DoubleDown

I have a question about the track on RMC coasters, because I read this on Wikipedia after researching Outlaw Run: The 2,937 feet (895 m) of track is made primarily of layers of laminated wood, with a steel plate located in the upper layers of the track.[22] The steel plating is known as Topper Track and is found on many roller coasters that Rocky Mountain Construction has renovated...Rocky Mountain Construction spent four years developing technology to allow them to twist beams of wood, that make up the lower layers of the track. I thought the topper track, and all the other track RMC used was all steel? Is TC using the same style track as Outlaw Run? Because now that I look closer at the track, there ARE 3 lines that run horizontally along the outside frame of the track that could be the bent layers of wood surrounded by steel plates on the inside of the track. So either I'm understanding this Wikipedia explanation wrong, or I've been wrong about the RMC topper track all along! I could of swore it was all steel, and they laid it on wooden structures, kinda like Gemini at Cedar Point.

The only things I wish Goliath had was the helix Titan has after the "airtime" hill and before the brake run, and maybe a little bit more maneuvering before the turn to the brake run. I think the ride has SO MUCH momentum that goes unused. That would make the ride feel a lot more complete.

Maybe I'm just not understanding what some of you are saying, but it doesn't seem like you realize the purpose of that brake area before going up the 2nd hill. First I don't think it's going to make ANY difference as far as ride experience is concerned. Second, I don't think it's going to make that much of an impact on the ride, because it will probably act mostly as a trim, and only bring the train to a complete stop in emergency situations. Blue Track: Right Side: First Lift: Lift A Green Track: Left Side: Second Lift: Lift B The brakes before lift B will be used simply as a block to clear the train for dispatch off the top of lift A. Once it clears the block brake, lift A knows the Blue track course is clear, and can let the train go over the first hill. That's pretty much all it is. Because consider, perhaps, lift B were to stop midway up the lift hill, and lift A happened to continue to push the train over the 1st hill because the block was cleared by the train now stuck on lift B. They need a brake at the bottom of lift B to stop the train on the blue track from doubling up on the same lift chain, at the same time possibly hitting the train that stopped on lift B. I only see them braking the train to a complete stop in those emergency situations, because other than that stopping the train is not only going to be painful on riders, but unnecessary for the dueling element. Unnecessary because the same brakes can be used to "trim" the train if it's going too fast before it heads up Lift B. Hopefully dispatches will be somewhat accurate with what they need to be, so the trains are close to each other as they meet on the lift, and the trimming will be minimal. In cases where there are not so accurate dispatches, you might get some heavier trim braking before you head up lift B so the two trains line up fairly well. And if you think about it, it's better this way because it also allows minimal lift-hill lag on Lift B, because the less high it goes up lift B, the less waiting there is for the train on Lift A to catch up to it. I'm guessing if the train on Lift A doesn't show up within a certain time frame, the train on the green track won't bother trimming or slowing the lift for the train on Lift A, and will just continue the course on its own. The next dispatch will hopefully line up better, and the dueling element will continue. Hope that clears some things up.

I would guestimate the park is shooting for the ride to be open around Memorial Day weekend. And that's if they start hustling. I would also guess they have something like 3000+ feet of track to still install. I like Screams! colors, but I also wish they would have stuck with a 3 color combination.

I'd say Tatsu operations have improved as well since even though theyre still slow loading the trains, for the last several months they've been using both stations on a regular basis. It used to be extremely rare to see both going at once. I like both of these quotes. To SFMM geek: That is probably the biggest issue at the park. Lack of employees being present definitely leads to a lot of "guests doing whatever they want with the line" and can lead to a lot of inefficiency as far as organizing rows to improve capacity and move lines. However, I feel like the "no preferred" seating when they do this at any park SUCKS. The purpose of the person assigning rows is to organize parties in a way that maximizes capacity. But they should also be concerned with simple moments of providing guest satisfaction, and let guests feel important. And sometimes they like to power trip, and they refuse to let you sit when you want, even when the line is a walk on! When I was a ride op, I always said "Of course you can sit wherever you want!" They're a PAYING guest! And if you know how to do your job, it may create a longer line for a certain row (which means nothing), but it also gets other riders who don't care where they sit through the queue to fill the trains faster. It was never an issue for me as a ride op EVER. To singermfrc: Tatsu is a HARD ride to operate, IMO. The station is long, the check pattern is strenuous. Each seat is cleared by the computer, and if there's a no-go on locks, they usually hustle to that seat and click the restraint properly. It's definitely a B&M flyer thing, because the ride experience and restraints are so unique and important. So I can understand being a ride op getting sick of constantly re-checking seats - no matter how good you get at checking the first time around. However, it's good to hear Tatsu is operating better than it used to.

I will admit that Golden Kingdom and DC Universe (formally the amazing Gotham City Backlot) are quality SF areas, out of dozens of "themed" areas that Six Flags has done. I also found Superman's queue pretty unique when it first opened, but all 3 of these areas were done long, long ago. So I gotta be honest, after they destroyed pretty much ALL of the parks beautiful north entrance plaza for Full.Throttle, I'm really scared what the attempted "steampunk" area in Colossus County Fair is going to become. I would bet it's going to be laughably lousy. Considering what a nice area of the park that north entrance plaza used to be, what's there now BLOWS. Nothing but a load of concrete! I mean anyone could lay concrete and put up a temporary stage! Is this a traveling carnival or a permanent theme park??? For TC, they should have just kept the fair theme, there's nothing wrong with a fair theme! They could revamp the areas buildings (Freshers, former Ben and Jerry's, Bathroom, etc.) and the Colossus station. There's no need to "completely demolish and half ass re-theme" that entire area to get people back there, Twisted Colossus will do that on it's own. I'm sick of this company trying to impress the public and falling short. They should look within their capabilities and make the most of it. Even though the area might not have been a high traffic area because of aging Colossus and not so popular Scream, doesn't mean that area was not a spectacularly beautiful and peaceful and enjoyable area of the park! Sorry to kinda rant, but I'm sick of this company destroying a park I love because nobody in charge seems to have their friggen head on straight!

Is Toon Town still kinda run down and discolored from the sun? The last time I went to DL and brought a lady back there just to see how it was doing, she wanted to leave immediately. I have no clue, it might be great for the kids, but I remember when it was new. But it was almost the most run down part of the park and I had no problem getting out of there as soon as we entered. It's become like the unwanted stepchild to the park. It's a weird part of the park that closes early for fireworks, but I see it as a great opportunity to create something amazing.

Well, judging by their recent area "facelifts" I would expect to see a once orignal, quality area, demolished for nothing but a useless, boring, concrete plaza, spray painted at the last minute, with a minimal amount of shade or quality theming. Let's add overpriced crappy food facilities and loud music you're sick of hearing. But hey! It's only going to last a year because the budget will run out, so we got that going for us! *BARF!* Sorry Six Flags, but you've earned your reputation!

LOL maybe freak is in your username for a reason. Yes, I've been to Cedar Point. A dozen or so times. Which is why I think what some of you "seasoned visitors" are saying is ridiculous. Those that visit regularly should know this. Honestly Cedar Point is probably one of the biggest parks I've ever been to around the globe. Haven't checked but I'd say it's bigger than Magic Mountain. It takes FOREVER to walk from Mean Streak to the front of the park. OMG!? What are they gonna do?! The park is on a peninsula! And surrounded by a lake!!! BUT it's on a freakin' huge peninsula. The park is not going to run out of room for roller coasters within the decade. They're not gonna run out of room in the next 2 decades. The parking lot is big enough to park cars on the busiest day. The land is big enough to put coasters anywhere. I think the higher ups at Cedar Fair will figure it out as time goes by if it even ever gets to that point. They're not dumb. I can't decide if you guys don't understand the actual logistics of theme parks or just like to go extreme and speculate about what will happen in 1000 years when we're not even around. Where if it's the latter, fine. Have fun speculating. I've got no problem with that. But it's not like the park will implode with coaster overabundance and visitor capacity in the next 20 years, will not be able to exist, and nobody who manages the place will know what to do. Sorry to burst any bubbles, but --actually, no--- I'm not sorry to burst any bubbles. I'm sick of hearing these "going to run out of room" discussions that are delirious.

Not sure if this is sarcasm or not...but this subject has been beaten to death with what seems like for over a decade. Parks like Magic Mountain, Cedar Point, and others that are basically in the middle of nowhere, ARE FREAKING HUGE AND ARE NOT GOING TO RUN OUT OF ROOM. Period! There is so much space, in so many places, they can weave coasters anywhere, some older coasters will eventually be removed, there is plenty of parking, the list goes on and on. Maybe some of you bring it up because it's fun to talk about, but unless the park is confined to a very limited perimeter like Disneyland, Cedar Point is NOT going to run out of room!

LOL Roogaroo? Anyone else think that's one of the more goofy names CF has ever come out with? I know its not spelled that way, but that's how I say it when I pronounce it. LOL really? That's the best they got? Someone mentioned attendance being significantly lower than expectations in 2014...is this common for the park to have an attendance "off" year every so often? Or could it be that Gatekeeper wasn't a big enough deal to the GP to bring people back during its second year? Yes I know it was the 3rd most popular ride once guests got in the park, but that doesn't mean it was bringing people into the park from hundreds of miles away. Which if that's the case, who's to say a dive machine would keep people coming back after it loses its luster for its second season of operation? While I agree a dive coaster would be great, I think maybe it should have been done in place of Gatekeeper. I also think the park needs to stop with the mediocre B&M hard on its having, and start making more memorable rides like TTD and Maverick, with something like a RMC re-do of Mean Streak. But let's face it, CP has quite a collection of coasters, so really, they're starting to run out of options!

^Funny, because Silver Bullet seems like such a long, drawn out ride...but when you put it in that form, it really seems like a pretty simple, boring layout! Probably why I still like Batman better.

My gawd, I don't care about food that much.

Well, Superman was originally going to have a steam-ish theme, so I understand where you get that from. Fascinating photo. Was a HUGE fan of Superman the day I heard of it (before it was even built), learned and know so much about it, have NEVER seen that photo. Just out of curiosity, did you save that photo to your archive? Or is there a Superman The Escape site you got that from? I'd love to read more if you're aware of a site I've never been to.

My gawd that movie is going to be terrible. If it's coming out near the end of this year, it's probably already been shot and is currently being edited, so if we haven't heard about it happening already, I wouldn't expect them to be at Magic Mountain doing takes. Writers these days are so out of ideas, they should be embarrassed of themselves.

Are those pictures from this weekend? Hate to say it, but if so, why does it seem like there has been very little progress the past 2 weeks? Maybe they're doing a lot of other prep work that isn't obvious, and the track will go up rather quickly.

Honestly this to me seems like it'd be more scary than skydiving.

^Probably explains why its popularity has increased signifigantly ever since they started opening parts of the park that are brand new, or revamped. I actually love DCA now, it's a beautiful park, and a perfect addition to Disneyland across the way.

The seat height release on Riddlers is completely mechanical, and is controlled by release arms on the track in the station. You can typically see them push latches on the train if you watch closely, and they unlock the seat heights after the train enters the station, and comes to a complete stop. The only explanation is that those mechanisms on the station track could possibly be broken. Because I believe for the most part, once released, the seat heights are spring loaded. Back when the ride was newer, they'd release the seat height mechanism after the train was unloaded, and those puppies would pop up and make a loud noise as they all elevated to their maximum heights. Perhaps this may spark up a train retrofit, as the whole stand up thing is not only irrelevant at this point, but mostly uncomfortable for anyone that rides. I never understood the stand up thing, and even though Riddlers as a whole is a pretty decent B&M coaster, taking away the stand up gimmick would not make the ride any less enjoyable. I've stood in line for an hour to get on this thing...please, let me just sit down and relax for a couple minutes on this coaster!

Looks like the Mountain is finally gonna get some much needed ejector air! I'll pass on the Mega-Lite now, this will be just as good.

Love Viper! Still runs like it did the first ride I took. That first drop in the back seat is awesooooooome. Glad to see its still getting the TLC it deserves. Anybody live close to the park that'll have a chance to get a pic of Twisted Colossus topped off? Even from far away? That would be sweet. Can't wait to start seeing some big progress on the ride as the track starts going up. Looks like right now they're prepping supports first, so after they're done with that the rest of the track installation shouldn't take too long.

^I'm sorry to say I believe the Magic Mountain museum in Sky Tower has been obsolete for some time now. I think they left some things up there, but from what I remember the things they left up there are just a glimpse of what the museum used to be when it first opened (I believe this may have been back when Tatsu opened). Kinda strange that a company who built the tower and has been working with Magic Mountain to keep it operable during the past 40+ years suddenly no longer has the knowledge and/or equipment to bring it up to code or get it working again. I may be wrong, but I think it may be more that it's not the parks priority at this time what with all the other big things going on around the park. Sky Tower has been down before for extended periods of time, then was opened back up and operable for a while. This just may be one of those times where the Sky Tower doesn't get some TLC for a while until the park gets back to it.

I believe it was Tivoli Gardens I visited where if you bought any type of drink, they gave you a nice, thick, reusable plastic cup that could be dishwashed. What I found ingenious is that if you brought it back to the stand you got like a quarter or dollar or something just for returning it so they could wash and reuse it for other guests. Or you could leave with it and keep it as a souvenir, it was your choice. I liked this because: 1) It helps with the litter upkeep when you reward guests for bringing cups back to the food stands 2) It helps with the amount of useless disposable garbage that gets thrown out every day It would be nice to see some American parks incorporate this kind of system to see how it worked out.

Six Flags marketing: they spend a bunch of money on a holiday event, and poorly inform guests with money in their pockets about the offerings and what's going on. However, even if you would have known about the food, apparently some of the offerings would have been closed anyway. All good points by fatdaddy. I still think everything looks nice by Six Flags standards and will probably visit Magic Mountain with my pass this December. I wonder if they'll leave all the lights in the trees so they don't have to take them down and put them back up next year (seems right up SF alley (I keed, I keed)). THANKS for the update and photos, really a great TR. Shut up Kevin!

Amazing how after all these years, the ride STILL makes all the familiar noises throughout the course, including the chain dog click speeding up as it starts up the lift, and that patented 5 tempo rumble right after it goes through the loop. Funny you hear that rumble on Montezuma's loop too. Also, the ride rode A LOT faster through the course which would make it more enjoyable, however even in the video, you can still see those jerks at the top of some of the hills that you may have overlooked with only lapbar restraints. But they definitely are now more noticeable because you feel the OTSR's smack you on your head if you don't brace yourself as you hit those points. Understandable why they'd slow down the chain lift and heavily brake the course to minimize that type of impact after they were added.