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RandallDuell

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Posts posted by RandallDuell

  1. So the slide they took out: it was the black one that was closest to the walkway, right? If so, that explains why they finally painted that walkway from the parking lot....I assume the lack of splashing AND the lack of constant leaking/dripping, now that it's gone, helped motivate them to get that thing cleaned up. I've always marveled at how, especially when you got there midday (when there was two way pedestrian traffic), you would be forced to slop through the sludgy, wet mess that would accumulate on a part of the sidewalk.

     

    Unrelated: is there any update on that guy down the road who has all the Magic Mountain memorabilia/artifacts? I know the dog kennels closed, but is he still around/maintaining all that old stuff/still being given new stuff?

  2.  

    Looking great - I can't fathom why anyone really cares whether it's wood or steel or hybrid. There is no sanctioning body (at least one that would be universally agreed upon) to decide the definition, so knowing that it will always be open to interpretation -- WHO CARES!?! Let them call it wood - obviously there IS a lot of wood there....this is not quite like bolting a 2x4 to the side of Raging Bull and calling it a wood rollercoaster.

  3. I would like to state that the (Texas Thrill Seekers) group never confirmed backwards Batman. However, it has been brought to my attention from someone that it is going backwards for a limited time only this Spring.

    I thought these backwards trains are different trains rented from B&M (don't know if that is true). If SFMM is running Batman Backwards in spring how could SFOT have Batman Backwards as well?

     

    This is a strange "rumor" on a couple levels -- first, I don't think it's ever been disclosed that they fabricated anything other than the original chassis that Great America started with. From there, the plan was to move it around the chain. Secondly, why would Magic Mountain be promoting their backwards while Six Flags Over Texas is apparently just going to do a stealth opening?

  4. Agreed about the tilt coaster - and since the thread title says "ride" not "rollercoaster", I'd like to nominate the double/triple wheels. I know Vegas is getting ready to open that gigantic wheel, and maybe those are the "new" Ferris wheels of today, but I always thought that the double/triple wheels were cool - pretty efficient use of land - and a skyline trademark.

  5. http://negative-g.com/six-flags-stlouis/2013/hannibarrels/six-flags-st-louis-hannibarrels-2013-1.htm

     

    This was really fascinating - how interesting that the park wanted him to squat on the photos, at first completely, only to later come back and say it's ok to post (after the ride was finally removed)! I had wondered about this ride (don't think I ever saw it running), and it was indeed interesting to get a peak at the state of a ride that had literally been sitting idle for nearly two decades!) It's not too often that this happens at a still otherwise operating park, right?

     

    Did a simple search and didn't come across any videos of the ride actually running - anyone know of any floating around? It seems like any that are still running are indoors, and I don't see the "15 degree tilt" that is referenced in -G's writeup in any of the videos.

     

    I guess the reason I find this so interesting is that the parks usually end up parting out rides like this (when it's decided that they're done with them) even if they're not going to immediately remove it.....it seems like this one was turned off after the hydraulic system went, and they just walked away from it "as-is".

  6. Saw this on the local news last night - clicked in here and didn't see multiple new pages. Was curious, then remembered that it wasn't Carnival (who would have elicited crazed posting here).

     

    The Carnival haters here would have appreciated the static image that they used, though. As the anchor, sitting at the desk, prepares to throw it to a taped segment the graphic has a picture of the ship (RC) with the Carnival logo next to it....with TROUBLE AT SEA underneath.

  7. 4_1060.jpg

    Former Z-Force and Iron Wolf station. I have a feeling this will be home to Goliath for a long time. The station will be elongated to accomodate the longer trains.

     

    I think it's been concluded that the Iron Wolf (now (at least partially) Goliath) station was not the Z-Force station. Many have stated this (what you posted) over the years, but if you read back in this very thread you'll see that Z-Force's station was moved across the park to be used as Rolling Thunder's station. A couple of years after Z-Force was relocated, Iron Wolf opened on that plot with a new station.

     

    GREAT reports, everyone - and I agree with Robb that it's excellent to see just how many different angles you get from a group of people who were in the same spot. All excellent, well done! I can imagine how stunning it must be to stand in that area and realize how much coaster they were able to cram in there!

  8. Tax incentives are a big deal. The city/state is motivated to make them for somebody willing to rehab that property - not so much for someone purchasing land near that same area.

     

    Sewer/water/gas lines, in addition to other infrastructure already there, are certainly a feature - obviously they'll need work, but has been mentioned things like the parking lots etc (in addition to the utilities) already existing are an advantage over an empty parcel with no current improvements.

  9. This is my opinion of the park and quote this as much as you desire.

     

    Why?

     

    Have we seen any wok started on the water park additions, yet?

     

    As far as the incessant complaints about the park? I think it's a combination of those who visited the park during" better" times, recollecting those times fondly, and the fact that the regulars of this thread enjoy complaining. There's a lot of backseat managing going on, while everyone also admits that they're probably doing the right thing based on their current state/budget/niche.

     

    They've chosen a direction and do what they think best keeps them in that lane - easy to disagree if it ain't your thing, but I've always felt that it's easier to speak with your vacation/leisure dollars wing spent elsewhere.

     

    I like the park - it's terrain is fairly unique (similar to, but obviously not exactly like, Fiesta Texas) and I think portions are really pleasant. In other managerial hands I think it could be better, but I don't think you'd have 2/3 of the coaster count that they do (and, yes, maybe that'd be ok.

  10. Ah, Flashback.

     

    And they still lined up for you, LOL.

     

    Just for the record: that was the season pass processing line, not a line for Flashback. I also enjoy the Metro train cars sitting right there -- are those now up and running at Hershey (or where ever they ended up getting sold to)?

     

    Flashback was really a brutal ride. I had ridden it as Z-Force, and while I didn't love it I do remember it being unique. Years later I caught it on a day where Magic Mountain unpredictably decided to run it, and wow was it brutal. The restraints were awful, and I recall just how "heavy" the cars felt diving into every corner. It had a pretty unique sound, and even that "sounded" heavy. I don't know exactly what made it age so poorly, but it went from an interesting ride to a "why?!?!?" ride over those years inbetween.

     

    Wanted to throw in this video (I know it's Great America, but I figured it would be interesting to those who knew of this ride (mostly as a lawn ornament) only as Flashback at MM) - this was a recording of the local Chicago news piece on the brand new Z Force by RandyV (provided to TPR).

  11.  

    I had forgotten that they actually shuttered the tower for SIX years. Incredible. Looking back, the photos of both the tower and Tatsu being FRESHLY painted certainly do strike a contrast to their states now, some 8 years later!

     

    The views from there were a bit different, as well, back then:

     

    (all images are TPRs, from this media day report in '06: http://www.themeparkreview.com/skytower/skytower1.htm )

     

     

    It's always been interesting to me to picture the sky tower AS The Playboy Club in Chicago - I think it all worked out the way it needed to, as I can't imagine the City Of Chicago being too happy with that thing still sitting on a plot of land somewhere in the city! So crazy to imagine Hugh deciding to abandon the tower, and Newhall picking it up for their Magic Mountain park....I wonder if they had any idea of just how much of a landmark it would become?

     

     

    (photo credit to "montezooma" / Shane from this "Attic" thread post: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=534278 )

     

    I wonder what the lifespan of the tower was designed to be? Did they ever have to do any after-the-fact earthquake retrofits, or were the steps they took with the foundation acceptable even after the state started going crazy with the regulations? In any case, I'm sure there's a decent cost to simply maintain it year-to-year (even without occupancy) so it seems strange that they would (and did!) shut it down for that long.

  12. Let's look at the timeline here. Z-Force opened in July 1985, closed after the 1987 season and was moved to Georgia. Rolling Thunder, moved to Great America from Great Adventure, opened in 1989. The park moved the entire Z-Force station to serve for Rolling Thunder which lasted through the 1995 season. Iron Wolf opened in 1990 with a new station. I was 35 when Z-Force opened and was going to the park nearly 20 times a season and personally witnessed all of this action. Please know that park employees are not always knowledgeable on history of the park. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard park employees misquote on park history. I have been going there every year since the park opened in 1976. As a sidelight, Whirligig was originally in the spot where Goliath is going, and was moved to Yankee Harbor to make room for Z-Force.

     

    This is interesting stuff, and makes a lot of sense. I don't recall walking past the former Z-Force site and noticing the station sitting there, by itself, for those two years now that I think about it. Seeing Iron Wolf's station sitting there, as it has, does make me think that I'd have noted the empty Z-Force station sitting there.....and looking at pictures of Rolling Thunder's station, it all seems to add up. It's fascinating that you're the first guy I've seen bring this up.

     

    As far as Whirligig being over there, I did post this picture earlier in the thread (that's the rides stripped down "stalk" in the background):

     

    You'll remember that they had to not only remove Whirligig but also LITERALLY scoot the train station down a bit to make way for Z-Force's station and track!

     

    Anyway, interesting stuff.

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