filicko, a Kennywood public relations spokesman, said the choice to remove the Turnpike was made due to space restrictions in the park.
“It was all about compromise,” Filicko said. “You can’t put a big new ride in here without changing the land in some way.”
Kristina Brown, a junior jazz dance major at Point Park University, is not sorry to see the classic ride go.
“I’m more of a coaster person, [and] I think they need to update their rides more often,” she said.
ACE historian David P. Hahner, Jr. called the departure of the Turnpike “bittersweet.”
“I’m excited to see a new coaster opening at Kennywood, but I am also sad to see Kennywood’s first ‘theme park-style’ ride be removed,” Hahner said. “It’s good to know that it’s not only being replaced with what promises to be an exciting addition for the park, but that it may return in some form in the very near future.”
King Kahuna has also been removed from Kennywood due to its lack of popularity and high maintenance costs.
“It’s sad that they have to get rid of so much at once,” Michael Mann, a sophomore education major who never had the chance to ride King Kahuna, said.
It is currently unknown exactly what the empty space left on King Kahuna’s site will be used for. Phantom’s Revenge has also undergone what Filicko referred to as “surgery” on its second hill to fix a small bump in the ride that was the result of a re-tracking that the coaster underwent the previous winter.
Kennywood will open to the public on May 8 with FunDay passes set at a price of $35.99 and Night Rider tickets costing $20.99. Limited season passes are also currently on sale for $89.99.
Those are extremely old pictures...You really should check out KPConnection.com, they've been posting new pictures just about every day. They have just about half the track up already and from what I've been hearing most of coaster, with the exception of the first hill and barrel roll should be up by Tuesday. I won't be surprised if this whole coaster is up by the second weekend the park is open, which leaves the station, queue line and other remaining stuff to be built, testing and of course training to do by the time it can open. I'd say that an opening in the first or second week of June is highly likely at this point.
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Another update was put up over at Kennywood Connection. The turn up to the MCBR and second drop are now complete and it looks to me that they have just about all the supports up now with the exception of the first hill and barrel roll. Also the LSM motors are now installed as well. You can check out the update below.
http://kpconnection.com/cu427.shtml
Work has started on the second drop supports.
Overview of the construction site from outside the park.
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Could the sign be placed at Auto Race or OKRR
I think someone said the Auto Race received a face lift this year and the CoGo's sign would be going there.
As for Sky Rocket, there's a rather big update posted over at Kennyood Connection.
Check out the full update here: http://www.kpconnection.com/cu423.shtml
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^ You can find a nice Panorama of the entrance area from inside the park here.
It does look very different though and shame they could not save the Co Go sign, I think that is what I will miss most when all is said and done.
The Co Go's sign should be making a reappearance on another ride somewhere in the park from what I've heard.
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Found this on youtube, looks to be a pretty accurate recreation.
Eh, it's better then the one Premier provided, but its still not very accurate.
In other news, Kennywood Connection just put up some new pictures, including pictures of the almost complete launch. Check it out:
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^ The transfer track looks like the Phantom's transfer track basically, so I don't see the big deal.
I am glad that they continue to press on with the construction. We have been lucking out with the weather it seems, but it doesn't make a difference to me if it gets done for opening day or not. Good for the park if it does, but I am not planning on going until June or August at the latest.
Not particularly...Phantom's transfer track is not part of the station. Sky Rocket's transfer track is INSIDE the station basically and the track that the train sits on while it loads is the same track that will be utilized for the transfer track.
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Work has continued on Sky Rocket's station area and the track for the station/transfer track as well as part of the turn after it are now installed. Kennywood Connection has put up a new update, while you're there, take note of the interesting use of the station track as the transfer track as well. Looks like they took a page out of Mr. Freeze's book.
See the full update at: http://www.kpconnection.com/cu414.shtml
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The crane being gone isn't necessarily indicative of anything. I walked past a construction site every day last year that would change cranes frequently. Sometimes there was no crane for a day. Other times, they would have the new crane in place without me every seeing them change.
As for new steel not going up, that could be because the footers weren't fully cured yet. It's possible that the crew simply got a week ahead of schedule and had to sit back and wait for the concrete to dry. After all, the first day, they only put up 4 supports. They put up, what, like 3x that amount on just the next day alone? Or maybe they got to work erecting steel knowing that it was likely they were going to have to pause and wait for the concrete.
It takes about a month for the footers to dry, and I think that once the last footer drys, we still have to assume another two weeks at least. That is, two weeks if everything works exactly as it is supposed to the very first time; which I doubt. But even if you say 3 weeks after the last footer drys, that still only takes us no later than Memorial Day. (Which assumes the last footer was poured today. As far as I know, they've been done for a couple days at least) Another thing: I don't think the park can afford to still be building this by the time daily operation rules around on May 20. Having an active construction zone right at the entrance of the park would most likely be a disaster. If all that is left is wiring, testing and stuff like that, it's not such a big deal. But still building it could cause major problems.
Long story short: If I was a betting man, I wouldn't bet on when this coaster will open.
That crane has been on site since the first week before supports started going up...the fact that its no longer on site and no steel has went up in over a week is hardly a good sign. I don't think this has anything to do with the footers either because there is a piece of track sitting on site that could have went up so I have a feeling this problem is bigger than we all think. While some of the footers in other areas probably aren't fully cured, the footers in the area of the surf curves were all poured at the same time so there should be no reason why they couldn't continue on. But like I said, this isn't a good sign considering they really wanted to get this thing open as soon as possible.
You're being very optimistic with your expected opening. Two weeks to finish the rest of the track? I doubt that. Considering it took almost two weeks to put up everything they have up now, two weeks to finish more than half the coaster (including the the four tallest elements) is really really optimistic. Then you have to factor in the amount of time it will take to get the station, queue and everything else built, not to mention all the electric work and what have you. You also have to keep in mind there is so many hours of testing they will have to do once the coaster is finished, which sometimes can take almost two weeks. So in all honesty, I want this thing to open as much as anyone, but if this stand still continues into next week and beyond, a May opening just isn't looking very good.
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As long as Sky Rocket doesn't open on opening day Im fine with it. Normally I wouldn't say that but this is going to be the first opening day I can't go to because my AP Bio test is scheduled that morning...and I want to be there for the grand opening of Sky Rocket so Id be a little mad if they opened it while I was taking that test
I'd be very surprised if this thing opens by Memorial Day...construction on the actual coaster seems to be at a stand still and they haven't put anything new up since before Easter weekend. You have to think it took them about a week to finish what they have now, and that is a pretty small portion of this coaster. They have yet to even start supports on the tallest parts of the coaster so they still have a long way to go with this coaster. I really don't think you have to worry about this thing opening by opening day, because like I said I'd be very surprised if it even opened by the end of May.
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No new track has gone up since the Friday before Easter weekend...my sources say that the crane is now off site as well. Things aren't looking good and a Memorial Day weekend opening is getting farther and farther out of reach. They have however began work on the station and the transfer track rails are now installed.
As for the "cliffhanger" element, my sources also say that Sky Rocket's brake on the first hill is merely a trim and is not going to completely stop the train and hold you like the B&M dive machines...sorry to those guys who wanted it to be that way but supposedly it's not going to be. I however think this was a very good decision as a complete stop would completely ruin the pacing of this coaster.
Kennywood (KW) Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
Yes I do have a way of knowing that for sure, and it WILL NOT be open for Coaster Con. While they have sent the train around a handful of times, there's still a lot of adjustments that need to be done before the coaster opens to the public. But I do just love how you think that you know all that needs to be done to a coaster before it can open to the public. It's a lot more than just tweaking the launch programming and adjusting the trim breaks.
Also, you fail to realize that the queue line isn't even done nor is any of the exit ramp other than the footers, and the two staircases for the station and brake run still need to be installed as well. If you think all this done is going to be done before Sunday, you're crazy. And if you think Kennywood is going to open the ride earlier when all this stuff (especially testing) isn't done just so a bunch of coaster enthusiasts can ride it, you're even crazier. Kennywood is all about safety and if you really think they're going to only do less than two weeks of testing just so ACE can ride, you're going to be very disappointed come June 20th.