PortugePunk Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I was digging through my old box of photos today and I found a bunch of my old photos from the construction site tour I took when they were building Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (then still called Six Flags Marine World). I thought I'd share them. I was documenting the construction of this thing for a school project, so I have more if anybody cares. Just have to scan 'em. Hope you guys get a kick out of this. Oh.. and there's a couple of non-Medusa shots thrown in at the end for extra random fun. Ok Here we go. Looking East across Fairgrounds Drive, toward Vallejo/Benicia from the top of the lift hill catwalk. The control panel a few weeks before everything was hooked together. Wide shot of the area before any landscaping or fencing was installed. They were still pouring the concrete for the midway at this point. "Sea Serpent" element as seen from the mid-course brake run. Station construction & theming Corkscrew #2 as seen from the mid-course brake run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PortugePunk Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 And here are the extras I mentioned - from the media day for V2: Vertical Velocity --- the original configuration with both vertical spires above the 150 ft height restriction. These were in the box with the others and thought they were fun. This was the big group of peeps from ACE that came out for V2's media day. The original, vertical sprialing spire -- 186 feet-ish. Now it's chopped and leaned over at 45 degrees. So weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Amazing pics. Retro construction pics are the best. Please post more when you can... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenA07 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I always liked Medusa West, I thought the Sea Serpent was an interesting element, it was a nice change from the standard cobra roll. Just curious but did B&M ever do another sea serpent element on another coaster? Thanks for the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Disneylander Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 ^ No, B&M has never built a Sea Serpent on any other coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matteocrepaldi Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Does anybody know when B&M started to paint the rails??? I thought it was only in the 90s when they let them unpainted. This is probably one of the last ones created with unpainted rails. BTW, awesome photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PortugePunk Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Just curious but did B&M ever do another sea serpent element on another coaster? As far as I know, I don't think they have... But I know that the Rock 'N Roller Coasters have an element pretty similar, just way smaller in scale: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satchboogie3 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Does anybody know when B&M started to paint the rails??? I thought it was only in the 90s when they let them unpainted. This is probably one of the last ones created with unpainted rails. I'm not sure, but I did notice some pictures from the mid-to-late 90's (97,98) that had painting rails (BTR at SFMM (97), Oblivion (98), Riddler's Revenge (98)). I don't think it's a standard thing, though, because B&M have still made recent coasters without painted rails (Goliath SFOG - 2006). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I actually like V2 with the 45 degree thing. Thought it was pretty awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Wide shot of the area before any landscaping or fencing was installed. You mean before they came up with that really attractive parking-lot effect beneath it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cal1br3tto Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I actually like V2 with the 45 degree thing. Thought it was pretty awesome. I've only been on the new version, and personally, I really only care about the back spike (and therefore, I love to sit near the back). The hangtime on the front spike is kinda fun, though. More on topic: For some reason I just love the views from Medusa. I love California so that brought back (fairly recent) memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satchboogie3 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I also like the 45* V2. I've been on the 90* type (SFWOA) as well and I have to say I prefer the "hangtime" on the 45* spike. The only regular inverted impulse I prefer over that is Wicked Twister. The height and speed make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiSab Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 One thing I've wondered is if the park considers V2 to have an inversion. Because it definitely does by the standard definition. And if they do, I wonder why they don't advertise it as the only impulse with an inversion (unless they do - I've never been to the park to know for myself). Nice shots, by the way. It's always interesting to see parks and rides under construction from years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packfanlv Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ok since it is mentioned here I have always wondered about V2. How did they get it built and approved if it violated the height restrictions for the area. Were the rules changed after it was a built or did someone simply make a mistake in letting them build above 150 feet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KGA29 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Ok since it is mentioned here I have always wondered about V2. How did they get it built and approved if it violated the height restrictions for the area. Were the rules changed after it was a built or did someone simply make a mistake in letting them build above 150 feet? Bingo! The park claimed that the ride was 150ft when it wasn't. Later investigations made them change the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rawrtotheargh Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Awesome photos! Thanks for posting those. Just curious what was the project for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PortugePunk Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Ok since it is mentioned here I have always wondered about V2. How did they get it built and approved if it violated the height restrictions for the area. Were the rules changed after it was a built or did someone simply make a mistake in letting them build above 150 feet? I always wondered this, myself since the inspectors in Vallejo are notoriously rigid. Maybe there was speculation about it originally or something? I never understood the 150 limit for Vallejo in the first place. They claim it's because of proximity to Napa Regional airport bit some of the trees right around there are at LEAST 200 feet so that doesn't hold up to me so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Nice seeing such retro pictures. I am going to SFDK next month and I am so excited! Any pictures of Kong or Roar's construction? Is the B&M "Sea Serpent" the same as Vekoma's "Sea Serpent Roll" found on mass produced SLC's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atem122 Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 ^No because B&M is cool and calls it a sea serpent roll while vekoma is lame and calls it a rollover. I guess the sea serpent roll is more like a cobra roll with the corkscrews going in the same direction though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreditCrazy Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 According to rcdb.com both are called a rollover. I've ridden them both and they do pretty much feel the same, except one is on a B&M...and the other is on a vekoma. Anyways these pictures are great. I really hate how Medusa's first drop isn't nearly as awesome as it looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PortugePunk Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 as requested, here are a few more. i'll scan more if i have time. Check out Kong's old color scheme in the background - UGLY POOP BROWN & ORANGE! Ugh. It was nasty! Foundation pouring for a food stall, I believe. Here, you can see that not all of the concrete for the midway was poured yet. Turn around & corkscrew 2 from the lifthill. Station construction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PortugePunk Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 scanned a few more. Looking directly down at corkscrew #1 from the mid-course brake. Not a view you see very often. Here you can see where they were storing all of the plants for the landscaping near Kong, etc. There IS STILL no landscaping underneath this part of the ride. It's still old parking lot. Looking down on the mid-course brake and corkscrew #1 from the lift hill. The midway is not finished yet and there are no fences or gates up yet. More station construction -- the wall that makes a barrier between the ride and the employee back-area is not up yet. You can see the curb for it in the foreground. Construction on the station - notice that there are no queue rails or admission gates yet. Midway through erecting the ride - assembling the dive loop. Pouring more concrete for midways. This is the extension that comes off of the main midway to the dead end area that is home to Medusa & Kong. Walking on the brake run looking toward the station. Pouring midways. Still adding pieces of the coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebl Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Very nice photos. Shamefully, this park is just up the state from me and I haven't ridden Medusa. Medusa was just beginning construction when I was there for the ACE Fall Conference in 1999, and I haven't been back in the area since. At some point, I need to take a trip up to that area and hit CGA, Gilroy Gardens (have been there, believe it or not), and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Ok since it is mentioned here I have always wondered about V2. How did they get it built and approved if it violated the height restrictions for the area. Were the rules changed after it was a built or did someone simply make a mistake in letting them build above 150 feet? I believe they tried to cheat the system by measuring V2's height compared to another point in the area (I think it was the hills by the lake). They argued that the ride was only 150ft tall from that point, instead of its actual height. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenaapple1974 Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Nice old shots! I love seeing stuff like that! Is this Medusa a mirror image of the one in SFGA? I notice the drop is backwards, but you mention it has the only sea serpent element... so I was wondering if it was the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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