Mertens S. Elias

I actually do think they could relocate Wildcat to Wild Adventures as the Wildcat was built on flat land similar to Wild Adventures flat land. And are you sure about the air gates being used on Outlaw Run? Because I remember Wildcat having kind of squared, grayish air gates while Outlaw run doesn't. And are you sure about the control panels being reused on Outlaw Run? Because it seems to me that if they were to reuse the control panel on any other wooden coaster in the chain it'd be Thunderhead since Thunderhead is another G.C.I and Outlaw Run is an R.M.C. When one says site specific, I believe it to be designed to the dimensions of land that it was built on top of that particular patch of land l. It is about as flat as flat can get. No custom elevations for the structure were needed. The diminsions of the land can be easily copied provided it is flat. You could have a large plot of land and place OzCat there in the middle and then shape every else around it. Take Boardwalk Bullet at Kemah. That was site specific but really it's a flat base as well and could be moved to any flat space that can accommodate it. Let's take Arkansas Twister that once resided at Boardwalk and Baseball in Florida. It was built on some darn flat land, yet it was relocated to Magic Springs which is in the hills. They did the earthwork to make it work. It's a odd location and when the amp is used, it requires the closure of the ride. Could OzCat be relocated as long as the new site is flat and accommodate the diminsions of the ride? Yep, but, the hardware was cannibalize and the wood structure has set there, unused for 6 to 7 years now. Didn't one train go to Wild Adventures? I think the cost was 4 million when it was built? If the wood was in good enough shape without much replacement and basically only needed retracked when reassembled, you still have to buy new hardware. So, considering it comes incomplete would the price and the cost incurred with replacing what's missing be low enough to make it compelling enough to chose it over a new construction wood coaster? OzCat was a solid coaster but it wasn't on many best of lists. I think it's sibling, Thunderhead that went to Dollywood, when HFE bought the two GCIs is considered the better of the two by most ethusiasts. The only hope for OzCat is that the new management team that settles in behind Manby and his departure revisits a reinvention of that property and they deem it worthy to restoring it to operable condition. It's kinda shameful they have left it standing if not. It contributes to the notion that Branson is rundown and closing up, which eventually effects SDC. Branson has an identity crisis and they are lost on what to do about it but a poster on here saying in a trip report that Magic Springs' waterpark is better than Whitewater, well, any in Missouri is telling on the state of HFE properties on that end of the 76 strip. Non of the trains went to Wild Adventures, it has Gerstlauer trains, one train went to Dollywood but I thought there was a second train, maybe it's still in the queue house. But I do think that the coaster is salvageable, whether only the track can be saved or only the structure, I think it can be salvaged. If the new park needs to they can do what Magic Springs did with Big Bad John, the mine train from Six Flags Over Mid America then Dollywood, what they did is the took the old mine train track, and since the park didn't have the same terrain as Six Flags or Dollywood the had G.C.I come in and build a new structure. The total project of moving the whole coaster in the event that the structure has not rotted and the the cost of rebuilding it, I would estimate probably an 7-9 million dollar project. Now in the event that the structure can't be saved and only the track can be reused, I would estimate about 5-7.5 million dollar project. But what I see most likely is H.F.C taking the property, build some other kind of attraction, maybe an aquarium, and have a few rides, including Wildcat. I either see this or the rethemeing of Celebration City. But the next time H.F.C needs to learn that Celebration City would have to be separate from S.D.C, it can't be open some of the day for people to go to S.D.C then Celebration City, it'd have to be open all day because that was terrible about Celebration City, it was opened limited hours, it opened in the afternoon and was supposed to be a night time park but it was never opened past 9:30 P.M and what they need is a stand out attraction, Wildcat was good but most of the other rides were just okay to the naked eye, what they need is something like a Sky Screamer or an Air Race or something that the General Public loves.

My vote is a Vekoma Roller Skater. Or maybe it's another S&S of sorts, maybe one of their mine train concept.

Those restraints do look comfortable. I think this will be the most anticipated roller coaster on the East Coast. I hope I can get out and ride it at some point.

RCDB.com says that there is another coaster coming to this park along with Gale Force. "Few details on this second roller coaster have been released other than it said to wrap around the new for 2016 "GaleForce". The stating this as a steel, sit-down roller coaster above is just default settings and not to be considered accurate until the park provides more details."

I actually do think they could relocate Wildcat to Wild Adventures as the Wildcat was built on flat land similar to Wild Adventures flat land. And are you sure about the air gates being used on Outlaw Run? Because I remember Wildcat having kind of squared, grayish air gates while Outlaw run doesn't. And are you sure about the control panels being reused on Outlaw Run? Because it seems to me that if they were to reuse the control panel on any other wooden coaster in the chain it'd be Thunderhead since Thunderhead is another G.C.I and Outlaw Run is an R.M.C. Outlaw Run has squared gates too. I bet they are reused because they don't line up perfectly, but pretty close, and have all he same characteristics of GCI gates like the ring in the back of the railings. I bet there were just painted black. Guess I've never noticed how the airgates looked like the ones from Celebration City. I used to go there all the time. Well, I went there a couple times, my mom and dad never really wanted to take me that much because the park opened later in the day and by the time we got there the dogs, horses, cats, and guineas (bird) had to be fed. So that's why they'd rather take me to S.D.C instead because it was open earlier in the day, although I like Celebration City more because it had more variation in rides and also I really like the Ferris Wheel and Flying Circus.

And are you sure about the control panels being reused on Outlaw Run? Because it seems to me that if they were to reuse the control panel on any other wooden coaster in the chain it'd be Thunderhead since Thunderhead is another G.C.I and Outlaw Run is an R.M.C. I'm no electrical engineer but I'm sure several of the major components like the HMI, PLC, power supplies, input/output cards etc. could be reused if they were still in good condition. Okay. Good to know.

I actually do think they could relocate Wildcat to Wild Adventures as the Wildcat was built on flat land similar to Wild Adventures flat land. And are you sure about the air gates being used on Outlaw Run? Because I remember Wildcat having kind of squared, grayish air gates while Outlaw run doesn't. And are you sure about the control panels being reused on Outlaw Run? Because it seems to me that if they were to reuse the control panel on any other wooden coaster in the chain it'd be Thunderhead since Thunderhead is another G.C.I and Outlaw Run is an R.M.C.

I think the only place they could relocate Wildcat to is Wild Adventures because it was built on flat land and Silver Dollar City nor Dollywood have very much flat land while Wild Adventures is all flat. But personally, I think the Herschends are dumb asses for closing this place, they invested $40,000,000 into that place when they first got it and expected to make it all back within two years or three, they had terrible hours where it opened later but stilled closed at 9:30 so it was only open about 8 hours a day, and at the time that they closed the park when they claimed that they were losing money in the company because of Celebration City, they purchased a new amusement park in Georgia that was and is terrible. And me and many people I know would've rather spent a day at Celebration City rather than her counterpart down the road. Celebration City felt like an amusement park where you would go to have fun, S.D.C feels like a money drain and I will always despise the Herschends for closing Celebration City and I will always despise S.D.C.

I saw this on youtube in the comments and some person said this and it perfectly sums up this coaster, "go home roller coaster, you're drunk."

It'll be kind of sad because I believe that it means that the Python and the Flitzer will be removed to do so. I've seen them for sale on intermarketridegroup.com and italintl.com and a few others (overpriced by the way) and I thought that that meant that either Playland was closing, which would have been sad, or they were getting a big new ride, which it looks like they went with door number two. It looks awesome! That one roll type thing at the top looks insane.

Yeah the Park was hopping back in the late 70's/early 80's, all thanks to the Screamin' Eagle. I remember the $5 after 5 deal which was huge. I have some Newspaper clippings from back in those days (Media Day for Jet Scream), I will have to scan and post them. SIx Flags sounded awesome back then. It's still fun now, but it has that, Six Flags feel.

Ah, I see that I'm not the only one who reads Screamscape... Also, Six Flags Over Mid-America is now Six Flags St. Louis. Eh. I like the old Six Flags Over Mid America name better, it seems more dignified. And also it really shows it is one of the original Six Flags parks.

Ah, I see that I'm not the only one who reads Screamscape... Also, Six Flags Over Mid-America is now Six Flags St. Louis. HWFAN - Not sure if you are in the "Know" or not, I do enjoy reading your posts and appreciate all the info you share on the board. I am very much on the side of Prozac. I have been going to this park for decades (Rode the S. Eagle in '76 (I was 9), Rode the Jet Scream in '80, Rail Blazer, Sky Chuter, Mo Mo the Monster, Tiltmore Hotel, even Super Sports ... etc etc. I am a huge Amusement Park Fan, been to a lot of them - Disney (both coasts), Knotts, Busch Gardens(both), Cedar Point, KI, and so on. Anyway, it Is frustrating see other parks evolve, upgrade, renew, refurbish, redo while our park gets stale with Hand-Me-Downs from other Parks or new rides which add no value (that teacup water ride, whatever it's called - getting new Bumper Cars would have been a better choice). I do think Justice League is a Huge win for our park, too bad is it plagued with issues this year. You have been boasting about the future of our Park and I hope you are right. Guess time will tell. I am a firm believer in 'If You Build It They Will Come'. SFSTL needs a Modern Steel coaster in the worst way and until that happens I will be going to other Parks around the region/country. Might plan on my first trip to KK next year. RMC Is Building So I Am Going. OH MY GOD! YOU RODE JET SCREAM AND SKY CHUTER?! I was born in 2001 so I never got to ride either! Although my American History teacher says that she remembers all of them and she was even one of the first riders when Colossus opened.

They did keep all the tubs that survived the tornado before Bell's closure, and I want one of them. Eli Bridge Ferris Wheels are probably one of my favorite amusement rides ever.

Wow, the Dizzy Toucan is totally DWARFED by Switchback.

OH MY GOD! I would so LOVE working at Little Amerricka! If I could work there I'd want to work as an op. at Mad Mouse or Toboggan or the Ferris Wheel or even the Little Dipper! But of course Little Amerricka is about is about ten or so hours away from me. My closest park is Silver Dollar City. *GAG* *GAG*

Nice trip report. Although I wouldn't have been excited as you about going to Magic Mountain. I hate that place. I hate how they tear down all the family flat rides and build immense coasters on top of them. I hate how they took out a historic coaster that they abused for years with taking out the camel backs and putting in a block break, added Morgan trains, never repainted it, never fixed or ran the second track, not even for it's last few years. Until they start adding family rides, I will hate that place.

Personally, I like the Worlds Of Fun entrance just the way it is, it looks beautiful and has some charm to it. What I want them to do with Orient Express' location is but in a Gerstlauer Eurofighter/Infinity coaster. And if they are to go with B&M, I'd want it to be a floorless coaster. And if the want a launch coaster, I'd want them to get a premier launch coaster similar to Sky Rocket or Full Throttle, or even something like Mr. Freeze or the spagetti bowl coasters. Now that I think about it I want them to get a dueling track launch coaster similar to The Chiller and call it Dueling Dragons or something like that since the entrance may be in the Orient section along with Spinning Dragons and Bamboozler.

I heard a rumor saying that in 2016 Six Flags Over Mid America will be getting a new waterslide/slide complex. I was really hoping they were going to be the park that gets the Six Flags trademark "Titan" and it was going to be a hyper coaster of sorts or a Eurofighter/infinity coaster. Or even the park that got the trademark "Gale Force 7" which would be what Six Flags have been looking into for getting instead of Larson Super Loops, they will be, as I heard, giant models of the Zamperla Air Race and they will want the tower essentially telescope like Chance Aviators so the ride would be like riding on a Gerstlauer Sky Roller.

Heck. If they're still trying to sell off bits and things I wouldn't mind buying an old Big Eli Ferris Wheel seat from the original Ferris Wheel. Or even a Eyerly Spider Tub.

I live in Republic, Missouri (on the West side of Wilson's Creek) and it takes about two hours and forty-five minutes to get to Bell's Kiddieland. I'm going to ask my dad if he and my brother could take me over there to try and help Robbie get the Little Dipper and Tilt-A-Whirl running as I'm sure he could need some help, it's not a guaranteed thing yet but if anybody would like to do the same contact me at (417)861-4578 or eliassmertens@hotmail.com and we can try to set up a date to do so (although it will have to be before August the tenth because I have to go back to school or I can try to go on breaks or weekends) because I know Robbie could use the help and I want an excuse to drive to Tulsa to *try* and get an Allan Herschell credit. P.S can anybody that lives in or near Tulsa PLEASE do a photograph update. I haven't seen one since May and I'm sure somethings have changed since.