coasterfreaky

What about when a coaster, specifically an older Arrow coaster is setting on the transfer track?? Dave Altoff Jr's site mentions this instance... http://capital2.capital.edu/admin-staff/dalthoff/shame.html This one was a simple mistake. It's the kind of incident you can make jokes about first of all because nobody got hurt, and second because it can happen to even the best park operators in the business. In fact it DID happen to one of the best park operators in the business. This is the transfer table of an Arrow looping coaster that is about fifteen years old. As on most Arrow coasters, the brakes on the transfer table (and everywhere else on the ride) are applied with air pressure. When the air is released, a leaf spring pulls the brake caliper open. It is standard practice on any ride with air pressure systems to drain the air tanks and lines daily so that moisture doesn't build up in the system and corrode the tanks. So when the train is parked, it needs to be held in place with a wheel chock or a chain attached to the back axle, since draining the air system will make the brakes go away. In this case, the train had been secured with a steel chain, but the chain was just a few feet longer than it should have been. Whoops! This would be a case of brakes default position being opened? Perhaps Arrow doesn't use 'good' brakes? This is Vortex at KI.

James Dillaman Ah, noted. I guess there's not a 'splash bridge' on this ride. Wonder if the splash is too powerfull? Even the one at Cedar Point feels like a bitch-slap if you're standing in the middle of the bridge. I've never riden Perilous Plunge - does the splash on that bridge hurt??

Really? Why on earth? There's at least a half dozen in the US alone. It's a great ride, but they are everywhere.

I really like the design of this. I think it's very clever. I do wonder how an evac on the lift would work. That would be kinda scary. I like too that the angle of decent is not crazy like perilous plunge...def more family friendly than PP.

BoomerWang?

Yes, Opryland did run two trains on Wabash Cannonball - probably 80% of the time. And what was interesting to me is that the Standard Operating Procedure (for W.C.) was to stop one train at the top of the lift to buy enough time to get the other train unloaded and loaded again, rather than stacking. Sitting at the top of the lift gave some pretty great views of the State Fair area - sigh.

Does Cosmic Chaos have a hands-on-the-handlebars policy? Looks like it might from the pic. Dollywood's Dizzy Disk does and it bugs b/c they are nazi-like in their enforcement. I mean, if you have to be holding your hands the entire time, then it is a poor design. The moto coasters have the exact same back restraints - both Zamperla right?

Did you guys ride Slidewinder???? The bestest non-coaster attraction on earth, allegedly. Great TR, btw.

^Pure, I think you've missed a few fences. They are hard to see though, it's tough to tell from those pics. Check out some of the other angles (N,S,E,W) on Live Local and you can see that there are second fences generally where the turf stops and the dirt or whatever begins. Plus that image of the helix is six years old. To me, nothing says 'do not enter' more than a fence, signs or no signs, much less two fences. But there are signs 'every 20 feet' according the park reps and there are pictures of them if you're inclined to search.

The words "personal responsibility" have become an oxymoron in this country and on top of that our judicial system is set up to let the little person fight the big person, so to speak, regardless of wether or not you are rich or poor. Contrast that in Britain and elsewhere where the Plaintiff, if found to be at fault, is responsible for the cost of courts if the case is lost or deemed frivolous. There are pros and cons to both systems, but it would be nice to have some sort of combined system in the US just so that "personal responsibility" doesn't fall to the wayside.

From the SFOG wiki article... In May 2002, 58-year-old groundskeeper Samuel Milton Guyton of Atlanta was killed after he wandered in a restricted area under the Batman roller coaster's path and was struck in the head by the dangling leg of one of the ride's passengers. The ride was closed for a day to allow the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to inspect the ride. It was deemed safe for passengers.

New developments for July 1st... Lawyers are already foaming at the mouth to sue. "CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The lawyer representing the family of a teen who was decapitated by a roller coaster in Georgia is looking to find out if they can file a lawsuit against Six Flags Theme Park. According to the lawyer's investigation it's been discovered that the teenager isn't the first person to be killed by the same roller coaster. The death of 17-year-old Asia Leeshawn Ferguson has been ruled as an accident. Police in Georgia are ruling out reports that Ferguson had been trying to retrieve a hat inside a restricted area near the Batman Ride at Six Flags. They say Ferguson may have been trying to take the shortest route to get to the ride. Attorney Lamar Flatt thinks warning signs and fences placed near the ride weren't enough to prevent this tragic death, citing the death of a maintenance worker who was killed by the same ride in 2002." http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=8583003

They haven't built anything yet, so how do you know you're right or wrong?? Sketches do not always equal reality. The River Battle sketches were close, but not 100%. And you think River Battle is not "thematic"?? It's definitely the most themed ride in the park...have you seen it in person? But I'm glad SDC is getting a little ride love. I haven't heard a peep from this park all year.

Who knew?! I am in shock and awe. When i was growing up there were arcades, and then there was SHOWBIZ, taken to an all new level. I was trying to find the search tool for the Rockafire, but no luck. You wouldn't have a direct link by chance?? I'm so curious now.

If you grew up in the 1980's and have fond memories of Showbiz Pizza Place, this is a pretty funny video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur8AwQHusZw

Looks like a nice little park. So, what ride is inside the Psycho Drome? Scrambler?

This was one great rapids ride. I have so many fond memories of riding it. I saw on the Opryland Yahoo group someone else posted recent pics - they walked through the whole course. Took tons of pictures in the cave - where the bear was, "the rapids" part, the big rock/waterfall, station remnants, resevoir, the whole thing. Anyone know what 1st Gen Rapids Rides are left? I think SFOG has one and Great Adventure. Great Adventure's had a very similar setup with the dual stations. I remember on GRR the blast of water that would push your boat to one side or the other of the station. Fun times indeed. Thanks for posting!

Banana looks like the Mack cable-driven splash battle. You can see in some pics the cable in the water, and the round "pulley" that enables it to turn corners. This is different from Dollywood's Mack version which has booster pumps throughout the course of the ride. Two different, but similar rides. Interesante, thanks for posting the pics.

The work going on in the upper loop is probably related to the resort. I received a survey yesterday asking which of three concepts i liked the most for the resort. One was "Imagination", so creativity-based, the second was "international" and the third was "Country Chic". If it is indeed the resort, then the train would probably be used somehow to transport guests to and from the park. However, one of the questions on the survey was "Where would you like the resort to be located?", some of the options were "in the park", "on a hill with a view away from the park", etc, so maybe the work in the upper loop is not resort-related. I've been twice this year and the train has been down both times, so I have not seen with my own eyes this year. Dollywood is by no means a small park. With the new addition of Wilderness Pass it makes the park over 140 acres with lots more room to expand. By comparison, Opryland was only 125 acres.

I don't think anyone's mentioned it, but Mystery Mine has a really intense drop with a twist, followed by a heartline and being suspended upside down...especially after the fireball in your face - it's very disorienting.

Here's a direct link to a hand-drawn copy of the Matterhorn layout. http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/images/trk_dl_matter.gif

Great pics Kraken! I like the station pics of River Battle. Did you get attacked by the clock in the station? We didn't venture down to the eagle section, so we missed that entirely. Glad you got some pics of that. I wonder what's going on in the upper loop, and i wonder if that has anything to do with the train not running?? Maybe the train tracks are blocked or removed???? Curious!

I'm not 100% sure either, but I would have to say that 321 would avoid almost all the traffic that will be heading to the mountains on Friday - Sevierville and Pigeon Forge traffic will def be something to deal with if you take 40. It may take an hour, hour and half just to get from the exit off 40 to get to Dollywood. 321 is well marked with signs, so if you can follow signs you shouldn't have any trouble...it's a major road - not a pig path or anything like that.

BrockB - Yes, I can PM you a picture later tonight. They're on my home computer and I'm at work all day. Hey Big Mike, What route are you taking from Atlanta?? I ask b/c there is construction on I-40 through Knoxville. It's avoidable if you exit at #81 off I-75N in/near Lenoir City, then take 321 all the way to Pigeon Forge. That should help you get there quicker. I Google-mapped the route from Atlanta and sure enough it recommends I-40, but I recommend 321 to shave off some time. BTW, when you get off the parking lot tram, the season pass building will be on your left as you walk towards the gate. I hope you get to enjoy everything in the park. If you're a Dolly fan (and who isn't??), be sure to check out her museum - Chasing Rainbows.