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Kennywood (KW) Discussion Thread


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I'll be happy when they finally bring back the Old Mill. Kick Garfield out!

 

Agreed! But didn't their licensing agreement with Garfield expired? I really much rather see Kennywood retheme bring back the "Old Mill" and give Garfield the boot!

 

Anything would be better than Garfield. I never got a chance to experience the Old Mill and was really depressed to see how random and poorly done Garfield was. Something like Playland's Ye Old Mill would be a much better fit for Kennywood.

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^Here is a slide show that will give you an idea of what the ride was like pre-Garfield. Some of the scenes are a little tough to make out due to the protective fences, however when riding the fences where barely noticeable.

 

 

 

Other then the goofy Garfield cutouts. The major differences are that there where pass byes for the boats and outdoor scenes with skeletons. I really missed those after they reworked the ride. They also moved the queue to the interior yard of the ride which was the only change I likes.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Went to kennywood for the first time saturday, had a great time, 7PM-1AM actually was a nice time frame for a haunt event. The lines weren't bad(with the clear exception being haunt attractions) but their VIP coaster tour(fast pass) for only 10$ was really nice and allowed for a more leisurely paced time. Got to ride my first bayern curve, and kangaroo flat. Will want to return to try out the rapids and flume plus the missed kiddie credit if possible.

 

Really was impressed by Phantom's Revenge, guess i wasn't expecting much from an arrow/morgan frankenstein but very awesome. Also Jack Rabbit's Oh $h!t moment was unexpected, backrow ride was excellent, not cyclops airtime but wasn't expecting anything like that. Great park, great rides, ride operators could use a mathematics class though.

 

Also not sure if it's been posted or not GIANT EAGLE is selling $27 dollar tickets for this event, plus you don't have to wait in line at the park open since nothing was open until 7:00:00. Great times, will be back.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Ok, so this picture is kind of bothering me. If Steel Phantom was built in 1991 and Lost Kennywood in 1995, why is there no Steel Phantom in the background of this shot?? Am I missing something glaringly obvious or was the Phantom just shopped out or something?

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^ I browse a Kennywood fan site from time to time. I believe the actual owner of the site is also a TPR member.

 

However, not much has been announced for the park at this point from reading there. The only known project I have seen is this:

 

The Thunderbolt roller coaster at Kennywood in West Mifflin, PA currently runs three trains built by the National Amusement Device Company (NAD). The trains used to be equipped with on-board headlights as seen in the image on the left.

 

Vibrations and fatigue eventually led to the headlights' removal. For the park's 100th anniversary in 1998, Kennywood restored the headlight system, but once again it proved too difficult to maintain.

 

In the fall of 2013, the Penn State Theme Park Engineering Group drafted a proposal to once again restore the headlight system.

 

Members of PSU TPEG spent many hours doing research on lighting and electrical systems. We proposed the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting for the two headlights near the top of the train's front end. In addition, current PSU TPEG president Chris Duarte designed three front grilles with the signature Thunderbolt 'T' (one for each train) which will be machined and installed where the third headlight would have been - front and center.

 

As of October of 2013, Kennywood has chosen to proceed with PSU TPEG's proposal for a new headlight system. We expect the restored headlight system to be operational on the Thunderbolt trains in time for Kennywood's 2014 operating season.

 

Click on this link for images

 

http://www.psuthemeparkengineering.com/kennywood-thunderbolt.html

 

May are hoping though for a refurb or The Ark and Old Mill (AKA: Garfield's Nightmare) or the return of the Turnpike. Those would all be great projects for an off year of new rides.

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I agree that it would be nice to see the headlights on the Thunderbolt's trains. That being said, Verbolten's trains at BGW have headlights, and their operations seem hit or miss.

Edited by cfc
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I could not agree more Larry.

 

I think the initial plan for The Ark's renovation this last time was an interesting one. To bad they had to cut the budget and some scenes due to having to reallocate the fund for rebuilding the actual ark. If what was planned happened, it would have been OK at the very least. Also, I am not sure what ever made them to decide to put the mechanical where they did on the finale with no real maintainable access. Kind of a stupid move like WDW did with the Yeti on Everest from what I have read.

 

As far as the Old Mill, I just wish they would remove Garfield, restore the outside and pass by scenes. I do not think this ride needs to be much more complicated then the original skeleton stunts. Every time I ride PoTC at Disneyland, I keep thinking that the first half of the ride would be great for the Old Mill. Of course scaled down a bit from the Disney detail. I understand though that some of Pittsburgh's finest where utilizing it for smoking weed and such and thus why the owning family at the time decided to try to make it a kids ride and be able to keep it. There was a Vekoma SLC hang and bang slated for to replace it at one point. Looks like they moved the concept a little and ended up with a Premier coaster instead.

 

Many are hoping for the Turnpike to return in the Phantoms first drop area. This was the area that has nothing in it now and was used for a centennial midway or something like that for one season. Personally, I think that is a bad idea and would distract from the Turnpike experience. I would prefer them find a nice wooded area like non-dancing fountains or towards the back of the Log Jammer. There is a lot of potential there with a few bridges and such.

 

As far as the unused space in the Phantoms drop. I would think a nice drop tower like Waldameer has would be perfect there now that their second gen Intamin is gone.

 

Sorry for the long post.

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  • 4 weeks later...

^I've always loved the flat speed section after Phatom's first drop, in both incarnations. Both times they announced a double-up would go there, and both times they didn't end up putting it in. I just scanned some pictures from 1991, thought I would share them. Enjoy

 

941868_425316450927326_1270388998_n.jpg

 

1460014_425316880927283_1596032274_n.jpg

 

1395921_425316457593992_521618138_n.jpg

 

You can see the torch marks where a mistake was made (on the white block connecting the track to the vertical support). Arrow had those sometimes, oops:

 

1235524_425316547593983_702318034_n.jpg

 

Bunch more here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.425316430927328.1073741831.178752772250363&type=3

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Ah yes, that's what I remember most of the old version. Not that it was painful, but that it went through way too fast, you really didnt even know the loops were there when you went through them. I was much more disoriented than feeling any sort of pain. Hmm, maybe I was just knocked senseless. It must have been hell on the track too, I would imagine.

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Great photos! Very glad I got to ride it in its final season. I enjoyed it, but I must have been too young to remember the pain

 

Also, I too wish they would take out Garfield. The Old Mill was much more enjoyable.

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I was able to ride the old Phantom in its very last season. To me, the inversions weren't all that bad (I was 8 when I rode it though). It was that %#&@-ing turn at the bottom of the second drop! The only way I could survive it was to plaster my head against the headrest as hard as humanly possible. It's still by far one of the roughest coasters I've ridden to date.

 

Also, if we're commenting on dark rides at Kennywood, I want to see a Noah's Ark refurb. I've been watching that ride waste away for the past few years, and it makes me sad to see it so decrepit. Half of the effects don't even work anymore, the figurines on the inside badly need to be repainted, and the Kennywood Bathosphere has been closed off for a few years now. It's sad that the last major refurb was successfully maintained for nearly 30 years, but our current Ark is showing its age at 17. Grumpy teenager, I guess?

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Good for these park workers. Not enough to retire on after splitting, but will make a nice holiday for them.

 

Kennywood workers win $1 million Powerball

 

Eight Kennywood carpenters won a $1 million Powerball.

 

According to our partners at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the amusement park employees bought the ticket at Al’s Market in Braddock this month.

 

The carpenters will split a jackpot of about $750,000 after the 25 percent federal withholding tax is taken out.

 

Al’s Market also sold a $1 million ticket in September.

 

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/kennywood-workers-win-powerball/nbzGJ/

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