andyuk200523

I know with AIR at Alton Towers, there is a set of electrically operated stairs that moves up and down the lift underneath where the train would be, I have never seen an evac done, but I have seen the platform. The evac lift runs between the two black runners seen above. You can see the evac platform currently about half way up the lift.

Finally Found a Documentary I have been searching for for years, Pleasure Beach was a 6 part documentary broadcast during the 90's on BBC1 all about Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the Ups, the Downs, Pranksters, Drunks, Breakdowns, everything! Makes pretty good Viewing to be honest! There are a Lot of Links! Episode 1 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0REDby7vBVM Episode 1 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABHeniDGhyg Episode 1 Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoYwmc1wGkg Episode 2 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UpV6zlnXtc Episode 2 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtpQD4CkCGk Episode 2 Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16QDu1R1QdM Episode 3 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFQh_Nk8dUM Episode 3 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_dLQyAWqfE Episode 3 Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2O6bheCOmA Episode 4 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAg4TMYa6Y4 Episode 4 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmpEO3dfYOY Episode 4 Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77cYfv7JQ64 Episode 5 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqFeBfBtsPA Episode 5 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v3vsTVTezM Episode 5 Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8Puf4FCpVc Episode 6 Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOP-nAUpA2U Episode 6 Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiapeH-L5c4 Episode 6 Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lsYGQG6kzI

Dragons Fury is awesome, I was down there a few weeks ago and rode 3 times in a row without getting out of my seat, me and my friend were in one side and no-one was in the other, it was pure evil!!!!! Spinning like hell, I especially like the fact that it spins on the second lift and on the mid course breaks, really adds to the ride! Chessington would probably suit a Giant Disko, could be themed pretty good in the "New" land I reckon. I agree with Larry, it is in my top 20 also, I haven't found a coaster to be that "fun" in years, it was a genuine surprise!

Just wondering Nat, what camera do you use? I have just been browsing through your DeviantArt and the colours are outstanding! Great photos!

Awesome TR, love the look of this little park, you never know one of these days I may get to sample some of the little inconspicuous parks hidden around the US, really nicely Themed too. Nice one

One thing I have always loved about SFFT Trip Reports are the photos, I love the way the crazy contrasting colours have been used at this park, especially with the rock backdrop, this is how all Amusement Parks should look, bright, airy and fun!!!! SFFT may not have the most amazing line-up of rides (although, to be fair, it is a damn sight better than the line-ups at most UK parks), but if this was my local park, or even within 2-3 hours drive, I would always be here, the atmosphere just looks fun with a capital F. Good TR so far.

Was that at Tower Park in Poole, Dorset??? I remember the park called Splashdown that has some pretty awesome slides, one of which is completely black with a short drop, but is almost vertical with a tight right turn at the bottom, great fun!! The only slide I have wimped out on was Summit Plummit at Blizzard Beach, got to the top and decided it was A) Too tall, and B) Waaaaayyy too steep!!!! Not a chance in hell!

Has anyone actually had confirmation this is a hyper?? Its just that the cleared area looks like it would support a medium sized floorless/sit down multi element coaster nicely.

Yet more documentaries discovered Ultimate Thrill: Technology of Terror Part 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m8XAO6U2ck&NR=1 Ultimate Thrill: Technology of Terror Part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=haWZN6N-0xo&feature=related Ultimate Thrill: Technology of Terror Part 3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNjhhKyI0T0 Ultimate Thrill: Technology of Terror Part 4 www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWso1GmIW_M Ultimate Thrill: Technology of Terror Part 5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkp8e3m9L3U Extreme SeaWorld Part 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDd4FKVF7P4 Part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQmKLVs-UFA Part 3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c9w_Nd2Etc Part 4 www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhbElY5GeQQ Part 5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h9CE881G7k Part 6 www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkk7Uf4tSCA

I'm finding loads of these now, this is great! This one is all about Shiekra and Griffon Build it Bigger Coaster Build Off Part 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=5odlIpAr9yA Build it Bigger Coaster Build Off Part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsieLvKpjYE Build it Bigger Coaster Build Off Part 3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEuK8k96x6A Build it Bigger Coaster Build Off Part 4 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F0VfW0uTe4 Build it Bigger Coaster Build Off Part 5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8UUvdHx4ro

Pepsi Max Big One Construction Documentary Part 1 Pepsi Max Big One Construction Documentary Part 2

The Magic Factory (Alton Towers) - This is the full version of the clips NetDvn has posted. video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8948808241434227182&hl=un

Ref the Tatsu Video, I have searched for months for another vopy of the video not on Mega Video, and I cannot find one, MegaVideo isn't that bad to use, just remember to close all the pop-ups that load and press the Play button in the middle, then everything should be fine.

Megastructures: Kingda Ka www.great-engineering.com/the-ultimate-roller-coaster-megastructures

Mega Builders: Tatsu Part 1 www.megavideo.com/?d=YQUVQGZ1 Mega Builders: Tatsu Part 2 www.megavideo.com/?d=Z1AGHIXI

I absolutely love watching the behind the scenes documentaries about the construction of rides or parks, thought this could be a good way of putting links to ones you have found on the internet. I'll start. Shoot For The Moon (Making of Space Mountain at DLP) Part 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb-swg8PnkQ Shoot For The Moon (Making of Space Mountain at DLP) Part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6eYaqqMhUo Shoot For The Moon (Making of Space Mountain at DLP) Part 3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2GfMSUxNqA Shoot For The Moon (Making of Space Mountain at DLP) Part 4 www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8sjT7GppzE Shoot For The Moon (Making of Space Mountain at DLP) Part 5 www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrMzKvQr6qA Come on people, lets see your links!

B&M Hypers (i.e. Diamondback) cost 22 million. 4 dimension coasters (i.e. X/X2) costs 46 million. Sources are rcdb and wikipedia. Insane, which does 4D much better than X/X2, cost only $7 million according to rcdb. But that's not what Nurburgring wanted. They wanted something to simulate an F1 vehicle. I am fairly certain Insane isn't classed as a 4D as it free swings, to be in the "4th Dimension" it needs to be controlled, otherwise it is just free rotational? Just my opinion.

I missed the race today, watched the qualifying yesterday and I personally think the coaster looks perfect for the Ring. How has no-one got any footage on the internet of the launch?! I wanna see what 0-134 in 2.5 seconds looks like!

I fully understand gravity still works in a vertical way and that coaster construction cannot warp gravity to a 45 degree angle However, the forces exerted on the steel beams (stress's and the like) will still be exerted in a 45 degree angle. If you look at bridge construction, this is a great example of what I am talking about. If the archway was to stop just after the roadway and the supports went vertically downwards to the earth/river, the bridge would not be able to take anywhere near the forces that it can with its construction method as shown. Even though the lift is a slow moving part of the coaster, the design of it will be to take many many times the forces that will be exerted on it from the weight of the carriage, people walking up the catwalk etc...

Well, introducing to you the amazing drawing skills of me!!!!! Hope this kinda explains what I was trying to get across, I am basically explaining how that section of track/support which looks like a vertical lift piece, isn't actually one.

Just to throw something into the mix, I am fairly certain it isn't a vertical lift, I will attempt to explain. Using a truss system to reduce supports is a great way of saving weight and materials, but the truss system has to go straight into foundations, kind of disecting the earth at the same 45 degree angle it is running at under the lift, if you stop that truss just before the ground and place a vertical support in there will be no strength in the support beams and will just collapse at the vertical support. Look at Bridge Designs with Truss systems, you will kind of see what I mean, if anyone is still confused, I will try to draw something which explains what I mean clearer. Andrew "I hate describing things" Shakespeare

Without a doubt, it certainly helps with rides like Drier Looping, Eurostar and Olympia Looping that they can run 3+ Trains! I would never (excluding the Disney Rides) imagine seeing another coaster running more than 3 full length trains on a typical coaster. I have never seen a stupidly long queue on the German Fair Circuit, other parks and manufacturers really could learn a thing or two!

Rewind to 1999, our family made our first trip to Orlando, Being a major Coaster Enthusiast at the time, I was over the moon, My mum and dad asked us both to pick a day of what we wanted to do, whatever it may be. Knowing that Islands of Adventure was running a soft opening that year, it was my immediate choice (didn't realise till later we probably would have gone there for that day anyway (dammit, knew I should of picked Busch Gardens.....grrrr) Well, my brother picked Kennedy Space Centre (I enjoyed it, even though it wasn't something that really related to my interests, but I went through with it) I think letting the kids pick one day of their choice is a great idea, it lets the kids think they are having input into how the holiday is planned, it also gives them a certain sense of adult responsibility, as they are planning for the whole family. This is really good idea for a topic, can't wait to hear some other peoples ideas, will be fun to read!

Magnum Force aka Drier Looping had a Tyre Drive lift and was particularily quiet and fast, great idea, also no need to use anti-rollbacks as the friction of the tyres holds the train steady, this system should be used a great deal more often now, it is proven and works! Bring back the old trains (not the seatbelt ones) the original Schwarzkopf single lapbar and no OTSR!! Love the speed at which German Fair operators build these coasters, it amazes me every time I see one getting built, if anyone has ever seen Eurostar being put together, it is simply awe-inspiring!

So let me just get this right, Cliffs are celebrating 50 years of Family fun?? Love the look of the CCI, I loved some of the designs they came up with, after all they did Megaphobia and Tonnerre De Zeus, and they are both fun woodies, although they also did some slightly rough rides too Good TR