ErinBrookeTX Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Very overcast today but maybe won't rain. Let the testing begin already! I'm going to have a look today. Please share anything you see or find out when you go! Can't wait for testing to start and we have some photo/video proof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakeastroworld Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!! it's killing me.......It looks so amazing (though i've been deprived of a park being near me for when ever i want to ride) but still it looks good---i'll be there on opening day. I'll camp out if i have to !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 ^ although knowing Landry's, they will just open it one day .. granted that's still 2+ weeks away .. since you still need State certification and oodles of testing and adjustments and .. there will most likely NOT be a media event .. about 99.99999999999998% confirmed they will just open it with no or very very little fanfare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmccalip Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Here in Missouri City the weather was pretty bad. It POURED for over an hour and it's been overcast all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I actually like that there is no fanfare or real media on this ride. With most parks, you know what they are getting for the year several months before the park opens, and whatever it is, it is made out to seem like the best of its kind. Oh well, Boardwalk Bullet looks like a beautiful coaster, and even with minimal theming, it is more than enough for the ride. Hopefully Gravity Group builds more like this in the coming years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterphotos Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 It's been raining here in Webster too...I imagine the same for Kemah. I haven't heard anything about a test run yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmulder21 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Anything new lorddoonga or Coasterphotos?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterphotos Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I've got some sad news to report...after much oiling and much hammering, the first train was finally dispatched around 8:15 or so....and probably won't be any more for a few days. The train didn't make it up the third hill and is vallied somewhere in the middle of the ride. Might have photos and video a little later. Edit: Added photos. It was getting dark and was at the limit of what I can do with my camera and still hold it by hand...so the photos are slightly blurry. First train First train First train Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmulder21 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Did it valley in the hill behind it in pic 3? I would naturally assume so. It looks too tall/banked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdude5 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ^^ Nice... This coaster looks like it's gonna be one intense ride. I'd take a compact coaster over a spread out one any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterphotos Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Did it valley in the hill behind it in pic 3? I would naturally assume so. It looks too tall/banked. Kind of...the part of the hill you see in pic 3 is actually the drop coming off of the third hill...so it vallied before that, coming up to that point. It didn't miss it by too much...maybe another 5mph and it would have made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 What other wood coasters have vallied on their first run? Is this a common occurence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 ^ it's common for woodies on their first few runs .. your dealing with natural materials that expand and contract more than steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterphotos Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Video: http://www.coasterphotos.com/Videos/movies/BB_FirstTrain.wmv 15MB, Windows Media 9 NOTE: Due to the configuration of my web site, you must right click and "save as" to view the video. Clicking on the link will get you a warning about stealing bandwidth.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Thanks for posting! It would be great to see a video of how they pull it through to the next drop, and then I suppose let it go again? What exactly is involved as far as equipment goes? It sounds like this would make one heckuva "making of" documentary/DVD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailBlazer Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 No anti-rollbacks at the top of that hill?! What were they thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterphotos Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Probably that it would be going fast enough that it wouldn't need them... Doubt I'll get video of them pulling the train as I imagine it will happen while I am at work tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastrfreak2000 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 It has PTC trains? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterphotos Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 It has PTC trains? What else would it have? PTC is about the only option for non GCI coasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I'm making a flash version of this to avoid theft for Jason and reduce bandwidth load on the servers .. I'll post the new link when this is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asr Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I'm making a flash version of this to avoid theft for Jason and reduce bandwidth load on the servers .. I'll post the new link when this is done. Thanks alot. The video doesn't even work for me, and I tried it in WMP 9, WMP 11, WMP 6.4, and Media Player Classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorddoonga Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I arrived at the Boardwalk today around 11:30am. It had just poured rain earlier. The crew began to climb Bullet. Around 12 noon it began to drizzle long enough for the crew to stop and huddle underneath Bullet’s exit area. It lasted around 1.5 hours. When it stopped they climbed again. Crew members I spoke with reassured me that testing would take place TODAY... from within "an hour" to dark. But there were many odds and ends to do including placing pieces of steel track for the upstop wheels on "air-time" sections. Finally at 2 p.m. you hear the station crew flip on the LIFT CHAIN. The top pulley wheel is fluorescent orange. IT WAS MUSIC TO MY EARS! Then between 3-4 p.m. it was TURNED OFF. You could see Mr. Vlemick pacing anxiously yelling "okay people we got a job to do, let's go". Around 7:30 p.m., Mr. Vlemick yells "30 MORE MINUTES PEOPLE!" At this point some spots of the 1st and 3rd drops were still getting centered and nailed again. One pair of crew members was applying grease onto the track, while a second pair was following behind smoothing it out with long handled paint brush rollers. Finally another "project manager" ordered another pair to assist the second pair. THAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER. Finally workers began tracing the track picking up strung out tools. One worker used a leaf blower to blow away saw dust and what-not from off the track itself. Additional support planks of wood for supports were all brought down by construction a "cherry picker”. Workers are finally finishing up the major check list. And the chain lift is TURNED ON ONCE AGAIN around 7:45 I think. No turning back now. Around 8:00 p.m., all the crew gathered around on the street sitting from a long days work to watch test run no. 1. Everyone is positioned and perched gazing at the first drop. Finally looking through the structure, we notice the train has CLEARED THE STATION. You could hear it the moment it reached it and began ascending the lift. At this point, everyone is APPLAUDING AND HOLLERING! Cameras and videos are in place. Bullet CRESTS OVER THE TOP HILL leaving behind the lift and makes it's turnaround reaching the FIRST DROP. That was a "birth moment" for everyone and the crowd ROARS. The station crew mounted the crash test DECAPITATED dummies. The SOUND OF BULLET'S descent was like a SUDDEN RUSH OF WHOOSHING AIR. I was expecting it to be a lot louder. By now my mind's reaction is like in a vacuum. As it bottoms out into the first right curve the cars seem to wobble/shift a little, nothing major. Then Bullet disappears from sight. As it approached the INCLINE OF THE 3RD HILL, it began to SLOW DOWN DRASTICALLY AND QUICKLY. Everyone's WORST NIGHTMARE was realized... it DID NOT HAVE THE EXTRA SPEED to pull itself over. Then it DESCENDED BACKWARDS ... VALLEYING BACK-N-FORTH somewhere between the far end of the track near the bay and the return towards the third hill. You should've seen the look on the crew's faces and spectators because IT SAID IT ALL. There was an IMMEDIATE HUSH and DEAD SILENCE ... except for Bullet still valleying. I looked towards Jason and we both said, "VERY DISAPPOINTING to happen on the very first test run." Now is when the crew leaves the Boardwalk with SHOCKED LOOKS on their faces. Jason and I left also. On a good note, I met both COREY and MIKE of GRAVITY GROUP as they were patiently waiting for Bullet's test to get started. They were not in our vicinity to watch when it began. I can only imagine WHAT THEY WERE THINKING OR FEELING. I have a couple of shots I'll post.... Edit for sizing/pic. First test run Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorddoonga Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Corey of GRAVITY GROUP lets me photo-op demonstrating his "Corey 3000" template. Earlier, he and Mike were on the bottom sections of the track placing the template bottom end tips within the track itself to inspect the clearance of the Bullet train within the structure (like an imaginary worm hole), getting ready for the first test run. "Corey 3000" template Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorddoonga Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Did it valley in the hill behind it in pic 3? I would naturally assume so. It looks too tall/banked. My first reaction was that it was too tall, not to banked. From the street angle it looks very tall + banked. However, if you have a look from the next door neighbors backyard... it is not severly banked, but more level. That's what Restoca noticed also, like an optical illusion. I think it just needs some track tweaking perhaps opening the distance up some more for the train wheels. Watching them spend the better portion of the entire day on the 2nd drop I wouldn't have imagined it being the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Thanks LD for the blow by blow report! I'm guessing Voyage and/or Hades did not valley ever on their test runs, so I imagine it was a tremendous disappointment. Kudos to the crew, though! It sounds like over the last 8 months they have endured the worst coaster building weather in history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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