sdcfan88

Worried that all the wheels are hinting at a spinning coaster. UGH. They should just replicate Helix and watch the masses flood. I agree, they should build an improved version of Helix and theme it on the level of Baron 1898 and they would have a huge winner.

An official Teaser was put out by the park... Has a strong Baron 1898 feel to it. August 16th was previously slated to be the announcement date for the new attraction so this seems to be valid. Let the speculation begin.

TNT AKA Thunderation at Silver Dollar City. My first "big" coaster as I was only a little kid when it first opened in 1993. This is arguably the largest and most intense Arrow Mine Train Coaster in existence. Ride this thing in the very back!

I am still holding out hope they will make an observation deck like the one seen at Wildfire. There would be some great views out into that valley with this layout.

This just popped on the SDC Fans FB Page. Look that these updated birds eye view shots of the new coaster being constructed. Thats a massive mine field worth of footers down there in the valley! And some interesting concrete work is being done around that first drop from the station, lots of retaining walls and a possible construction of a dive coaster-esque tunnel of sorts? You can see the supports popping up and two swoops of coaster track already erected on the right, one appearing to be an overbanked airtime hill of sorts. I'd love to see some enclosures or pass thru elements on this thing. Also note that strange rectangular building being built into the ground on the left.

I have reason to suspect the thick spined track will be used for one. One piece in particular looks very twisty like a beginning of a roll or corkscrew or possibly even a dive loop. Here is a short video with the track installation and construction of the new queue line: Another thing too, I did strike up conversations about the coaster with employees and everyone pretty much said the same thing that they haven't been told any details (or at least anything they can share) but they were emphasizing the fact that all they keep hearing is that its gonna be very BIG when its all said and done. Announcement is August 16th!

Oh and here are more photos I took of the construction site today with my DSLR. With the tree growth in full bloom you will need a telephoto lens to get any decent shots for most of the construction site now. Interestingly enough, I initially thought the track was a black/dark grey color but these pieces actually appear to be a deep forest green, I like it.

It's the same kind of track used for Mack's track elements as seen here in this gallery: https://www.parkz.com.au/search/photos/sort/newest/location/ride-2445 More specifically here: https://www.parkz.com.au/photo/14434-Movie_World_hypercoaster_construction/gallery/sort/newest/location/ride-2445/offset/85 One piece in the back of the lot has a twist very similar to the one on the DC Rivals coaster as seen above. Can't say for sure it's for a non inverting loop here too but it could go either way. Mack's E-Motion Coaster has a standard rollercoaster track layout, it's the cars that make the difference. The cars have a spring suspension that causes it to rock and shake in multiple directions. The first E-Motion Coaster to open was Tulireki at Linnanmäki, Finland, in 2004. At the time of writing (Jan 2013), only two E-Motion coasters have been built, the last one was in 2005.

I just spotted thick spined Mack track used for high stress elements literally right in front of the service entrance on 76! Several pieces litter this area. They aren't even trying to hide it anymore.

Regarding the "Worlds First" talk, a few light bulbs lit up while I was browsing the Mack Rides webpage with their coaster catalog and I noticed that their newest coaster type, "The Big Dipper" appears to be a competitor to B&M Dive Coasters. Another thing to note is that (according to their site and RCDB) this type only has one living example which is Lost Gravity. However, that coaster does not have the signature holding brake and dive drop that is associated with a dive coaster and is merely an intense wild mouse type coaster with inversions, unlike the concept render shown below. Sources: https://mack-rides.com/products/rollercoaster/bigdipper/ https://rcdb.com/15064.htm So with all that being said, granted this might be a long shot theory, could this new coaster be Mack's first true large scale Big Dipper dive coaster design? That presumed massive drop right out of the station seems to point to this. It would definitely fit the category for a worlds first with this company. For a long time SDC was rumored to be getting a B&M and more specifically a Dive Coaster. But perhaps it was actually a Mack Coaster they were interested in all along and the past surveys were simply misinterpreted and were meant for choosing between a Mack Spinning Coaster or the new Big Dipper Dive Coaster type? Only negative I have on this is the low capacity versus the B&M version. And of course this theory is dependent on the rumors of whether or not this thing will have any launches. I don't see those working properly with a Big Dipper car.

Not my photos but some additional coaster construction images were posted on the sdcfans.com forums recently. Check them out! Another view of that large swooping piece of track that continues to grow. An interesting concrete structure continues to get built up just below the station very close to ThuNderaTion behind the trees there. A support structure for housing a launch element or possibly a big inversion? Look at all those footers clustered around it. Lastly a gigantic pit is being dug out just below the station where the coaster is presumed to start from, with retaining walls also being constructed, I'd be stoked if this winds up being a dive tunnel of some sort.

Thought I would share a few pics from the MIG update that was recently published. Do these images provide evidence that point more to the Time Traveler theme/name? Link: http://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2017/06/time-traveler-construction-sdc_18.html?m=1 However also in a recent article in the Springfield Business Journal, there is an article on SDC publicity spokesperson Lisa Rau. It's kind of "Day in the Life" piece. It mentions a super secret morning meeting that she had. This is the same person that stated earlier this year that this project was the single biggest thing ever, EVER done in the parks history. Here is the link to those interested, beyond the 2018 coaster talk its worth the read: http://sbj.net/Content/ENEWS-ARTICLES/ENEWS-ARTICLES/Article/Day-in-the-Life-With-Lisa-Rau/29/82/109666 And also "Wild Mountain" (as seen on some signs at the park over the past few months) was also trademarked along with "Time Traveler". Time will tell which will be the official name/theme. We are just over a month away from the official announcement.

For example: Even though this was the Mack mega launch coaster that tested the spinning car, this could go either way. And then of course this one says it all: I see this coaster being the best of both worlds with Helix and Blue Fire.

If I dare call it as such, the metro area of NW Arkansas (all the smaller cities have basically grown together into a small metroplex) is a combined half million (500,000+) people according to the latest census. Springfield is merely at 170,000 people in comparison. That is a huge (and diverse) demographic to tap into within a 2 hour drive of Branson and the park. On a side note I found this interesting construction photo from a Google image search earlier today. I still wonder what that large pit and strange concrete structure in the foreground is gonna be for? A large inversion footing?

Something I would like to mention that is often overlooked is the rapidly growing and diversifying population in NW Arkansas that often brings tourists to the area. Branson and SDC have identified this and have began to diversify and expand themselves in recent years (since the recession) as a result.

Not my photo, but upon seeing this construction pic recently shared on SDC Fans Facebook page, I have to agree it has an unmistakable feeling of Helix. My excitement for this ride is ever growing.

It would be an appropriate replacement for the loss of the backwards cars on ThuNderaTion.

Coaster is officially on RCDB, let's keep an eye on this as it gets updated. https://rcdb.com/15168.htm

The back observation porch of the Culinary School. You can get great views from there. Unless the platform for that turntable has not been built yet there is no place with the way the station building has been laid out (despite its size) to indicate that it will house that. The video and model claiming that is SDC's 2018 coaster is VERY misleading. There is no way it can be that design as the station and area cleared is way too large. I would view that is a concept for the particular coaster design only. Personally I would prefer the no spinning concept but I could live with a Helix/Blue Fire hybrid with the optional spinning car in the back.

Here are my photos from the track getting hung today. I grabbed some video as well. They also appear to be pouring yet even more large footer structures of some sort. That one below the station was new since my last visit.

Holy moly! They are seriously throwing this together since I grabbed pics of the supports last week! Could it be possible the whole coaster could be constructed by the fall and maybe testing for a soft opening in time for Christmas? It would also be neat if they make a large overlook platform like the one on Wildfire so we can see both coasters from a non riders perspective. It looks just like the track on Helix, including the color. I like it. And if this ride is as big or long as that coaster, SDC has got a winner on their hands.

Interestingly enough, the guys at Screamscape seem to be in agreement on that assessment. (scroll down to the 5/8 & 5/19 posts) http://www.screamscape.com/html/silver_dollar_city.htm Forgot to add this to my post the other day. Here are the columns in the back area that can be seen from the train.

Well to get a bit geeky myself with the coaster in question for SDC, here's my perspective on it, I am not in the know but just from all that has developed over the past couple months and from my past three visits, its 99.95% likely to be a Mack coaster. My further take on it, while its commonly assumed right now to be a spinning coaster themed to faux time traveling, I think its gonna be the U.S. Version of Helix and its gonna be called Wild Mountain or have Mountain in the name as the coaster station is essentially on top of a mountain. Also with the coaster likely being a terrain coaster and having a likely first drop right out of the station this further supports my suspicions of it being a Helix-esque coaster. Whether it will have launches later in the course of the ride or spinning cars remains in question but I can see them adding it for marketing reasons. I also seeing it being themed to the 2nd concept with the mining which describes mountains and a big plunge, the station does look a lot like the building in the concept art as well. Another big clue I noticed is how they never removed the old entry arch to Thunderation (including the ore carts they just rebuilt last year on top of it) despite ripping out the old zig-zag pathway for building the new coasters queue line in its place. Why would they refurb the archway and its theming for a 20 something year old ride if they were gonna remove the queue line and relocate the Thunderation sign a year later? Because they were re-purposing it for the 2018 addition. This park is famous for doing stuff like that. (Celebration City rides/theming, Balloon Ride at Firemans Landing, OzCat parts used on Outlaw Run) Mining is the general theme of the park and many of their rides do share this common theme to some degree or another. (TNT AKA ThuNderaTion, Powder Keg, Flooded Mine, Ore Cart .etc) I have also heard from a couple sources at the park over my past couple visits that they are hiding the secret behind the coaster's theme/name in plain sight as they have been propping up more teaser signs around the park in regards to it. While some might find it farfetched, I am under the impression they might setup this coaster like Blue Fire being similar to the old setup used on Thunderation with the optional backwards seating. Of course instead of the backwards cars, there will be optional spinning cars like they did on Blue Fire. All of this above would fit the description of it being the biggest thing ever done at SDC and the rumored $30M price tag. Sure I might be overthinking all this, but when you start putting 2+2 together it seems to make the most sense. The official announcement looks to be in August still so we will see.

Should be fixed now.

Yes the columns are already being erected. There were about 6 of them seen thru the trees behind Echo Hollow. They are nearly the same color as Wildfires columns when it was new. If you ride Thunderation you can see them better. I also noticed a couple of concrete box structures being constructed right below the station which I found most peculiar. Ride elements or a storage building? But I will say the station itself is quite imposing while standing down in Echo Hollow.