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Johnny Upsidedown

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Everything posted by Johnny Upsidedown

  1. Still works for me. Maybe its just to many people buzzing the Ytube server. Here is the link again so you dont have to fish for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC8TE3vLC9s
  2. Sweet!!! Looks like fun. Hopefully the line for MF will be shorter. But really it looks like a CP version of a kiddie coaster.
  3. What is the point of closing this rediculous tread when they will just start another one that will be even more pointless to read as then we will have to read through all the cry babies that will complain about the ride. Oh well. I vote close it now, close it now, close it now, close it now.
  4. New photos to look at. Doug over at http://www.pointpixels.com has posted up another big update of 80 more photos of the construction site. Here are the photos http://www.pointpixels.com/4images/categories.php?cat_id=360
  5. Hum. Wonder if there is a conection with 2008 and BGT as it says the first will open in 2008. Here is the news article. http://www.dailypress.com/business/local/dp-16008sy0sep02,0,2029207.story?coll=dp-business-localheads JAMES CITY -- A new agreement between the nonprofit Sesame Workshop and Busch Gardens' parent company will bring the colorful, child-oriented characters to Anheuser-Busch theme parks across the country. The deal will bring a new attraction for children to the local Busch Gardens, which closed a popular, child-friendly ride called Le Mans Raceway in July. "Over the past 26 years we have come to appreciate just how well known and loved the Sesame characters are and the kind of connection guests can make with them in a theme park setting like Sesame Place," Busch Gardens Entertainment President Keith M. Kasen said in a statement. The partnership will provide Sesame Street-themed attractions at four sites in the United States: Sea World California in San Diego, Sea World Texas in San Antonio, Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Fla., and Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg. The first attraction will open at a Busch theme park in 2008, but executives have not said yet which site will receive one first. Kasen said the Sesame Street attractions could include rides, a special effects theater and live character shows. "We're looking to entertain our youngest guests with these attractions," said Fred Jacobs, senior communications director for Busch Entertainment. Jacobs said the programming will target kids between the ages of 2 and 6. Theme characters will be long-time Sesame Street favorites including Big Bird, Elmo, the Count and Snuffleupagus. Busch Gardens announced last month that it will open a new roller coaster, called Griffon, where Le Mans once stood. While the new dive coaster features a 210-foot drop at a 90-degree angle, it has a height requirement of 4 feet, 6 inches, excluding most children under the age of 6.
  6. Thats great, about what I had expected to see. Looks like a great family ride with some good thrills for the adventures ones. Looks to have some good themeing to the ride also.
  7. Amusement Today has some new information about HUSS and the future of its company and future of its manufacturing. Seems things werent as bad as thought. http://www.amusementtoday.com/ Huss Park Attractions GmbH created (AUG 30, 2006) - Germany's Huss has announced the creation of a new company Huss Park Attractions GmbH in Bremen, Germany, will continue to promote and strengthen the Huss brand. Huss Park Attractions is not the legal successor of Huss Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. Huss Gépgyár Kft., in Budapest, Hungary remains the firm's production plant and will continue to be available for the manufacturing of high-quality steel products. According to the release, Huss Park Attractions GmbH will be acquired by a group of investors, whereas the HUSS Gépgyár Kft. Budapest will be bought by an industrially active company. Through this transaction, which ensures the strategic and financial security of all Huss business activities, the foundations have now been laid for further growth of the huss rides product line. The present product portfolio, which consists of Classic Rides, Giant Rides and Sky Tower Rides, will be extended in the coming years with simulators (movie-based) and new family attractions in the mid-price range. Huss president & CEO Wolfgang Richter said, "We look forward to strengthening our existing relationship with our customers and to assisting with their ride requirements in the future. The Huss management and our new shareholders are eager to fulfill and even exceed our clients' expectations. We look forward to your continued confidence in our company and the products and services we have to offer." For more information call (49) 421-499-0079 or visit www.hussrides.com. United States customers may call Wilhelm Hundsdörfer at (860) 249-7024 or by e-mail to: wbh@hussparkattractions.com or whundsdoerfer@aol.com.
  8. As I said just a guess. It could also be that the pieces will be removed later on in the construction process I really dont know. I wish I would have asked the workers that I was talking to while they were on break. Oh well . PPP is coming soon and I would think some of the enthsiasts that attend the event may ask about the pieces. Its even possible that a type of netting will cover the track area.
  9. Just a guess but I am thinking they are like a safety railing. If the train gets up that high in the track it will be pushed back down. Kinda like a bobsled track where they have a railing to keep the car in the trough.
  10. Hi everybody I was out at Knoebels today for some photos of Flying Turns. Rain was the order of the day. Anyway I have 24 photos from today up on my site if you would like to take a look. I was told that half of the structure is done and about 1/6th of track is complete. I was also told that there is one more layer of wood that goes on the track. Here are a few photos from today and you can see the rest here at this quick link in my site. http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/new2007ft.html Here are a few.
  11. For me I really dont have a preference. Different rides have different effects and G forces. Take a Batman invert with crazy speedy loops, compared to Montus large loop that has some float, or Sheikra immelman which has extream floater air. All are great forces. I like all kinds of different forces even though they are the same elements. It kinda makes each coaster unique. Some coasters have lots of power some are more tame. Guess thats what makes traveling and riding alot of differnt coasters fun because you just never know what kind of ride each coaster will be..
  12. Well turns out what I thought might have happend did. Seems the kids were playing a prank on the car behind them and got hit. Silly people do silly things. http://www.examiner.ie/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=ireland-qqqm=ireland-qqqa=ireland-qqqid=11863-qqqx=1.asp Gavin Mason, from Artane, and three friends boarded the ghost train at Tramore’s amusement park in the Waterford seaside town on Saturday evening. The deceased is believed to have got out of the two-seater carriage inside the ghost train tunnel as part of a prank, attempting to scare others who were also taking the ride. Unfortunately, he appeared to have stumbled on part of the electric track and was struck by another carriage which arrived moments later. The ride was immediately shut down, pending an examination of the scene. An Order of Malta ambulance crew attempted to resuscitate the man at the scene. He was brought to Waterford Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority are carrying out separate probes after the accident at Tramore Amusement and Leisure Park on Tramore’s Strand Road. The park was open yesterday but the ghost train ride remained shut. Park manager Frank King said the incident happened at around 7.30pm on Saturday. “The matter is under investigation by the appropriate authority and until the precise circumstances have been established, it is not appropriate to make any further comment. Our deepest condolences are extended to the family of the deceased,” Mr King added. It’s the second time in four years that an accidental death has occurred at the amusement park. In August 2002, 16-year-old John Flavin died while operating the former sling-shot ride at the park. The local youth grabbed the cage in which customers were held and got carried into the air. He was then crushed between the ride and the barrier as it came back down to ground. In a separate unrelated incident, the body of a man was taken from the sea also in Tramore yesterday morning. The man was observed by an early morning worker at Dooley’s fish and chip shop and a council staff member walking along the beach. He was reportedly seen removing some of his clothes and began to walk out into the sea, ready for a swim. The two workers immediately contacted the emergency services and the body of a man was recovered around 7.45am. Click here for irishexaminer.com stories before this date
  13. I wonder if what ever plans that BGT had for the upcoming 07 season have been put on hold for another year. Busch the company is spending alot of money this year for new additions at there other parks. Sea World Texas - new ride Busch Gardens E - new ride Sea World Florida - new water park I had heard that last December people attendeing a Seniors siminar at(BGT) were told that Python would be removed. Guess only time will tell what happens to Python.
  14. Very limited information maybe more news later. Anybody have some photos of the ride. http://www.irishexaminer.com/breaking/story.asp?j=82775482&p=8z775784&n=82775862&x= A man has died after following an accident at an amusement park in Co Waterford yesterday. The incident took place on the ghost-train, in the seaside town of Tramore. It is believed that the man, who was in his 20s, fell off one ghost-train and was struck by an oncoming train. He was removed to Waterford Regional Hospital, where he died at 8.30pm. The man is believed to be from Dublin, and holidaying in Tramore. Gardaí and the Health and Safety Authority have launched investigations.
  15. The asking price maybe a little bit high. Lets consider that all the rides are new as in never operated. I would figure the land was not cheap. I think also that part of the high price is so the owner can get back money he spent on develpment of the property and either financed the park or spent his own money to build the park. I think the park had some hurricane damage in 05 or 04 cant remember. Maybe the owner didnt have insurance and its just more money that the owners had to dump into the park to make repairs. Now it seems he is in over his head. Plus I think like all things you sell, ask high so you can get as much as you can. It would be interesting to find out if the owner would break even with the sell of the park or is that 15 million with a profit to the owner after the sell.. I dont know what rides cost but a small collection of flat rides and a kiddie coaster cant be cheap. A basik wild mouse goes for 2 mill. Anyway just my 1 and a 1/2 cents worth. Here is a pick of the coaster http://www.rcdb.com/ig3330.htm?picture=1
  16. Found some stuff that may interest some. Its a short history of our favorite hobbies. Part one from invention to the turn of the century http://www.thechronicle.us/news.php?id=2156 And part two 1920 to 1950 http://www.thechronicle.us/news.php?id=2193 Part three will be next week. Here are the articles below. They have earned the name, “The Incredible Scream Machines.” For some, a ride on a roller coaster is the perfect way to celebrate a beautiful summer day. For others, a ride is the realization of the worst fears imaginable. My aunt once got so scared riding a coaster that it took emergency workers 45 minutes to pry her hands off the front bar of the ride after the trip was over. The whole time she kept screaming, “The holder you tight, the faster you go.” Way to go, Aunt Vickie. For me, they are fun as long as they don’t try to simulate reentry into the earth’s atmosphere or get packed with people who get sick to their stomachs on a ride. I especially like the old wooden ones that look and sound rickety and start with a not-too-steep lift. They are extra good if located in an old-fashioned amusement park with a penny arcade. I digress. Many experts believe that coasters got their start in 17th century Russia. In and around the St. Petersburg area entrepreneurs built ice slides by the dozens and wealthy customers loved them. Often 70-80 feet high and a hundred or more feet long, patrons would climb stairs on the back of the slide and ride a sled down a slope that gradually tapered to a flat surface. Historians differ on exactly when and where the first wheeled cars appeared. A few credit the Russians with building the first around 1784. There is a bit more evidence to give the French the distinction. Around 1817, they constructed wheeled coasters named Les Montagues Russes a Belleville and Promenades Aeriennes. The first looping coaster was built in England and erected in Paris at the Frascati Gardens. It was 43-feet high and had a 13-foot wide loop in it. In this country, LaMarcus Thompson is recognized as having built the first roller coaster. Well, it wasn’t really a roller coaster after all. It was a switchback railroad built on an inclined plane in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. It gave riders a fantastic view of the Lehigh River. The switchback operated from 1872-1929 and was purchased by the Jersey Central Railroad before it shut down. Thompson had competition from the get-go. In 1878, Richard Knudsen received a patent on “Improvement in the Inclined Railroad,” but he never operated one. In 1884, Coney Island opened “Thompson’s The Switchback Railroad.” He made hundreds of dollars a day on a ride that cost 5 cents. The same year, Charles Alcoke built the first complete circuit coaster, and a year later, Phillip Hinkle developed the “lift hill,” which became the hallmark of many subsequent coasters. The lift hill got things started by pulling riders up a steep hill by cable or chain and then let gravity take over from there. In total, Thompson garnered over thirty patents on coasters during his career. He is perhaps best known for his efforts to make roller coaster rides scenic. He teamed with the legendary James A. Griffiths of Philadelphia, he of the ornate car and design school, and built “The Scenic Railroad” for Atlantic City. Though they never collaborated again, Griffiths’ company designed and built some of the most beautiful coaster cars and merry-go-round horses ever constructed. So where does the name “roller coaster” come from? Based on much of the early history of the things you would think they’d be called switchbacks or slides. It seems a small town in Massachusetts claims that prize. There a ride called the “Sliding Hill and Toboggan” was built and it used a track made of wooden rollers. Hence, the name “roller coaster.” The next great period of development in coaster history came in the early twentieth century. It was named the Trolley Park. In those days trolleys were the main forms of transportation in and around cities. Only trolley owners noticed that, on weekends, business was slow — real slow. To try and pick things up, the owners began building amusement parks, often at the end of the road. People had to ride the trolleys to get to the parks. One such park, Lakemont, near Altoona, Pennsylvania, is home of a famous roller coaster named “Leap the Dips.” It was built in 1902 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It is 48-feet high, has a nine-foot drop and achieves speeds of ten miles per hour. Wow! PART 2 From the Golden Age to the Beginning of Decline With the end of the First World War and the onset of the Roaring Twenties, America was about to witness the greatest period of roller coaster construction in its history. It isn’t coincidental that this “Golden Age” accompanied the development of the modern amusement park. Some historians estimate that by the late ‘20’s there were over 2,000 roller coasters in the United States. Frederick Ingersoll was a prime mover in this phenomenon. His concept of the amusement park, with its central Shoot-the-Chutes and roller coaster rides, was replicated time and again as his famous Luna Parks, White Cities and Electric Parks were built in cities like Cleveland, Chicago and Pittsburgh. During this time, John A. Miller, a devotee of La Marcus Thompson, became the king of roller coaster patents. His inventions included the anti-rollback mechanism, and brakes, among many others totaling over 100. New technology contributed to newer and better coasters, such as the Racer at Kennywood Park, Revere Beach’s Thunderbolt and the Big Dipper at Geauga Lake. He would collaborate later with Norman Bartlett to build The Flying Turns ride. This innovative coaster consisted of a car, and later trains of cars, that traveled in a trough shaped roughly like a large half-barrel. Amusement parks flourished and with them coasters. Yet, it wasn’t until Playland in Rye, New York that the amusement park was designed, from the beginning, to be an amusement park. Playland brought us the first amusement park as a planned community. With it’s tree-lined streets and art deco style, picnic areas and separate kiddie park, Playland was designed from scratch to be the ideal spot for wholesome, clean, family fun. It even had a beach and a seaplane ride! Amusement parks in the early years were often in neighborhoods considered unsavory by many. Others were little more than a few rides scattered through the end of a trolley line. Then in 1897, Captain Paul Boyton fashioned Sea Lions Park at Coney Island and enclosed several rides behind walls. That kept out most of the drunks and prostitutes and seemed to improve the public’s image of amusement parks. Boyton later added the famous Water Chute ride to SLP. The same year Sea Lions opened, George Tilyou opened Steeplechase Park and so began one of the signature rides in all of Coney Island history. The steel track had eight horses on it and patrons never seemed to tire of riding them. In 1903, Boyton’s Sea Lions Park became Luna Park and over a quarter-million electric lights were added. With the growth in the number of coasters came further technology. Soon Coney Island produced the first full-circuit coaster, then the lift hill. Ever ridden in a loop-the-loop? It originated here, too. One more fairly important roller coaster innovation also came from Coney Island - the lap bar. How did riders hold on in the past? Usually with a rope or chain. So much for safety. Playland was the first, true. However, Coney Island was the Mecca. Many consider it the birthplace of the modern amusement park and it grew to become the test site for many of the break-through coaster designers and builders. Thompson, Alcoke and Hinkle all built coasters here and eventually they were joined by many others. As the roller coaster count at Coney Island reached 30 between 1884 and 1930, we saw such beauties as the Giant Racer, an all-white wooden structure, in 1911. In 1925 came the famous Thunderbolt, the first steel- structure roller coaster. In 1926, the Giant Racer gave way to the trademark Coney Island Cyclone, which cost over $100,000 to build and still stands today. Not so fortunate are the Thunderbolt (torn down in 2000) and Tornado (burned in 1977). The onset of the Great Depression and the two decades to follow were nearly a total cataclysm for roller coasters in America. Few had money for things like rides or amusement after 1929. That spelled financial trouble for the coaster owners, who couldn’t maintain the rides. Most fell into disrepair. Later, World War II led to shortages of raw materials and still more maintenance issues. A few great coasters were built during this period, like the Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park and the Comet at Hershey Park. However, by the onset of WWII, the number of amusement parks in this country declined from 2,000 or so to about 250. With that decline came the corresponding decline in roller coasters. Just when things seemed they couldn’t get worse for the roller coaster, World War II ended…and America’s love affair with the automobile began. That love affair just about wiped out the remaining coasters. Americans discovered the open road and, suddenly, amusement parks and roller coasters seemed so tame and boring.
  17. Cool I wonder if you will be able to take drinks on the ride. Looks like a stand up with no restraints. Guess you could sit down if you get to scared. How many people do you think can ride in a car at a time.
  18. I rode TAZ while it was at Astroworld. Negative to the ride was the train and the rediculous restraints. They used to have a retro fit accordian style OTSR system. As the ride went along the restraints would clamp down on you. As for the ride and track layout, I loved the round loops as they produce alot of force in the seat. The drop was also nice with a hard curving drop at a high angle. Overall the ride had a very out of control ride experience. I found that some of the transisions between elements was a bit rough because of the compact design and it being a former traveling coaster. Overall the ride was fun but I would say the main draw back was the train and restraint system which took away from the ride. I dont know what type of restraints the original ride came with but a simple train from Schwarskopf with a lap bar and seat belt would have been suffecient and safe. .
  19. I agree wasnt worth the money for a few laps on the Typhoon. It ranks up there with the Super Loop at Beech Bend a very rough ride.
  20. These photos are from 2001 sorry a bit dated. The lift hill was a ride in itself.
  21. Looks like its final as santa is getting the boot. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/top/3_1_EL23_A1SANTA_S10823.htm EAST DUNDEE — Philip Wenz walked around Santa's Village on Tuesday, taking stock of the 22 rides — including the Galleon and Typhoon roller coaster — and sharing tidbits of the 46-year-old landmark's history. Santa's Village drew a large crowd exactly a year ago, its last day of the 2005 summer season. Families took lots of photographs of the park, bought tons of souvenirs and reminisced with Santa Claus. The day, Wenz said, was prophetic. "It never got its swan song," he said. "Basically, the eviction will be next Monday." A Kane County judge evicted North Pole Corp. this week, ruling in favor of land owner Sterling Bay, a Chicago development company. North Pole Corp. owner Hugh Wilson agreed to sell off the assets to pay Santa's Village's debts, estimated at more than $170,000. An October auction is scheduled by a company specializing in amusement park, circus and museum auctions, Wenz said. The Galleon, a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, two roller coasters and the trademark Snowball ride will all be auctioned off, he said. The original buildings, built in 1959 of California white cedar, will remain. The auction will be open to the public. Sterling Bay has a pending lawsuit against businessman Steve Hopp, of the North Pole Village LLC, seeking more than $300,000. The proceeding was continued until September. Hopp and an associate, Douglas Francis, reached an agreement last fall to purchase the amusement park. North Pole Village took over the daily operations this spring and announced grandiose plans to refurbish the park. Hopp and Francis were the driving force behind rehabbing Santa's Village. However, numerous closing dates were planned and subsequently canceled. North Pole Village's deal fell apart completely in June and the company was evicted from the property. Just like Hopp, Francis faces a legal problem. He is charged with unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, a Class X felony, in Kane County. Francis is accused of possessing 5,000 grams of cannabis. He is expected to plead guilty to a lesser charge next month. "There were a lot of high expectations. All those expectations are gone," Wenz said. "The window of opportunity closed and there was nothing left. My gut feeling is the financing was never in place." Hopp could not be located for comment Tuesday afternoon. Sale hurried closure Wenz, who portrayed Santa Claus for 20 years, said his Web site has averaged 200 hits a day from people asking what happened. People also have been showing up to take photographs of the park. Santa's Village might have remained opened through the end of its March 2008 lease with Sterling Bay, which purchased the land from a Max McGraw Foundation trust, if North Pole Village had not entered the picture, said Wenz, who served as Santa's Village's spokesman Tuesday. He said had there been no offer to buy the business, he would not have retired and would have continued operating Santa's Village until its lease expired. It now is up to Sterling Bay to decide what to do with the property, Village President Jerald Bartels said, adding the village has been in communication with the owner. The company expressed interest in keeping the park open, but he has not heard of any real plans to do so. The grounds remained in a half-state of readiness Tuesday. Employees began renovation projects in the spring, but work halted when Hopp laid off employees in May, he said. No one has maintained the property since then, and there are some signs of gradual disrepair, like fading paint on rides that normally would have been repainted by now. A willow tree's branches cascaded on the ground, under the cables of the Skyline ride whose carts remained in storage. Wenz was named park administrator and will remain onboard to handle the final closing. East Dundee police are providing extra security to prevent break-ins and vandalism, he said. Bartels expressed a sentiment that is sure to be repeated in upcoming months: "It is actually hard to imagine it not being there." 08/23/06
  22. Here is the latest info. http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2006/08/21/daily17.html?jst=b_ln_hl SeaWorld San Antonio officials say the giant marine park will add a major ride attraction next year that will be the first of its kind in the United States. Journey to Atlantis, which is scheduled to open on May 24, 2007, will combine the elements of a traditional roller coaster and water ride. Park officials say the Journey to Atlantis experience will feature 16-passenger boats that will travel uphill and then spin on a turntable when they reach the first plateau, rotating up to 360 degrees. Riders will get a 100-foot-high view of the Alamo City before being propelled backward down a reverse camelback. At the crest of the second hill, the boats rotate again before plunging down a final hill and splashing into a lake filled with geysers and water spouts. "Journey to Atlantis will be an exciting addition," says SeaWorld San Antonio Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Decker. "Not only will riders experience the thrills of a roller coaster, they get the cooling effects of the water ride as well." Decker says onlookers will have an opportunity to get splashed from an observation area located adjacent to the ride. SeaWorld officials say the new attraction will be constructed by Mack GMBH, a German ride manufacturer. A similar ride by the same manufacturer is featured at Germany's Europa Park. Officials say the new ride will be situated on 3 acres between the White Whale and Dolphin Stadium and the Nautilus Amphitheater. Journey to Atlantis will be the sixth major ride added to the world's largest marine life adventure park. Park officials say this one should be particularly appealing for families with children, as riders need only be 42 inches high to enjoy the experience. Decker says SeaWorld also is planning additional park enhancements. The park will open for its 2007 season on March 3 and will be open through Dec. 31. Season Passports go on sale Aug. 25. SeaWorld San Antonio is an Anheuser-Busch Adventure Park and is owned by St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. (NYSE: BUD).
  23. http://www.pointpixels.com has some new photos showing the new hill just installed. I think there are around 130 photos in this update. Here is a short link to the new photos http://www.pointpixels.com/4images/categories.php?cat_id=356
  24. I am thinking something similar to Sheikra, maybe it will have a dive loop instead of an immelman, and maybe a flat spin. Otherwise I would think that the ride will have about the same type of ride as Sheikra anyway couple more days and we will all know. Should be a fun ride none the less. I know I will go and ride it.
  25. Thanks YoshiFan. The real sad thing about the small parks closing is they are the reason that the development has occured in those areas where they are located. How many small parks and ocean side parks are left that havent been raised. Look at the old Miracle Strip in Panama City Beach. Same thing happend, people liked the area so much after visiting the park they wanted to move there. Then after they move there seems funny now there is nothing to do because the developers have taken all the fun out of the town. Dont forget Mytle beach another fine example of a seaside park raised for future developement.
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