Zingoman

People, please just READ the posts! You are taking them out of context. Where on here did ANYONE say how they need to do the job? Nobody is saying that. These are progress reports to show what IS done, and what is NOT done. That is all, so stop accusing people of being know-it-alls when nobody is doing that. I did not post those pictures and say "oh wow look how dumb they are! The track isn't ready but they think it is but I know more than them! ". Go pick fights somewhere else. This thread has been very peaceful till now. Read things before you go throwing around your sarcasm.

^And what he said

^Yes. You are missing something. Everyone wants to know when they are going to start testing. They (Rocky Mountain) said it will be in early January, but people think that because the track is up it could happen during Holiday in the Park. It has been confirmed it will not happen while the park is open. I am not picking the project apart. Just pointing out that the track isn't ready for cycling yet. The first part of my post, when you read it, is just in response saying that the photos are to show why they aren't cycling yet for the inquiring posts. I think that's what you missed.

I was kind of hoping the Chaps queue would stay since it's been there sooooo long but it is a tad cramped for today's crowds and No I'm not making a fat joke here at all. It's just too closed up and intimate for what most public spaces are these days. Im sure it will get a makeover though or at least connect to the giant queue without having to go out on the midway. Unless this chaps thing is a temporary move. I just hope they put up some kind of nice structure for both rides.

Sorry I'm double posting, but I'm moving to a new (BIG) batch of photos. A few days ago I mentioned that Chaparral Cars were looking as if they were getting a new platform so that it's current queue can be used for Texas Giant next year. Here is what I discovered. These are probably a lot more photos than necessary but oh well. For people who may not have seen this before, here are the areas in the photos below. Riding along on the Chaparral cars and you will come along this fresh conrete. It then hops the fence a becomes what looks to be a new platform for the cars. It continues around the bend a little ways... and then runs out behind some vending machines on the midway. that path runs into the back of the circled machine here. I'm not sure if that will be the exit or entrance for the ride, but I would think if they want to build switchbacks for the Chaparral Cars then this little structure (which has tons of misters on in the summer) would be an ideal spot (without the misters). A couple shots of Chap's queue house and platform. It's kind of a quaint little building. Here is the interior of the queue house While the queue house itself doesn't look to house many switchbacks , combined with the paths leading to and from it and it is long enough to add a lot of guests to Giant's line. Giant's current queue is circled in the backround at left. Now out on the midway you can see these fences where they poured the new conrete. Here is the other side of that path leading to the back of the vending machines. And here is the path on the midwayside of the fence for Chaps. Not sure if this would be the entrance or exit for the ride. It would make a very short entrance but quite a long exit. one last look and in a bit of other news, Tony Hawk is fading away from Big Spin here in Arlington now. Not sure why this had to go as it was just a silhouette of a skateboarder Before... and after. As of Sunday, this was the only car to have the decals removed. That's all folks!!

Among a few other things. A close look at those http://coastercon.com/html/giant-album.html pics and you can see quite a bit still needs done. Such as... Zoom in This is the gap Houstonthrills referred to that you can see from Titan's lift, and the railroad if you know where to look. and another shot of... another bit needing adjustment. one more look there is that little gap again

The wheels on Giant's new trains are not steel, and if they were then they would have to have steel on top of the steel rails that they could replace over time due to wear. I've been wondering what it will sound like too. I imagine it will sound very quiet like an Intamin, or an Arrow but with a little metallic ring.

^ haha. I do very much remember the queue before Titan. I used to watch the logride while I waited in line. I just had a hard time recalling the overflow. I remember getting measured at least three times before even making it into the actual queue for the ride (I was barely 7 years old at the time).

There is no good way to route overflow for that queue it seems. All along I thought if you bring it out to the left, you block the train station, restrooms, hot dog stand, patio and popcorn stand. If you go the right you block out Chaps, Giant's exit, Boot Scootin, and the woodshop but then have plenty of midway to eat up on the path towards Lonestar Theater. You can still see the temporary queue pole holes in the midway there from what I think may have been Giant's overflow in 1990 (can anyone confirm this?). I think I remember waiting in line out there opening year. Anyway, Giant's current entry in that little dead end plaza is pretty much unavailable for overflow without blocking many other things.

^^haha, why thank you sir Thrills! YES YES! Queue news everybody! Photos to come but basically it seems that Giant's queue will be consuming the current queue for Chaparral cars! There is a new entrance, exit, and queue being built for Chaps along the midway between the Lonestar Theater and the Oil Derrick. Here is a satellite mapout of what's being done and I'll show my pics tomorrow. Because we didn't want to jinx that portion of the ride for getting a total makeover because we loved it so much as it was.

Here are a few shots of Giant today. I'll probably post the HitP crowd madness in another thread (since it's off topic)sometime and link it here. Sexy curves baby! they cleared out all the trees and brush in the infield... after over ten months of work?? these guys are still hard at work all over the ride. They also had two cranes in action most of the day. These I beams were apparently wood on the old Giant and have just been replaced with steel. Sorry for the stupid light in the way but you can see the chain is now working it's way up the lift. And the thing that really made my day! They lit up Giant's little tree! They MUST have read my post yesterday!

Houstonthrills and I made it into the park today and I got some great shots of giant. The park is a total madhouse. The flats are all boasting full queues. I haven't seen lines like this for most of these rides since the late 80s! Haha.

^^^ The ride is said to start cycling the first week of January when there is no public in the park, ^^It's supposed to open with the park in March. ^ and no, the park wasn't busy at all. It was pretty nice! Sunday last weekend was pretty slow as well but Saturday was packed!

I did get some pictures but not many as the sun was practically gone when I got there. Heyago! I was REALLY hoping they had lights on this for christmas but alas night fell and the little guy remained dark. I walked up right as the Rocky Mountain guys were taking off for the night. Quite a large crew when you get them all together! Behold! Bundles of joy! and on a side note, Over Texas finally removed sir Hawk from Big Spin in all the signage.

Just rode the bobsleds and all the chain is gone. Went to giant and sure enough, they are putting it on right now. Haha

^ I thought I had an idea of how that crane got in and out at first when they had the gap at the base of the first drop, but now that the entire circuit is closed I have no idea how they do it. The mention of the train valleying due to too much weight definitely makes no sense. First of all, there is just no way this thing could valley in the first half at least. haha. Just no way. Second half... maybe if a wheel falls off after stopping in the block brake. Second of all, a heavy train definitely runs faster. Simple physics. More weight means more momentum to keep her truckin. 7 summers of working at parks and seeing how trains behave you just can't tell me otherwise. I would think the weight concerns would cause problems with, what most of us have been very curious about all along, the structure.

I do agree it's really random but Giant chain or not, that stuff is down there. haha. I check for it almost every week. If you stand in the exit on the platform and look through the track you can see piles and piles of it down there. I tried to dig up the photos but I think they were so bad I didn't bother keeping them. If it's still down there this weekend I'll be sure to get some pictures.

^ That 's sitting in the storage track area where I posted photos of it a few pages back (http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=49813&start=1510). As of Sunday there was no chain on the lift so I'm thinking that is the next big step before we see cars getting pulled or pushed. Maybe not. I don't remember if I ever posted it before but I'm certain that the new chain for Giant has been hiding under the platform for La Vibora all season. There are massive amounts of chain down there that look to be brand new. I have some pics somewhere.

^ I can't help but wonder if, with all the new corporate shuffling, they will move to have them put in at all. Seems like an easy thing to push off the drawing board.

^ That would be totally fine with me! My computer is a bit disorganized right now so the video feature doesn't work for me. Like I said anyone who wants the file I'll gladly send it. Just PM me your email if you have No Limits and want it.

I've had the new Giant finished in No Limits for quite some time now. I just don't do the videos of it but I'd be glad to email to anyone who wants it. I actually used to think it had some air on the first drop too and yes, looking back at what it was it's pretty hard to believe. I was thinking of doing some then and now posts form my ridiculous archive I've built up all year. I have literally thousands of pics of the ride throughout this whole project. I'll see what I can work up this week.

Ok, I have to start off by saying what Frightfest is lacking, Holiday in the Park more than makes up for! If anyone has a chance to go, I highly reccomend it! Very good time last night! Great job Six Flags! Now on with the update! Here ya go folks! According to some in park sources Giant's last piece of track went up yesterday and I have a few photos to share! Finally! They closed the gap! It looks like the trains should fly right off the midcourse! CRAZY! This view is just sick! This pretty much made my day! Just sexy! Workers were on the transfer track. Here is the crane putting up that last piece! Here is the view now... and the same view (sorry about the lighting) back in March! And another view of now... and back form March. not the best lighting but there is a giant orgy of track in there!

Hey, someone called for that layout graphic? I haven't posted one because I like to see what's been done in person so I know I'm not putting anything inaccurate on it, but the last few photos that have surfaced over the past month have lead me to keep up to some degree. I don't claim this is all that has been done, but this is all that's been confirmed as of last weekend. The Webcam looks to be showing those gaps are now closed up so the only real section in question is the drop off the midcourse now. I'll post a new one for this weekend tomorrow because I'll be at the park today! Oh, and the photos over at coastercon I'm pretty sure are being taken by Tim Baldwin from ACE and yes, he has access to the site. Lucky guy!

^ Mean Streak and Giant may have similar footprints but that's about where it ends. For starters Giant took it's curves at great speed where Mean Streak barely scoots along. Giant also had some pops of air coming out of the turns into the drops where Mean Streak just curves up and over into the drops. Mean Streak also crosses over the lift once before the block brake, where Giant did it twice following the block brake. Following the midcourse Mean Streak has a long leftward ramp then just wanders aimlessly through the entire structure about 40 to 50 feet above the ground and doesn't do ANYTHING. Texas Giant plummeted dramatically from it's block brake and flew over a nice floater hill then crossed under the lift to the only only "dull" moment of the ride, the helix. After the second turn over the lift Giant dropped into what was arguably the greatest section of wooden coaster track ever made. It flew along twisting hills tearing through the structure at what felt like far more speed than the ride should have left at this point. Once it emerged from the structure it did a nice fly-by with the first drop (just like Mean Streak) and bunny hopped once more before flying up into the brakes. Giant was jam packed with action! As is the new one looking to be! Giant also ran its first half counter clockwise then the last half clockwise, where Mean Streak starts the course clockwise but then turns back on itself and runs counter clockwise. The two are roughly mirrored in a small way. Here is a layout comparison to see their courses are quite different. And some POV action of the two Mean Streak The Texas Giant

I couldn't resist they do look similar