coasterfreak101 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I didn't think Beast was particularly rough when I rode it a few years ago (can't speak for how it is now, of course). I like it because it is unique among wooden coasters, thanks to its rather eccentric layout. I didn't think it was either when I rode last year. It shook like an old wooden roller coaster should, but it didn't negatively affect my ride (if anything, it made it more genuine and a better ride). Both of us riding agreed that it was our favorite ride in the park, no contest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenA07 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 A few months back I was going through my "bag-o-coaster-stuff" that currently resides in my parents garage and came across the press kit from the opening of SOB. The whole thing made me think back to the incredable amount of hype surrounding that coaster when it opened. With the possible exception of Millennium Force, there really wasn't a bigger hyped ride that year. If Son of Beast doesn't go down as the biggest failures in industry history, it has a firm spot in the top 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Movieguy Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Let me change my suggestion from yesterday...lets say GCI could come in and not only retrack the Beast, but also replace the old trains with their awesome millennium flyers. Imagine one of those with the Beast Logo on the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreak101 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) ^GCI doesn't currently offer Millennium Flyers on tracks that aren't theirs. Though if they did want to, Kings Island is the closest park to their engineering office so they could keep tabs on it...maybe one day! Edited July 31, 2012 by coasterfreak101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 "Our Millennium Flyer trains may be available for existing wooden roller coasters that meet Great Coasters' strict standards for track and structure condition, as well as acceptable dynamic profiles. We are available to assess these conditions and help you with any necessary improvements that may be required in order to make your coaster fly." Source: GCI Site They WILL sell the MF trains for existing wooden coasters however GCI engineers need to evaluate the track first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayCoasterGuy Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Here's the thing about the Beast's brakes: the ride has always had brakes. The only different that set's these magnetic brakes apart from the skid brakes is that the magnetic brakes grab a little harder, but the speed is essentially the same as it always has been Hrm... I'll disagree with "the speed it essentially the same as it always has been." The speed has been the same since the early/mid 90s. The Beast had several "major step downs" in speed. Those occurred: 1) right after the ride opened in 1979 (this period, the 80s, is where I believe the Beast earned it's legendary reputation - that still somewhat remains today) 2) right after the rides 10th birthday, 1989 3) early 90s, 1992/93 iirc since (3) it's been essentially the same. I never rode the original 1979 Beast, but started riding it in the 80s and the 2 big speed "step downs" are very vivid in my head. The most logical way to make the Beast *great* again would be to let it run faster than it does; that is what made the ride so fun and even frightening to people. Of course, they would have to cut the magnetic brakes in half, or something... and then increase the maintenance budget. The structure is built with old school John Allen formulae; the structure and track bed definitely would need major bolstering. Especially with those heavy lap bar assemblies the ride was not designed to run with. But as it is today, it's just fine for Cedar Fair/KI I'm sure. The ride created a legend for itself, and most folks that ride today don't know any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jynx242 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I found that non-wheel seat rides on Beast were pretty great. The nighttime rides were epic - until I sat right on a wheel...my chiropractor LOVED that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOGdude25 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 ^^Ah ok. So that would explain everyone's praise of the ride back in the 80s. My first ride was in 2000 back when the skid brakes were still there. This makes me wish that I had a time machine now haha. Thanks for filling me in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Yeah, the Beast was definitely a lot better in the pre-magnetic brakes era. It's still a personal favorite, but not quite the same ride experience that it used to be. I've always thought that a major rehab for the Beast would be a great thing, get new trains, new track work, and maybe even throw in a few small air time hills on those long straight (and rather boring) sections between the first drop and second lift. Breathe some life back into that monster. I could be crazy here, but for some reason I remember GCI doing some off season track work on the Beast at some point a few years ago, but maybe not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierBeast Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I've always thought that the Beast could be best upgraded by going back to some of the rides original features. We all hate the trims but they are probably a necessity if we want it to continue running for a long time, and to quell the people who complain about roughness on every fast woodie. However much of the ride has been re-tracked and I would think the trims could probably be shortened up on the second drop and in the brake shed, and possibly even removed from the first drop. Also, I think the old PTC trains are cool and it'd be neat if they'd remove the squeezing seat divider and view blocking seat backs and put in a single lap bar like in the old days along with the seat belts (who knows what regulations etc. could interfere). It would add a retro vibe and create an experience that no coaster could match. Even with the brakes and such it is still an amazing ride! I rode it at night (last ride of the night, front seat) a few weeks ago and it was the best coaster ride I've ever had, and I'm no beginner. To further that claim I went to Cedar Point in the following days and rode MF and TTD in the front seat at night and they didn't come close to that ride on the Beast! The trims barely caught the train and the thing was going faster than I've ever seen. Point is, the ride has flaws but it's still one of the best, which is amazing because it is 20-30 years older than the other highly ranked woodies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Put me on the bandwagon who thinks Beast could definitely be improved with Topper Track. Reduced maintenance costs + brake removal = amazing. Most of the Topper-modified coasters have been giving smoother rides where the track was replaced, so why not give Beast a larger-scale renovation where a majority of the track is replaced and the brakes are removed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theonetheonlyJT Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I personally would like to see RMC remake SOB into something insane and with new elements like they're now know for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayCoasterGuy Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Just think, they have 4 times the number of restraints to check today. Things change - "it is what it is!" Someone mentioned the ride is boring on the flat sections between curves. Now... imagine those flat sections but twice as fast! The train would have a very "hurtling" feel to it. I thought Voyage could benefit from a few of those flat sections (they also could have beat the length record with just 3 or 4 of those). The Beast sometimes hurt folks at night b/c it was pitch black and you couldn't see the curves coming; they later added more and brighter flood lights. The changes suck, but it's par for the course (pun not intended!) One odd thing that surprised me is when they painted the whole ride BROWN. It was always a nice red-stained color; similar to the Kennywood Racer. It looked great and WILD; with new pieces of lumber here and there, it really worked. Why paint that with brown house paint? Strange. Why not just leave it looking *WILD* and spend that painting budget on maintenance and let it run faster? I have no clue if they still paint the ride... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) I personally would like to see RMC remake SOB into something insane and with new elements like they're now know for. You forget one little detail: there never was anything wrong with the track. It was closed because of problems with the support structure. RMC wouldn't be able to use much of the existing ride. Edited August 1, 2012 by BDG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishBuckeye Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 SoB: you can't hurt anyone, anymore. *shaking* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GHUDV3aW-w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Put me on the bandwagon who thinks Beast could definitely be improved with Topper Track. Reduced maintenance costs + brake removal = amazing. Most of the Topper-modified coasters have been giving smoother rides where the track was replaced, so why not give Beast a larger-scale renovation where a majority of the track is replaced and the brakes are removed? You forget one little detail: there never was anything wrong with the track. It was closed because of problems with the support structure. Are you talking about Beast or Son of Beast, BDG? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDG Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Are you talking about Beast or Son of Beast, BDG? Oops. SOB obviously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Someone mentioned the ride is boring on the flat sections between curves. Now... imagine those flat sections but twice as fast! The train would have a very "hurtling" feel to it. I thought Voyage could benefit from a few of those flat sections (they also could have beat the length record with just 3 or 4 of those). I mentioned that the flat sections are rather boring now, but they certainly didn't used to be. When that thing was still hauling around those curves before the magnetic brakes were installed that was one of my favorite sections of the ride. They banking and pace of it all was so funky and insane that it was just awesome. BUT, even with the insane speeds I still think some additional reprofiling and air time hills could make that section even more incredible. Imagine the finally of the Raven, but 3 times as long. Also, in my 20 plus years of riding that coaster I have never once in any seat gotten any sort of air time on the second drop before the long brake shed, thus I approve of turning that into some type of wicked double down. I'm not normally in favor of heavily re-profiling and extensively changing "classic" coasters but I feel like the Beast has such a unique layout that it could fairly easily be transformed into a top 5 modern wooden coaster with a minimal investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Are you talking about Beast or Son of Beast, BDG? Oops. SOB obviously. Yeah, that's what I figured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stashua123 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Put me on the bandwagon who thinks Beast could definitely be improved with Topper Track. Reduced maintenance costs + brake removal = amazing. Most of the Topper-modified coasters have been giving smoother rides where the track was replaced, so why not give Beast a larger-scale renovation where a majority of the track is replaced and the brakes are removed? BLASPHEMY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 ^ Care to explain why bringing the ride back to its original state and last longer maintenance-wise with modern technology would be blasphemous? Adding Topper would mean the park doesn't have to keep the brakes and the ride can run just like it did in its early years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOGdude25 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Someone mentioned the ride is boring on the flat sections between curves. Now... imagine those flat sections but twice as fast! The train would have a very "hurtling" feel to it. I thought Voyage could benefit from a few of those flat sections (they also could have beat the length record with just 3 or 4 of those). Imagine the finally of the Raven, but 3 times as long. You know, Will Koch drew most of his inspiration of the Raven from the Beast. If the Beast was renovated like that, it would be far and wide the greatest wooden roller coaster ever built IMHO. Of course, the reality of this actually happening is pretty slim. If it did happen, I can guarantee that a LOT of older coaster purists would hate Kings Island forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 If it did happen, I can guarantee that a LOT of older coaster purists would hate Kings Island forever. And Kings Island would forever be a better place because of it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOGdude25 Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 ^This is true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexGolay Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Why are so many people arguing about The Beast? First off, I thought this was all about SoB. Secondly, have any of you ridden The Beast this season? It is running perfectly. I've been to the park twice this summer and ridden The Beast at least 10 times. All of the track work they did in the off-season helped a ton! The ride is running great. It's a 33 year old ride, so of course there could be improvements, but that would take away the classic "Beast" feeling. A topper track is just impractical. From the front of the train to the back, it is running better than it has in the past few years. The Beast is arguably KI's star coaster (other than Diamondback)... doing any huge modifications would turn SO many people off from the ride. Any huge changes would not be in the park's best interest. And I'm not completely bummed that they are taking SoB out. I liked the ride, but it wasn't as great as it could have been. I only got to ride it maybe 3 or 4 times. By the time I had ridden it, the loop was already removed. It was a good ride. VERY fast and probably the most intense woodie I've ever been on. It had potential, but it was a mediocre ride after all. I think taking it out is a good move. It's been such an eyesore since '09. Removing it will free up a lot of space. Only time will tell what they decide to fill the space up with. But hey, that's just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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