Lareson

Yeah, unfortunately with the rest of Morgan's and Arrow's hypers, the track rails are on the inside of the track versus on the outside like Steel Dragon. B&M's wheel system is very bulky and look even bulkier on these new trains, so they'd have to reconfigure it to fit it on the inside of the track. These trains could also be a prototype for a much slimmer B&M train for smaller coasters that don't need the massive capacity B&M coasters normally have.

This isn't a TOGO, it's a Morgan. This was basically the coaster that caused Morgan to go into bankruptcy, due to the $50mil price tag of all of the steel supports to make it up to the earthquake code. I'm kind of surprised that B&M did this, but the results look completely awesome! Wonder if this is something B&M is looking into, making replacement trains for non B&M coasters. The original Morgan trains were lemons anyways and luckily with it SBNO for those 3 years, kept them on there a bit longer until they could get proper replacements.

It's the yellow transport track. Just turn up the speed to whatever you want it to go and turn the acceleration to around 2G. The straighten track tool, or short cut "I" will help a ton. This is what I do for my lifts. Curve a top and bottom section, then use the "I" shortcut to straighten out the track in the middle. Wherever the 2 nodes are for that track piece, that's where it'll straighten it out at. It may adjust the track on the other side of the nodes as a forewarning, but it won't move them unless you have multiple sections selected. Here's how I normally do my lift hills in NoLimits

Ok, so I'm having some trouble with getting Blue Streak's turnaround right. I don't know if anyone could suggest a change to make it better? It could very well be the angle of the 2nd half that's throwing me off as it's bent slightly, but it could be also that I'm still not very good with getting these kind of turnarounds right.

Those have been there for years. I know, they were hidden behind the turnstiles, and the process to check through wasn't bad, but now with them out front in the open, not exactly the first thing I want to see when I walk up to a park's entrance.

After seeing the new area for Gatekeeper, thinking Kings Island's big 2014 project might also include the whole Action Zone revitalized. With the removal of Son of Beast, Thunder Road, and them basically stripping the current area of whatever theming remains, this area is going to have quite the change. This also goes in line that with the fact there really hasn't been a major investment here since Diamondback and had more removals than additions since. I mean, they lost some capacity on SoB in 2006 and gained it back with Diamondback in 2009, but lost it again when SoB closed permanently the same year. To follow the current trend for capital investments, 2015 might be shifting the focus over to Knott's with it being the 1st tier investment of that year. Of course it's too far ahead to see what the other parks are going to get, as Cedar Fair themselves still aren't sure. Both KD and Carowinds are still "recovering" after the Intimidator additions but they have been working on other aspects of the parks that have been needed. I haven't looked closer to see what "holes" Carowinds has in their attraction lineups, but I know that KD is getting a couple of them filled this year with the entertainment and Planet Snoopy additions.

Well that's kind of disheartening that they're tearing these original structures down without much thought. Not entirely thrilled about this new entrance setup either. I mean, I can at least understand the setup that Cedar Point is doing as the old ticket booths were quite generic and blocked the entrance, but at least these ones had some character and the design carried through the whole entrance area with the carousel and some of the original buildings. Now with the metal detectors there, makes you feel like you're walking into a prison.

Theoretical capacity is 950pph for this model by Mack. Actual capacity will vary depending on operation, more than likely it's no higher than 600. The people per hour from the manufacturer is never really true. Example I can give is Shivering Timbers, CCI states for that coaster there's a 1200pph capacity. In reality, it hardly ever get that high, maybe 700 during peak hours if the crew runs the coaster well and guests are efficient. Not many coasters and rides actually hit their manufacturer's capacity due to a lot of factors.

Decided to share with you guys a few of my NoLimits projects I've been working on. First one I did was Wolverine Wildcat at Michigan's Adventure. This one is almost complete, just need to work on a couple of the supports, but the layout for this one is done. Wolverine Wildcat Wolverine Wildcat Wolverine Wildcat The next one I did, which some of you may have seen already in a previous thread, is Zippin Pippin at Bay Beach Amusement Park This one also requires a few more tweaks, but I'm pretty happy with it. Zippin Pippin Zippin Pippin Zippin Pippin Then the one I'm working on right now is Blue Streak at Cedar Point. I have the layout at least roughly in NL now, just have to start the tweaking. Blue Streak Blue Streak Blue Streak This is also going to be my first doing a fully custom texture for the train. this was just a test run to see how it's going to look, and I really like it! Blue Streak Train I usually take breaks in between projects. I switch between them when I get slightly tired of trying to work on them.

Capacity for Coast Rider, I'm gonna say it's going to range anywhere from 300-500 per hour, depending on how many cars are in operation and how efficient the crew is running it. It's not that great, but that's generally how many people Wild Mouse style coasters can handle per hour.

What airtime hill are you talking about? If you're talking about the turnaround hill where the corkscrew is now, then yeah, they had to lower it to make sure it made it through the element at the right speed. This should also help with the pacing for the final half, since it seemed like that hill on the turn around killed a lot of the ride's momentum due to it being so weirdly high. If you're talking about the one after the turn just before you go back into the tunnel, then yes, I think they're actually going to be making it the 110 degree overbank turn with the way the structure looks. Because this was Gravity Group's first project since they formed the company after CCI closed, I can see a few flaws with the design and replacing probably the biggest with the corkscrew should help a lot out on the 2nd half. Also reading back on the Facebook page on the original announcement, quite hilarious reading some of the GP comments on it.

Still unsure how the seatbelt mechanism for the vests work. From what's in that picture, it looks like a weight of that metal bar that's pulling down on it. It looks like that bar might be attached to something inside of the frame, but hard to tell in that picture.

Never been of fan of Six Flag's safety checks. Seemed weird and unnecessary. I never noticed it on my first trip to GrAm, but this year when I went with 2 friends from work, we noticed it immediately. Guess it's because I'm used to the simple clears for Cedar Fair, but the scanning then clearing just seems a bit ridiculous. Then again, we are talking about the company who threatens you with signs like "HIGH VOLTAGE - DO NOT ENTER" even if it's just closing off an area underneath a wooden coaster. Those signs always gives me a feeling of hostility when I'm there.

Nope, the smallest park in the chain, Michigan's Adventure doesn't have a B&M yet either. Probably not going to happen there unless it's relocated from another park or there's some cheap, small design B&M whips up, but I can understand those that have Valleyfair as their home park. The last roller coaster built there with an inversion was 33 years ago! MiAd even has more inversions than what Valleyfair does because of an SLC! Matt Ouimet mentioned that each park now has a "hole list" meaning what attractions they're missing at each of the parks, whether it's in the family, thrill, water park, entertainment, or roller coaster range. From what he said, it looks like the decisions of what each park is getting for 2014 is finalized and they're starting to work on what's coming in 2015. From what I gathered, it looks like Valleyfair is one of the parks on the top of the list for capital investments, something might be coming next year or the year after.

I'm gonna say this right now, unfortunately Catapult is going to be scrapped. With the way they're cutting it apart versus taking it apart carefully, its gone. With S&S not building them anymore and the rough history it's had, I'd say it had a limited life, much like the Giant Top Spin, The Crypt (Tomb Raider) at Kings Island. I'm surprised the one at Thorpe is still running but wondering for how much longer. Sorry to those hoping for it to be moved somewhere else, but this ride is done for.

Maybe like an inverted hold element is about what I can think of if the fins are retractable. Or another thought that came into my mind, it could be the top of the lift. Did it look similar to this? If it did, then that what it would be.

Reason why it looks "ugly" is for support and stability. Don't want the platform to be shaking and moving while you're doing an emergency evacuation. Would cause the guests more discomfort than they already could be in. It'll more than likely be stored in an easily accessible area, although unsure where that'll be at Knott's. Windseeker is different than a drop tower if it has to do an emergency descent. Drop towers actually have a resting position at the bottom of the towers so it sits on the ground so then if it does have to do a slow descent, it has a spot to rest on. With the way Windseeker is, it doesn't really have a resting position like a drop tower due to the counterweight system and is also a heck of a lot more complicated than a drop tower system. That is also why an an "emergency release" isn't possible without causing the whole system to come crashing to the ground. It's basically a giant elevator, to put it simply. Because of the stalling, it actually seized the whole system so even if they had a descent button, they couldn't do anything until whatever was causing it was fixed. This is what I heard, they never released what was the true cause other than the ride e-stopped itself and they couldn't get the system restarted until quite sometime after it happened.

Those restrains are not bad, more comfortable than the previous B&M restraints. When I rode X-Flight this past summer, the vest part felt like they were slightly pushing down on my shoulders close to my neck. I'm 6' 3" so I don't know if it was a height thing. I do have to say though, it didn't feel like a "clamp" like the other B&M restrains do. Also the claustrophobic feeling is gone, like I sometimes feel on the inverts.

Timberliners have a hinged suspension system for the seats so it should help smooth out any small bumps and vibrations. Also with having each wheel bogie being able to turn on their own, it should also help smooth the ride out around turns and banks. No more skidding or "PTC shuffle," should just glide around the track like a steel coaster would. There will still be a roughness factor to it due to steel wheels on steel track, but nothing like it would be on a PTC train. These newer generation trains haven't been tested yet on a track that operated previously with PTCs as they didn't have enough time last off-season on Voyage to get them tested. So far it's only been running on newly built track that hasn't had a PTC come through and destroy it. To think though, if Timberliners can handle Hades' somewhat poorly maintained track, it can for sure run on Voyage's highly maintained track.

Yeah, was suppose to go on opening day myself, but plans fell through and now unable to. Kind of sucks having this one 600 miles away... Would of been the only time I had a chance to go too, but I'm hoping a couple other trips this summer can make up for it, and eventually make my way down there. Probably won't be until 2015 due to my Europe trip next fall. If the opportunity though comes up where someone I know is heading down there and looking for a few people to go in a group, that's probably when I'll get to go.

Crowds in the past have varied depending on the weather and such. Of course the new ride of that year will have the longest line in the park, so don't expect anything probably less than 1/2 an hour for Gatekeeper. FastLane will be available for Gatekeeper as soon as it opens. No limits or anything, unlike some other parks. What makes FastLane unique is basically the "no limits" part of it. Even with Gatekeeper, you can hop into the FastLane line on any of the available rides at anytime, however many times you want!

Nope, nothing so far about the station besides in the videos. Quite a massive station though, but considering the size of the trains, it's necessary.

Sorry, someone had said something about that promotional image seeing yellow OTSRs, and was me telling them it was just a stock image, I was comparing it to Gerstlauer OTSRs, which they're not. I know that it's more than likely going to be lapbars only, so I do apologize for the confusion!

That one? That's just a stock image used for marketing. Those I think are B&M restraints anyways, not Gerstlauer. These are an example of the OTSRs that Gerstlauer uses. I'm still up in the air on what Smiler will be using. So far, none of the train images have shown them prominently.

Figured I'd show something too that I've been working on for a while. Still a couple things I still have to work on, like the turnaround, still not happy with that.