KCForce
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Posts posted by KCForce
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ExtremeRoller and Rail Blazer were both 1984 Arrow retrofits
Actually, the EXT opened on May 31, 1983, a year before Railblazer. I know this because I was on the first public ride of the EXT that day. I have pieces of an original press kit, which I'm posting to share.
As for the ride on EXT, it was surprisingly smooth up through the first drop and turn. The lead in and the exit of the corkscrew were pretty rough. The thing that freaked me out (and it took at lot to freak coaster-crazy 14 year-old me out!) was at the tops of the corkscrews, your feet actually lifted off the floor a couple of inches (!) when you were upside down for a brief fleeting moment. Braking was kind of hard on you too, your belly seemed to bulge out between the shoulder harness and leg restraints. It was a good thing there was a seat belt around your middle section, but your mid section wanted to squeeze between the restraints when it hit the brakes.
I worked at the park in 1984 and BEFORE the accident at Six Flags, the EXT trains were returned to sit-down style. The train was so heavy and it was causing excessive wear and tear on the track and structure. Except the lead car was missing when they changed it back, so you had a flat nosed 6-car sit-down Arrow train. It looked so weird at first, but we got used to it. The standard Arrow lead car was returned at the start of the 1985 season, my second season at the park, when I worked on the Orient Express. Ah, memories.
And finally a working model of the EXT that I built, along with one of the original car bodies that was on temporary loan to me.
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I've kind of skimmed through. Has anyone speculated on what the un-revealed element to this coaster is? I'm thinking that enclosed elevator lift could take you up to the top, then free-fall all the way back down before shooting you back to the top to do the ride. Kind of Tower of Terror meets a Eurofighter extreme. My 2 cents for the day. Something is going to happen in that massive enclosed lift structure. Otherwise, why enclose it?
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Cyclone, Crystal Beach:
-One of three near-identical coasters built by Harry Traver (Lightning at Revere Beach, MA and Cyclone at Palisades Park in NJ were the other two)
-Ran with 2 bench seater cars (4 passengers per car)
-Parts of the ride structure were incorporated into the Comet which still runs today at the Great Escape in upstate New York
Next Coaster:
Race Thru the Clouds, Venice Beach, CA
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ROFL. They actually made "Orange is the New Track" into a shirt. This just made my day
https://www.holidayworld.com/holiproduct/orange-new-track-t-shirt/
They put a picture of the shirt on Facebook and people are already making comments about how they can't believe HW would use a phrase off such a (and I'm quoting somebody off FB) "pornographic" show to advertise one of their products. People take this stuff way too seriously sometimes.
I am not ashamed to admit that I already own it.I just ordered mine, no shame.
It's called Pop Culture. Even if you don't watch "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix, chances are you've at least heard of it (like me). Parks have done Pop Culture things as long as I can remember and I'm pretty damn old, just not as old as Jeff Johnson.
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I definitely do most of my watching on my desktop. However, we stream often to the TV as we have Google Fiber (internet) and it's an option now to watch YouTube on our TV. And, yes, the TPR videos have great quality on our TV. (and yep, I answered the entire poll too).
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Watching that vid not only has me excited, but heartbroken because we're NEVER gonna see two trains side-by-side ever again after the first few weeks of operation.
it's not a racer...it's one track with 2 lift hills. so, i hope there is something that can sync the trains on the lift.
The press release says
Four minutes of thrills on nearly 5,000 feet of trackThat length doesn't match up at all with it being one long ride, wouldn't that mean it's staying the same as a racer with two sides?
Pay very careful attention to the video at 1:21 this is where the blue track turns green and then goes up the lift hill. It is ONE track that races. Each track goes around the old footprint once instead of twice when it was a wooden racer. Hence 5,000 feet of track. The layout has been shortened.
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Yea that was them. What a coincidence. I honestly didn't know adventure land was that close. You are saying 4 hours from Wichita right
Adventureland from Worlds of Fun is about 3 hours non-stop. From Wichita it's about 7 hours non-stop driving.
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Well, according to the RCDB the Rye Airplane was 92 feet tall. And there was that GCI video showing an Airplane coaster at SFFT. Regardless, it will be very interesting to see what they have up their sleeve. I just visited on the 14th and 15th this month, much better than my first visit on opening day back 12 years ago, all the coasters except for the Road Runner Express and Boomerang were open on my first trip, so I was able to ride 5 new coasters. It really is a beautiful park. And the Lone Star Nights was unique and very well done. Loved Iron Rattler and the other coasters. Looks like I may have to venture back next spring...
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Staff testing of Verruckt today. Wow, 3 point car seat belts, that's a first on a water slide. At least they have the speed over the second hill looking pretty decent now.
Great Video here: www.kmbc.com/news/Some-brave-people-plunge-down-Schlitterbahn-s-Verruckt/26845230#!ba4dVx
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I can confirm I was on the shoot last year at Worlds of Fun for Mamba, and we were told it would most likely be featured in season 3. So if Big Max is also going to be on, I'd say one of the categories may be hyper coasters.
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Awesome. I've been following this thread somewhat close, but does the train not have a polyurethane coating on the wheels? It sounded very loud. Which actually I liked. And the person filming appeared to be a decent distanceaway. Better name could have been Medusa's Roar.
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Any more clues?
I'm curious about the "empty barrel" reference from day 6. It seems to just be tagged on the end and vague. Or maybe I'm just missing something
The empty barrel part made me curious.
It does seem very random.
Um, barrel roll on a coaster? Would love for it to be a Project Helix type coaster. We'll know soon enough.
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And here's a picture in the story of the before and after re-profiling. Verruckt Reprofiled
Perhaps this is where the rumor of folks becoming air borne on the second hill came from (holy hell!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_U2NoG1Lag&app=desktop
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I had heard rumors that it was delayed due to the rafts becoming air borne on the second hill. Which kind of made me go, you'd think they'd of seen that one coming on the second hill, but according to this, reportedly the test riders became air borne at the BOTTOM of the FIRST drop. Wonder if the flatness of the raft has anything to do with it? Hmn, maybe some spoilers ala Formula One race cars are in order, or upstop wheels. I'm sure they'll get it all figured out soon enough. And, yes, I'm still riding when it opens!
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Well, Chance rides has updated their coaster page. The featured coaster for the Hyper GT-X, is the first, Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom. The PDF shows a overall aerial view of the layout, pretty fun looking if you ask me and there is a video featuring a full off ride and a full on-ride POV. I'm guessing this video was the one that they played at IAAPA this year. Enjoy: Chance Rides Hyper GT-X Page
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Sweet. Very much looks and "rides" like an RMC Iron Horse Track coaster. I really like the placement of the elements, especially the tunnel. The only change I'd maybe recommend would be the wave turn hill. The only existing one on Outlaw Run is very much like a sideways bunny hop, with floater airtime (seriously) where the one on this coaster is fairly flat. Other than that, it's perfect, and I'd still ride it as is, if it were a real coaster. Good job.
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^ It wasn't working, or at least wasn't turned on for the show if it's possible to work. (looked like no)
So it's realistic too?
All kidding aside, that was a real awesome model of it.
Thanks for all the great coverage guys.
Being a coaster modeler, I actually know the guy who builds the models for Gerstlauer, René Jachmich. He and his wife Bea have been to visit us in the States during a coaster tour. I can confirm for you, via conversation with him about the model of the Smiler, it is static, like all of his coaster models. He does remarkable work. If you Google his name, he has a nice website (in German) and you can see several of his scale models, including the Schwarzkopf Triple Loop, Thriller and Olympia Looping and assorted Gerstlauer rides (coasters and flat rides).
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Outlaw Run at SDC. I rode it opening day and as the season has gone on, IMHO, is the most intense coaster I've ever ridden, and I've been on 315. By intense I don't mean almost black you out, I mean never gives you chance to catch your breath, you're moving left, right, up, down, sideways, overbanked and being inverted. Now that they have adjusted the restraints (and I was worried as I'm 6'5", that I may not be able to ride again) it's my favorite coaster.
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I just don't know what to make of this. Living in KC, excited for our version next year. I find it kind of weird that now Adventureland about 200 miles north is getting one as well. At first I thought that the FB was a spoof page, so went to the actual Adventureland website and linked to their FB page from there, and yep, it's the same one. Well if for some reason we don't end up getting ours at WOF next year, I know where to head to try it out. : )
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Has this opened yet?
Nope. Just isn't gonna happen this year with only this coming three day holiday weekend left for their season. I didn't get any pics (cameras and water parks just don't work out too well for me). The tower looks to be complete and the drop is almost done, they have to put the slide from the top where it curves to meet the top of the support tower.
Though I give the park a pass on this new one-of-a-kind world's first crazy insane Master Blaster Slide, with the park being around now for 3 years, its seems and the perception here in the KC area is that they never get any scheduled announced attractions open the year they say they will. It is always the following season. Part of it could be they are used to operating in Texas where it doesn't usually get so cold or have snow in the Winter. That being said, WOF got their new slide complex open pretty early in the season, granted it wasn't a new type of slide/world's first, but it's kind of sad that they just always have issues regardless of the reason and are unable to get stuff opened when they plan to.
I'll try (yet again) to get pics of it this weekend. I think I said that before, but life got in the way that week.
It looks scary as hell in person, and I am apprehensive about riding it, not because of the drop or the (I'd estimate) 70 foot second hill that looks as though it would launch you to the admissions building on the other side of the park, but the climb up is going to make me pee my pants. I love coasters and rides, actually the most terrifying for me is the Sky Screamers, as you're up there for what seems like forever. A coaster it's up down, zip around. I've already worked a strategy to climb this 150+ b i o t c h. I will have my spouse in front of me and another friend behind me. I will hold onto my spouse's arm and shut my eyes. I will not open them until I am ready to climb into the raft.
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Hey guys. Long time no posts. Been extremely busy.
So something kind of exciting to let you all know about if you hadn't heard yet. This weekend is Coaster Mayhem and I will be bringing my working model coasters of all the past coasters at the park (Silly Serpent, Schusboomer, Zambezi Zinger, EXT and the Orient Express.)
They will be a part of the parks special exhibit, "40 Years! The History of Worlds of Fun". In addition to the models there will be all sorts of cool artifacts, including parts from past attractions (like Orient Express and Zinger), old park maps, tons of other stuff and a couple of videos, including one about the first five coasters at WOF.
It will coincide with Coaster Mayhem weekend and will be in the Tivoli Hall Theater Lobby Sat. Aug. 10 and Sun. Aug. 11th from 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. each day. Those attending Coaster Mayhem will get a sneak peak at 10 a.m. Several of the volunteers staffing the exhibit (self included) will be wearing reproduction WOF costumes from the 1980's.
You don't have to participate in Mayhem to see the exhibit either day, but you do have to have a paid park admission or season pass to be able to see the exhibit. Hope to see some of you there. I will be doing a video walk through tour and will post it next week for those who live far far way or who won't be able to make it this weekend. Peace!
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H A P P Y 4 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y W O R L D S O F F U N!
May 26, 1973 - May 26, 2013
Went to the media day for the new slide complex at the park today. The new slides are a lot of fun. The three Predators Plunge (the Aqua-Launch) slides are great in that the stairs come up in front versus the back so you get to see and hear prior riders, which according to the park is the first time this has been done. It freaked a lot of people out and gives you something to occupy the last 5 or so minutes of waiting. It was my first time on one of the Aqua-Launch trap door capsule slides. Not as scary as they look, but very fun. The new tube slides are great, Sharks Revenge with two with drops - one a large steep drop and the other a smaller followed by a larger drop at the end give some great air! The Constrictor was great, fairly long ride, with dark and light moments and some decent G forces. And the refurbished Diamond Head triple slides (the original 3 body slides from 1982) are smooth, fast and as crazy as opening year with the re-glassing of them. They were walk on all day. As someone said, they don't make slides like that any more, and its as close as you can come to being in a car wreck without getting seriously injured. Maybe they should rename Diamond Head, Crashem Bashem instead of the kiddie bumper cars being called that.
The new slide complex has three almost straight ques at the bottom, one for the three tube slides to the left (Shark's Revenge and Constrictor), one for the 3 Aqua-Launcher slides to the right (Predators Plunge) with the Fast Lane access in the center. An attendant holds all three lines just before the stairs and lets a group go from each que every so often, which avoids a ton of people standing on the stairs. It seemed to work out pretty well, once you get to the first platform for the 3 tube slides there is hardly any wait, and about a 5 - 10 minute wait for the 3 Aqua-Launchers. Sorry about not taking pics. Everything was in the locker.
Overall the Oceans of Fun side has never looked better with all the renovations. There isn't a building that wasn't repainted and a ton of new concrete, new chairs, loungers and landscaping and all new signage throughout. Looks spiffy. I love the new Typhoon logo (the dual speed slide with a triple drop).
I'm going back tomorrow to do just Worlds and will get some pics for you all.
I normally would post this in my model coaster thread, but I recently made a new improved Zambezi Zinger working model coaster, and since it originally opened on this day 40 years ago and lives on in South America as Broca, I didn't think it would be a problem to post this one in the WOF main discussion thread in celebration of this milestone. Enjoy. And definitely check out Oceans and Worlds of Fun this year!
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They should rename is Namtab. I can't imagine how intense this will be backwards, it's already pretty intense. Guess I'll have to make the trek. Sorry if it's been posted, do we know when this will end?
Accidental death at Schlitterbahn in Kansas City.
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
The person who tweeted this IS a reporter for Fox 4 Kansas City. And she hasn't removed her tweet about it being a decapitation.
So sad and I'm sending good vibes to his family.