QueerRudie

From his "User Notes" for the ban(s): Banned user for reason “You have been banned from Theme Park Review. Private messages are meant to be "private", not to post to another forum. If you take issue with the way Theme Park Review runs our forums, that's fine, we welcome you to go elsewhere. We don't need or want problematic members. Thank you.” » JohanR91 And the previous one from 9 months earlier: Banned user for reason “You have been given a 1 week ban from Theme Park Review for being disrespectful towards the site's admins. If you want to express a difference of opinion, that's fine. You don't need to be a douchebag in the process.” » JohanR91 From the "Elissa's thoughts on the UK/Europe trips" Seam like Lisa cant really anjoy the same thing as 4 milion others.... To which, you responded this: JohanR91 wrote: Seam like Lisa cant really anjoy the same thing as 4 milion others.... **BLINK*** Huh??? Any other thoughts, guys?

I... think... I... neeed.... a towel. Out-FREAKIN' Standing find. I mean just outstanding. Nice find, Randal- as to see the history of the 'hidden' Speedracer is amzing all around. Now if I could only type with one hand!

I have to admit, this is looking like BGW did their homework- and did it right. I've been waiting for years for a park to take the concept that is put forth in Verbolten, and it really looks amazing at this point. As much as I miss BBW (For nostalgic reasons more than anything else), I think the finesse they're putting into the ride really shows a true spirit of the ride. The BBW 'effects show' will be, for me at least, a wonderful tribute to the ride that previously operated on that site.

Color you shocked then: Southwest did not take over AirTran for the subsidized routes. That is, to say the least, the least-thought out comment I've seen in years on the boards here. Read below as to why. 1.) College kids generally don't fly- anywhere. They either don't have the money to do so, or have too much stuff to carry. 2.) AirTran was subsidized... but then again, so were they at ATL (Atlanta/Hartsfield-Jackson Intl.) via lease reductions on gate space, reduced landing fees, etc. Most commercial airlines are in fact subsidized by airfields through the world, as an incentive to fly there. It may not be the cash payment that you see at Branson (Or at Ft. Meyers, or at Ft. Walton Beach, or Rochester, or Islip/Long Island...) but there is always an incentive to get new airline service anywhere. 3.) Those incentives are -pennies- compared to the actual costs of service into/out of an airport. 4.) AirTran was acquired due to three things: a.) Southwest wanted to strengthen their route network in the East coast markets, as well as add international route accesses to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America; b.) AirTran featured a similar pricing system and model. c.) Southwest Airlines wanted ATL access- and a turn-key operation was the best way to do so. Route subsidies had -absolutely nothing- to do with the takeover at all. They are not even mentioned in the documentation for the Southwest-AirTran merger papers- anywhere. A $900,000 subsidy for an airline is exactly squat in the financial side of things.It is only a revenue guarantee that the fund pays out to an airline if the plane doesn't carry the requisite number of passengers to make the route profitable. Guess what! They have not touched that fund- not once. Southwests' decision to move into Branson is, for the record, at their own accord and independent of the AirTran operations- which will eventually be blended into their own in 2013/2014. Branson is a new airport- and like Newport News/Patrick Henry intl. has a battle for the first decade of flying. That is true of every new airfield in the USA. This is no exception here, and I would be shocked that BKG didn't lose money. However, the lending partners behind the airfield knew that going into this in the beginning, or they wouldn't have sponsored the project in the first place. It is a privately held airfield, though- and that is where there is a difference. However, having two major airlines add service in two years, plus a third coming shortly thereafter is a pretty good sign in the long run. SDC, like most of Branson itself, has a vested interest in growing their market reach, as do all parks in the USA. SDC has a huge amount of wherewithal that has shown for the past decade, and is growing accordingly. Attracting airlines is a feat that is daunting- but it can be done. IN the end, SDC isn't the only attraction for Branson/BKG. There are many growth opportunities being seized, and this is only the beginning of a new future for the entire region.

After reading the 'notes' on JohanR, I'd say 'no' myself due to two previous ban incidents with arguments with other site admins, dating from 2010 and 2011. Just my .02

Greetings, As of late there have been an explosion of "XXXXX's Work Threads" in the forums. Let me remind everybody of this: A work thread is not a way to get around the 'one pic' rule for posting. Nor are they places to simply put up your latest project without explanations. Effective immediately, all work threads are subject to the exact same rules as any other thread for a park you're building. You must have enough stuff to show off in the thread before opening it (A minimum of six photos or more, please) plus some form of description with each. Opening up a thread and posting 'stuff I'm working on' isn't going to fly anymore. If you think you're going to start a park, and don't have enough shots to open up a thread, use "The Preview Thread" for two pics, and then when you have enough to start a thread, open one. Those are in the rules as posted- the ones you should have read when you joined the forums- and are unbending. You can read the rules of the forum HERE. If your workthread does not meet up with the guidelines posted for threads, you may lose it- or face a seven day suspension from TPR. Your threads need to meet the quality of every other thread on the boards- no exceptions. Games Forum Moderating Team

Chris, the Katapult is a difficult- but not impossible recreation to build- granted, you will again have to suspend reality in the design. I'm working on a 'close but not quite' version of it- and will release that in a future update. Loopingracer I: The most commonly tried to replicate coaster in RCT II is the Loopingracer. These steel coasters evolved from the Speedracer series of coasters, and became Schwarzkopf's signature coasters for years to come. There were three variants of the Loopingracer: The first generation Revolution/sooperdooperLooper series, the second generation heartlinelooping series (Mindbender and ShockWave) and the third generation (Anaconda and others.) They combined the fluid, smooth layouts of the Speedracers, with the thrills of the Klothoid vertical loop elements. The first two Loopingracers were in fact just that: The track system and supports varied none from the traditional Speedracers- save the Mk2 vehicles that ran on them. So let's look at how to build a Loopingracer in RCT II. 1.) Platform: As with other Schwarzkopf coasters, a seven car train is used, so a six-length platform is recommended. You can use a shorter one, four or five units, to make for a five or six car train- but you will need to compensate for that in the height of your drops to allow for speed variance. Almost all of the Loopingracer coasters had elevated platforms- so we shall here. Platform This particular model we are building will be delivered with four train operations, so the brake run must be built accordingly. NOTE: I do use a 'cheat' of sorts here by powering the trains off their block positions using lift chains. Until the day that RCT II develops proper tyre drives, this will have to do- and is in fact accurate to Schwarzkopf's own designs. Block sections. The lift hill runout: Most Schwarzkopf second and third generation Loopingracers featured these sections of track. While not required, I find that it helps to speed up the train dispatching in RCT II- thus the dip into the runout track. You can use a powered assembly track as well- and that will work just fine, too. Dip into the lift track. 2.) Lift hill: A Loopingracer isn't all that tall; most of them are between 75-90 ft. tall, with very few exceptions. Some of them featured some sort of track configuration before the first loop, and terrain interaction was encouraged where possible. Here, the ride is on a flat-plot, similar to the Heartlinelooping ShockWave at SixFlags over Texas. The design, however borrows from the Revolution at SixFlags Magic Mountain. Lift hill. Drop and turns. Note the direction changes- and the according drops: As the new MK2 cars are used on these designs, steeper drops, not unlike what Schwarzkopf used, can and are used here. Dive to terrain level. Ground helix and the first block brake. 3.) Looping elements: Here is where you can either make it or break it with your design: In the case of the Loopingracers, they all featured exactly the same type of loop- and for that matter, exactly the same type of loop access: Either a flat runout into the loop, or a steep long runout into the loop. None of the Loopingracer class featured bent dives into the inversions- those came later with the Large Portables and Customs (I'll work with those in a future update.) In the case of our coaster here, we wil lbe using the original Loopingracer acceleration ramp drop into two inversions. Off the block into a straight-line drop. The loops themselves are rather simple: You do not need fancy trackwork to make them look right in RCT II. Let the natural shape of things work the design to your favour here. Some of the most common mistakes are flat track prior to and while exiting the loop, as well as funky bent track going into the loop. If you can't do it 'naturally'- re design your ride and try it again. It's that simple. However: IT IS OK TO USE FLAT TRACK IN BETWEEN TWO LOOPS ON A SCHWARZKOPF COASTER- In fact, I encourage it for the most part- as it is accurate to what Schwarzkopf did himself. In the case of this ride, I'm using that section for the on-ride camera. Double Loop and photos Exiting the loops, we head up into the second block zone. Second Block 4.) Speedracer turns: All of the Loopingracers featured elements in common with the Speedracers; namely helices, swooping turns and often some form of gentle hills and long turns. On this coaster, the same is given. Off of the block, though, you will see something that is rarely used on ANY Schwarzkopf coaster: The narrow turn banked dive. Speedracer elements: Hills, Helix, long curves. One of the biggest no-nos for Schwarzkopf design building is the narrow turn anything. DON'T DO IT. Walk away from the temptation to use it- as it really didn't exist in His designs. The only time one CAN use it and get away with it is your trains are moving slowly- such as off the block brakes- and only ONE short radius turn should be used. The same goes for helices: They do not fit well with Schwarzkopf's designs- as His helices were always broad in scale. Speedracer elements- and the run towards the brakes. A short speed hill is added, and the train turns into a rising helix towards the brake run. Airtime hill Final Layout- version 1 5.) Finishing the ride: As little as I actually use heavy scenery elements, I find that I'm dressing my platforms more often than not now- and the Loopingracer is no exception. I usually do something basic, much like the real ones at SFoT and SFoG; a basic, unpretentious building and a few trees or shrubs. Platform before... ... and after coverings are added. And here are some of the stats for DoubleLooping A word about balance and blocking your ride: I've found in many cases I will have to revise a design- even after opening it- as there are problems that can arise with stacking trains, or trains stopping on blocks on the actual circuit. Usually this can be avoided with balanced building, but even the best designers will have to re-think a design. This is exactly what happened here: I did not want an additional block brake following the looping element exits, and I ended up with trains stacking on the block there. So... After the helix is removed. SNNNNIPPPP... and it's gone. The results now allow for the trains to flow freely- and in the end, no stacking either at the platform or on the ride. Decor finished- ride opened. And there it is: One freeform Loopingracer. R.D.

Although no 'official' opening has been set, the park has been leading everyone to 26 May, 2012. I know I'll be there for it... and the day before, too.

Yeah, they are going to serve Memphis too, reduction in airfares aren't expected to be that great. Guy- Branson is on the map for 2013- they're keeping the service to Midway, and adding Dallas/Love, Nashville, Atlanta and Phoenix- just a heads up for that. Chittlins: Memphis is not on the schedule for conversion... yet. Southwest doesn't have a real interest in keeping MEM on the network, as it has the softest yields of any of the new AirTran cities that have not been cut. The market there has terrible yields, very seasonal traffic patterns, and is dependent on Shelby Co. and it's financial subsidies to keep some routes in play. The only reason Northwest Airlines kept MEM as a small hub for as long as they did was the contract with Fedex on the side. Had they not had that, MEM would have, as a hub, closed up shop and moved on. If Branson wasn't an attractive city, it would not be drawing airline coverage from around the country- in particular Southwest Airlines. Airlines don't randomly choose to serve a city- especially SWA. While you might not go into Branson, SWA sees otherwise- and enough to merit service to five cities to start in 2013. And SWA doesn't just 'pick a city' then start service. They spend YEARS analyzing a city before entering it- and then do so according to how the city's traffic demands allot it to. If Branson were for any reason faltering, I can assure you that you'd not see a colourful red, yellow, orange and blue 737 there. Branson had over 8 million guests last year through it. Even with the tornado damage, that number isn't expected to budge, and with projects planned for well into the future, it has a bright future. I will be making my first foray to Branson this year- including SDC - as I'm interested in seeing what is there. I will be flying in there- most likely on one of the new airlines that have moved in there in the past year. They are investing for the future by creating programs to attract people to Branson- working with airlines, growing the hotels there, and adding more family-friendly (and not so family friendly!) attractions to the city. Branson has had a stellar growth rate in the past 25 years, like it's cousin Pigeon Forge, for much the same reasons. (And mind you, the airline analysis is coming from somebody in the industry- and has been studying these things for 15 years now...)

I think we have a few key offenders of the 'work thread' rules- and that's getting excessive; I've asked them to stop with the 'one pic' per upload shit that's becoming rather chronic as of late. Perhaps it is time to revise the rules a bit- and stop the 'loophole' (See what I did there???) that is allowing it. Jake Callan is by far the worst offender of the lot- and it's because he is lazy. Molemaster isn't too bad about it- but he's also trying to beef up his post count. One of the things I like about the work-threads though is that it does keep the forum from having 10,000 two update then it dies' threads. We're seeing a surge of new RCT III stuff popping up- and what concerns me is that we will have a surge in these 'one pic' threads. I've already had to adjust Coastin's thread twice- and given him the 'don't do that' warning- as I've done in the past few months with other threads. Perhaps we need to re-iterate the rules to the forum about these things?

^ Agreed completely. Springfield/Branson is one of the few 'bright spots' in the airline world right now- as the city grows its' reach to other places; people are coming more from further afield to visit: In the past year alone, AirTran, Frontier and United/Continental have added nonstop service to seven cities- and countless hundreds of others to increase tourism growth there. Southwest Airlines has made a commitment to serve there in the future as well- and that's not a sign of a city that has a dying future. SDC adds to the area, as do all the shows, attractions and other stuff. Branson is starting to market itself as a broader place than just shows and SDC; look at the area that's around it: Pretty mountains sell, too. A city that is having troubles will not attract airlines- ever. Airlines go where there is growth, and if a city like Branson can attract Southwest Airlines, that's a very good sign for the future of the city.

Praise be to Anton, Amen. They could- but it would be weight issues as well as complexity issues; the Mk2c trains weigh a LOT more than what would be a 'traditional' OTSR system- due to the locking mechanisms. I love the Jack-in-the-box OTSRs on the Mk2c trains- they fit right, and are not earboxers, as well as being 'right sized' for my body. My thought is this: they talk about how 'forceful' the loop on Revolution is... and here is where I point out two others: Mindbender, SFoG and ShockWave SFoT, both of whom are more forceful, have similar approaches to the loop, and yet don't have OTSRs....

Cut it's length by at least 1/2- minimum- and call it accurate. Seriously- it's a great looking ride- but way too long for a Drop machine. I'd also re-think the dip off the chain lift- and instead use grafity to give it the push it needs to round the turn. R.D.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the launch system for the Bluegrass Boardwalk's Greezed Lightnin' is beyond repair and the spare parts were sold to the park in Brazil. Seems I remember R.D. or someone else mentioning that. With only two other weight drop launch shuttle coasters still operating, I can only imagine how difficult/expensive it will be to get the launch system up and running again. In all reality, Gerstlauer IS Schwarzkopf's fourth edition- complete with using the same buildings in Munsterhausen, DE. Gerstlauer himself trained under The Master Himself, and learned quite a bit from Him. As for Bluegrass Boardwalks' Greezed Lightning: There is some serious doubt towards the usability of the existing hardware for the ride- particularly the drop-weight mechanism, as well as the actual clutch assembly- both of which are the second set. The ride itself is actually two Drop-weight shuttle loops merged into one- ironically, the twin sister Tidal Waves from the Great America parks. Spares for this ride are not only rare- but not built by anybody. There were only a handful of the drop-weight models made in the first run. One of the issues that I've been seeing pop up about it is this: Couldn't they replace the drop-weight with a flywheel version: The simple, non-complex answer is 'No' as Schwarzkopf refined the design greatly when the flywheel version was created. While the 'pusher foot' mechanism is the same, everything else, from the cable pullpoints and return mechanism are completely different, meaning they (BB that is) would have to replace the entire launch system- at a staggering cost. Could Gerstlauer repair/renovate it? Possibly- but with a very high price tag. A new drop-weight mechanism would be the pricey part- as they would have to build one completely from scratch off of the blueprints, as well as building a new clutch-drive mechanism for the cable and mount. Or they could turn the ride into a LSM system- also expensive. The train, as we now know, could easily be replaced with a new model. However, the ride would need some -hefty- restoration to the track, supports and other facets as well. Honestly, I don't want to 'lose' another Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop- but looking at BB's model, it would require considerable expense to get it to a fully working, reliable state first.

KBF Season Pass Facebook Page Im taking bets: Who thinks it will be- A- A Mega Coaster B- A Summer Announcement C- Aqua Trax D- They found Hitler E- AP Event Place your bets! They're finally dumping Perilous Plunge, and have bought OlympiaLooping to replace it. (Hey, I can fantasize, can't I?)

Just a quick update... and a teaser for the future: First, thanks everyone for reading and leaving comments: What you post in here, I will build if I can, and show how it is done within the constraints of the game. I have four updates currently in the works, including a 'do's and don'ts' of Schwarzkopf building. If you have a ride that you'd like to see, let me know, and I'll put it in the queue. Re: Thriller: Sadly, that's not a ride I would even consider attempting in RCT II, as it cannot be faithfully done using the Schwarzkopf track provided in the game, nor does that track currently allow for the oversized loops- let alone the more complicated elements along the way. I have a policy that I won't be doing anything as a recreation that cannot be done without respect and faith to the original designs, and RCT II doesn't allow for you to do that, sadly. Re: Multi-Loopers: Well, here's a teaser or two for you: Coming soon: Freeform looping... ... And a Dreierlooping variant, too! One of these two will be featured early this weekend- or next week along the way. And let me know what you're interested in reading, too. R.D.

I didn't see a forum thread for this, but to me (and to others) I'm sure it is good news: Amusement Today reports that Cliff's Amusement Park, Albuquerque NM, has entered a ride-swap agreement with Joyland Park, Amarillo, TX to exchange rides, allowing for the rebirth of the 1978 Schwarzkopf classic Greezed Lightnin'. No timeline for the reassembly has been set, but the rides' key parts have been in storage since 2005, when Astroworld closed it's doors and was removed. Read the story here! I can say this made my morning- as we are losing one Schwarzkopf, we are gaining another back. R.D. (Praise be to Anton, Amen.) Historic Greezed Lightnin’ moving to Cliff’s Amusement Park By Amusement Today | May 4, 2012 The historic 1978-built Schwarzkopf shuttle loop Greezed Lightnin’ is about to cross state lines for the first time in its history. Joyland Park, Lubbock, Texas, acquired the ride when AstroWorld in Houston closed in 2005. The ride has been in storage in Lubbock ever since. A high water table under the family-owned park made the ride cost prohibitive to re-erect. When the park found no one interested in purchasing the ride, family-owned Cliff’s Amusement Park in Albuquerque, N.M. stepped up to help out a fellow park owner. After realizing a coaster was not in their future, Joyland turned their focus on finding another water ride for their park. Cliff’s had an SCS waterplay unit that could no longer keep up with the demand in their park, so the two starting talking. A handshake deal was done, and the two parks agreed to trade rides, with no money exchanging hands. Cliff’s is currently underway on finishing the installation of a new larger waterplay unit from WhiteWater West. Greezed Lightnin’ is in their future, but a date for its re-launch has not been set. Joyland has moved the SCS waterplay unit from Cliff’s to Texas and will begin construction as soon as their summer season ends. Gary Hays of Cliff’s, told Amusement Today he plans to move Greezed Lightnin’ from Lubbock to Plainview in the coming months, where it will be stored at the Larson International factory. When the time comes to install the ride, it will then go through the Larson shop for minor rehab and will be given a new coat of paint. The ride’s flywheel launch and train have been stored indoors at Larson since leaving Houston. For more on this story, see the Amusement Today May issue, page 2 editorial column. On a side note, the 2008-built Gerstlauer Spinning Coaster from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is being relocated to Six Flags Mexico. It is also currently in storage at Larson International.

Black Hole Express- Kumidori Land, Korea.

OK: Let me rephrase this a notch: Instead of scrapping a ride, the ride could have lived on in many ways: Cars, for example, can be restored and used on other Wildcats. Gerstlauer not only markets restored models, but also new ones- depending on the park. The track, I'm sure, is still in good shape. For the most part, steel coasters, including Schwarzkopf models, does not have the same general wear-and-tear that a wooden track does. Gerstlauer has already restored an older (And with greater mileage on it) JetStar II, and sold it to a park in Sweden- with restored trains no less. I think this is a case of "Penny wise and pound foolish" instead of actually the ride being something 'classic.' I'll agree, it isn't like a, say, Mindbender or a sooperdooperlooper, but it IS still a good ride- and one that still delivers a decent, consistent ride at that. I think the cop-out of "Scrapping it" is Cedar Point's cheapness showing, and not necessarily in a good way. Preservation doesn't necessarily need be confined to wooden coasters anymore- as if we don't start to keep an eye out on steel coasters, we will lose those as well. The reasons behind removal can be numerous; but in this case, I think it comes down to cheapness all over. I'm sure that anybody would have loved to see a Wildcat pop up at Great America, or Gilroy Gardens, where it would have fit nicely instead of seeing it head to the scrap heap. Any loss of a coaster, whether a Dragon wagon, or Big Bad Wolf, or Wildcat is a bad thing- and not something to look at as "oh well!" Cedar Point is going the cheap route without thinking it out, I think. The only reason I can logically think they'd scrap it is if there were substantial faults with the ride (Cracks, fundamental warping, etc.). If that were the case, why were they not maintaining the ride properly in the first place? Wildcats are well-built rides all over, and others operating in worse conditions, harsher weather, etc. are still operating with gusto. Portable models still spring up at fairs and carnivals to this day. Why is this model more in need of scrapping? There's a ton of questions I have- and hopefully Cedar Point will give us some answers sooner rather than later, as I don't think they're telling us the whole story.

Why did they invest in restoring Blue Streak? Why bother retracking Mean Streak? What's the point in trying to preserve a coaster anywhere then? Let's just rip them down when they get old! Yay! Good idea! That way people don't get to ride classic coasters. That's why it's a big deal.

In the name of our Lord and Saviour, Anton Schwarzkopf, Amen. Praise be to Anton. Cedar Point, you just F*&%ed up royally- especially from my point of view. You have made some monumental blunders in your history, but this takes the award. Congratulations for 'restoring' Blue Streak, and for adding such reliable rides like Shoot The Rapids and TTD; but restoring a coaster such as WildCat is out of the question. Let's take a look here: Oh, wait! An Older JetStar II was just renovated by Gerstlauer. OH YEAH... HersheyPark just restored their sooperdooperLooper- with new trains, too! But wait! Gerstlauer is renovating other Schwarzkopf rides, too! Ouimet, if you read this and I hope you do, you need to go and shoot the current GM of Cedar Point. This is a huge mistake all over to not keep a family classic, or even attempt to restore it- as other parks have (AND ARE) doing. May your park be permanently cursed with rides that run as smooth as a TOGO and as reliably as a Yugo. Anton will have His revenge on you- and it will NOT be pretty.

Those aerial shots of the parks there are -outstanding- to see, as it really does give a perspective to how much Disney has crammed into so little... (And Gertrude and Gary were far better passengers than any of the kids I've been sentenced to recently while flying...) R.D.

How to build a Speedracer (Version 1 of 2) I've had some requests for this variation here and via message- and thanks for those. Let's take a look at building a basic freeform Speedracer, based upon the Whizzer twins at the Great America parks. There were originally four Speedracers built, the Whizzer twins, Zambezi Zinger, and the Big Bend coaster. Five were planned- but the fifth never made it off the drawing boards, sadly. Later, a sixth was built, but has nothing in common to the originals (It featured a chain lift and standard Mk2B trains; the ride still exists in Kuwait.) They featured very similar elements, including the rotary lift hill, gentle but fast drops, and a fluid, smooth layout. Building a Speedracer for your own park should follow the same rules as these rides. 1.) Platforms and the basic lift: I have tried numerous variations on this, and they generally work the same, depending on what you are looking for in a ride. The most basic is to have the platform then into the lift, although one could add a run-out track as needed. Due to the limitations of the game, one can't directly build the 'extended' ramp up into the lift as in the Whizzer twins, but using the run-out method, one can build something somewhat similar to this. The 'basic' platform Elevated platform Elevated platform- standard lift Raised platform featuring the extended run to the lift. For this design, we will be using the basic, ground level platform. A full-length 12 unit platform is used- as blocking in RCT II using the Speedracer trains is nearly impossible to do accurately, but if you choose to do so, beware. You will, for the most part, end up with a much lower capacity, or worse: Stalled trains. Ground platform for this particular ride 2.) Basic Layout: For a Speedracer, Schwarzkopf used smooth, free-flowing elements, giving a very smooth, but still entertaining ride. Steep drops were for the most part avoided- partly due to the car length (The standard Speedracer Mk1 cars were much longer than a 'standard' car, even with the wheel base) and partly due to the nature of the rides' themselves. RCT II gives you a wonderful system for doing these rides, as it is almost entirely basic building- without a lot of the problem elements other coasters in RCT II have. Since we're building a variation on the Whizzer, the layout will be similar, but within the constraints of the game itself; once again, there are more complex directional changes that RCT II does not have built into it. The drops on this coaster are shallow, and tend to be longer than a traditional Schwarzkopf layout. None of the Speedracers had steep drops built in, and this is something I see in many peoples' interpretations of a Speedracer: While deeper dives were used on Big Bend and Zinger, they were not on the first drop, but more as a mid-course dip along the way. First drop: This is similar to what Schwarzkopf built on most of the Speedracer coasters. Another 'feature' that the Speedracer coasters had in them was shallow (and long) returns to elevation. This in RCT II is a great blessing- as you tend not to waste energy with these. In addition, you can keep the smooth, fluid nature of the designs without complex hills on return (The steep up into three shallow ups that is a common mistake of these designs in RCT II.) Returning to elevation: You can in this design omit the banking if you should choose to do so. Second drop In order to 'fly-by' the lift structure, we need to manipulate things just a bit. In this case, where on Whizzer the radii of the turns could be tighter, we don't have that luxury here. To replace it, a straightaway section before rising into the lift is used. Return track towards the lift- and the fly-by element. Following the fly-by element, we return to the ground, to make the rest of the journey closer to Earth. Lift hill flyby and drop to terrain level Passing under the structure, and over the 'brake run' (omitted in this design due to the full-length platform), the trains then turn into a bunny 'dive' then into the helix. Bunny dive and helix element. Finishing up with a run-out track (Also necessary due to the restrictions of RCT II) we have a complete layout: Final layout from the 'air' And there you go, one Whizzer, ready to rock from the ground up. Variation: After looking at this complete design, I realized there was an opportunity to 'plus' the design by adding a floater air-time hill to the layout- after the second drop. Not very large, not very intense, it keeps in line with what a Speedracer coaster tends to do as a 'family' class coaster. The airtime hill. Layout with the variation installed. Notes: Some of the most basic problems I've seen with the Speedracer in many parks is the 'overly large' lift hill. Realistically, a Speedracer should not exceed (From 'base' ground, mind you) more than 85 ft in elevation, nor should it be overly long, unless you want long lines for your ride- and unhappy peeps. Most Speedracers were less than 3300 ft long, and around 80 ft. tall; in this version here, the ride is 2900 ft long- and 70 ft. tall. It allows for a nice, balanced 2400 pph capacity, and keeps the lines moving- and the peeps happy. Another common problem is using the 'shorter' trains at two cars or three cars. While this is part of the design funtion of RCT II, none of the Speedracers were delivered with less than four car trains. (The 'cousin, the Jumbo Jet, could be operated with one, two or three car trains, for example, but we will cover that in a later update.) The shorter trains, while perfectly acceptable, tend to have issues with stalling on longer layouts- and as a result, I avoid them. Blocking: Don't do it. You don't need to. Use the full-length platform, and build a shed to cover the rest of the course. Blocking on a Speedracer in RCT II is nearly impossible to do easily- as invariably the trains tend to stall afterwards, and you lose too much momentum. They really are unnecessary, unless you are going for hyper-reality. I have yet (in 10 years of experimentation) been able to successfully build a Speedracer with blocks- as much as I've tried to do so. Smoothing out a design: This might be the most common mistake I've seen so far. Try not to adapt the ride to fit the land, but instead fit the land to the ride. Schwarzkopf was a notorious tinker with designs, and often, if he could not get the ride to look right, he'd scrap the design, and start over until it was to his standards. In RCT II, you will find that is very similar. Sometimes, people squeeze the ride into the wrong spaces, and end up with mutated track layouts that don't look right: Either they have bends in the track which don't look fluid, or they have track that does things that make no sense whatsoever. I can say this: The more fluid the design, the more accurate it will look in the end. If you can't adapt the ride to be fluid and smooth, dump the design and start over. Yes, it's a pain in the ass, but for accuracy, you really want to do this. I'll be posting a "Version 2" of the Speedracer in the next few days or so, featuring a more compact layout, as well as how to make a second spiral lift similar to that of the Big Bend at SixFlags over Texas. R.D.

Why isn't it in our own exchange??? (That's what it is THERE for..) R.D. Games Forum Managment Team

Hey- Just a friendly reminder: No double-posting please. Post every 24 hours in your own thread, or edit your previous post to reflect your additions, please. R.D. Games Forum Management Team