chad5871

Awesome update! Thanks so much! It looks like construction on the site is moving right along! I think that label just means not to lift that piece of track with chains. All of the pictures I've seen of track being unloaded so far has been with straps instead of chains: EDIT: Got beat to the punch. Oh well.

Hey, ANY sign is better than no sign! I think it's been a couple years since Grizzly hasn't had a sign denoting the entrance queue. And I don't think it's all that bad!

Here's something unrelated to the 2010 coaster: KD finally got a new Grizzly sign to go over the new entrance! http://twitpic.com/b4rjw

Twitter conversation between a park-goer and KD: @KingsDominionVA Hey KD! Been to your park since I was a kid. I am too excited for the suprise you guys have in store for the 2010 season!! @lll1424 i would reccomend visiting the park Aug. 20! Or stay tuned, we'll tweet official news here first!

^True indeed. I'm guessing track pieces with more extreme curves would have to be shipped on flatbed trucks, much like the lift hill pieces were.

That's true - I guess I didn't look closely enough. The curve of these pieces delivered so far is very very slight.

More double spined track arrived today. Pictures are at KDFansite in the gallery (link). It's strange how every track piece that has arrive so far is straight - I don't think we've seen a single curved piece of track yet. Especially considering the curvy orientation of the footers poured so far, it seems odd. Of course I'm sure there is MUCH more track on the way, it just seems strange for them to deliver all of the straight pieces first.

Definitely the alien. The slight green tint to the skin and the sad, sickly, green eyes make it pretty believable. Plus I love the depth of field of the photo with the blurry woodie in the background. They're all really cute though!

For those of you thinking it'll be vertical because only one lift hill piece (that has been delivered SO FAR) has support connections - look at some vertical lift coasters. They are all far shorter than 300 feet and have multiple support connections on the lift.

^Precisely. I don't understand why so many people think that this is going to be a vertical lift (it seems like half of the posters at KDFansite are set on the fact that it'll be vertical).

The weekly update from KDFansite's/Coaster Crew's Clint Novak:

According to krayziepunk at KDFansite they are currently unloading more stuff today! Hopefully someone will get some pictures.

Work on footers: (Photo courtesy of Clint Novak from KDFansite (source)

I think KD is talking so much about UFOs on their twitter is because of the news story about a purported UFO sighting at KD a couple of weeks ago. It turned out to just be a smoke ring from Volcano that hovered over KD for about 10 minutes or so. I wouldn't take it to mean that the new coaster will necessarily be themed to a space/alien/UFO theme, although I think it's certainly possible.

^You mean cable lift, right?

What do you mean by that?

I really don't think they're done with land-clearing yet. Besides, I have a feeling that the coaster will be larger than the visible land-clearing that they're doing... Who's to say that the coaster isn't going to go along the backside of Rebel Yell or over by Waterworks?

Look at the post: "entertainment purposes only." It's just for fun.

From the coastercrew twitter: Footer work has started! Cement trcks on site!!!j UPDATE: They are pouring!

^ Cool. Thanks for the explanation.

I don't know exactly how it does that... I have a feeling it has something to do with what they use to produce the smoke. It's definitely not your average smoke. Perhaps there is an additive in it that keeps the smoke together and therefore more visible. Sure, if there lots of wind it'll blow the smoke apart, but if there is only a very slight breeze (1-2 mph I would guess) then the ring stays together. This is all just a guess, but rest assured that it's not a UFO.

I can't believe people actually think that this is a UFO. I worked at KD last fall and I saw the smoke ring quite a few times. It is very strange looking and I was a little freaked out when I first saw it, but once you figure out what it is it makes sense. It's not a very uncommon occurrence.

Someone posted this over at KDFansite. Proof that the F1 (and therefore, the KD track) is Intamin? Hello all. I know this is my first post here, and I'm not sure if this is one of those communities where the newbies with low post counts are shunned as being ignorant or unreliable when it comes to information, but I do believe I can offer you definitive proof that this new coaster is going to be an Intamin. I'd also like to apologize in advance for the length of this post, as I like to cover all my bases when trying to prove something one way or another. Consider this a research paper, if you will. Now, for starters, before some of you jump on me saying "For the 21st time! First Drop Magazine has confirmed this! We don't need more posts trying to persuade us! We know!", I kindly ask you to hold off on that, as only a few people have actually seen that article with their own eyes, as evident in the last few posts in this thread, there are still those who remain healthy skeptical about that information. So, to begin. Here is a patent filed with the European patent office by a company called "Raw Tex International AG" for "Antriebseinrichtung für bewegliche Fahrgastträger", which translates from German to: "Drive device for moving passenger carrier" "Why is this important?", you ask. Well, this particular launch system is the new launch system for the F1 coaster being installed in Dubai. The very same F1 coaster said to be being designed by Intamin. You can download and look at the full patent here: http://h1.ripway.com/patents/F1Coaster.pdf "Big deal!" you might scoff. "Nowhere in that German document do you have any proof that the ride system is being designed by Intamin. You've proved nothing!" you say with disdain. "Nay!" I say. For if you look closely, you can clearly see that "Raw Tex International AG" is definitely associated with Intamin in some way: Case 1: The ride's trains: I don't know about you, but those trains scream "Intamin!" to me. Case 2: The ride's track (see above photos): I don't know about you, but that track also screams "Intamin!" to me. Case 3: Other "Raw Tex International AG" Patents: ZacSpin Patent: http://h1.ripway.com/patents/BallCoaster.pdf AquaTrax Restraint Patent: http://h1.ripway.com/patents/AquaTrax.pdf OTSR Patent: http://h1.ripway.com/patents/OTSR.pdf As you can see in all those patents, the designs are clearly existing Intamin rides/vehicle designs/restrain designs. Which leads me to Case 4. Case 4: "Raw Tex International AG" IS Intamin. Doing some research on "Raw Tex International AG", I've come to find they are a private company located in Schaan, Liechtenstein. In a not-so-suprising coincidence, Intamin lists the following location at the bottom of all of their ride brochures: "INTAMIN, Landstrasse 126, P.O. Box 644, FL-9494 Schaan, Principality of Liechtenstein" Example: http://www.intaminworldwide.com/iag/docu/Aquatrax.pdf What other company could possibly located in Schaan, Liechtenstein filing patents for amusement rides with the exact same design as Intamin rides? None. Thus, I believe it is safe to say that "Raw Tex International AG" IS in fact, Intamin. I assume that Intamin sometimes files its patents through other private companies it has formed over the years for privacy reasons. So, to summarize: F1 Coaster launch patent = Raw Tex International. Raw Tex International = Intamin. F1 Coaster = Intamin. Kings Dominion Track = F1 Coaster Track = Intamin Track. And again, I realize First Drop Magazine has already published this information, and I never doubted it. This post is just to prove, for those who haven't seen the article, or who are still skeptical, that this new track is, indeed, Intamin track. Source: http://www.kdfansite.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=441&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=1864

I think it could be. According to Jan Pagel during a recent interview on the In the Loop podcast, he said that KD wanted to be on the top on the east coast. He wasn't necessarily referring to this coaster, but what he's basically saying is that whatever they're currently developing will put KD on top.

I think it looks more Intamin than Vekoma.