Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[GayCoasterGuy]

I believe this. Arrow may have had similar plans for Viper @ SFMM as it has four trains as well: Brown, red, yellow and orange.

Those colors would have been very cool! Didn't they end up all green with an orange stripe?

 

Shockwave at Great America had 4 trains; one was in an accident while on the flat bed truck en route to the park before it opened. I think it showed up later, so there were 2 yellow and 2 red. Later, one train went to GASM at Great Adventure (?) and the existing 3rd train was painted blue. I don't think they ever ran all 4, that would have been crazy. They did an excellent job with 3 though!

[DanM64]

Actually, all rides have different dispatch intervals based on the number of ride vehicles on it at any point in time. If you have two trains on a ride, and you are dispatching them really quickly and then you have an empty station for a while, that looks kinda crappy. It's much better to space them so they are apart from one another so you don't have a flurry of activity, and then a clear hole where the third train would be. Keeps the line moving smoother, and keeps the potential for downtime less as you have a little bit of time to play with dispatching the next vehicle, since it rolls in and out when it is already ready to go.

 

There are sometimes external factors that weigh on when a ride can be dispatched, and it may be for different reasons. My guess would be that if you wait to dispatch the train until the previous one on Whizzer is through the brakes near the lift, you don't run the risk of those brakes engaging a train. I know that in the early 2000s when I hung out on boards like this sometimes that it was not an uncommon occurance for the Whizzer to be pushed out of that brake in particular. The change could have more to do with the fact that the park doesn't want the embarassment of having to push it out of the brake, so to eliminate a lot of potential for that issue, they make the ride wait until it has passed through that particular section of the ride.

Thnaks for all the great info! I think you're spot on with Whizzer. If it were to get stuck on the brake by the lift and you had just dispatched another train ypu'd be in quite a pickle, as I know for a fact that if the computer or the operator stop the train on the lift it is impossible to start it up again, you have to push that train all the way to the top manually!! Bet that would be fun.

 

So in that case, you'd be pushing 2 different trains!

[GayCoasterGuy]

On the curve above the brake run (the right hand curve after the pond drop, and before the final helix) there used to be a brake. The brackets are still there, but the brake itself is long gone. There was also one on the high curve after the first drop. A friend in the know told me that Anton designed his rides with NO trim brakes, that those were in fact block brakes. I haven't verified that for myself, so not sure about those. The brake we KNOW is both a trim and a block is the large straight one next to the lift.

 

Revolution at SFMM also has a few of those non-straight brakes at the tops of hills. Revolution had 6 trains at opening, and could run 5. Magic Mountain used to buy and extra train for each of their coasters - to ensure capacity if one train were to go down. I was also told those old (and wonderful) Anton coasters including Whizzer and Revolution were built to run 5-7 trains each. For more than 5 trains, it took a manual operation, while 5 or less could be run by the ride "computer" (PLC = Programmable Logic Controller). There are some videos of Revolution going into the loop while another train is "threading" the loop. I assume those were for show when the ride was being run manually by maintenance, or someone from Intamin or Schwarzkopf. (Wouldn't it be funny if it was Anton himself!? Geez I'm a nerd.)

 

Here is another great picture. One train at top of lift, one going up 4th hill, one in transfer, one coming into the station and I think there may be one leaving the station:

[DJeXeL]

Those colors would have been very cool! Didn't they end up all green with an orange stripe?

 

No they still have their respective color stripes however 1 of the trains has a vinyl wrap advertisement on it now. Not sure what color though.

 

Seeing the Whizzer makes me miss the Zambezi Zinger @ WoF. Loved that thing as a child.

[GayCoasterGuy]

No they still have their respective color stripes however 1 of the trains has a vinyl wrap advertisement on it now. Not sure what color though.

 

I never realized that. Now the geek in me needs to go look for pictures of them!

 

Seeing the Whizzer makes me miss the Zambezi Zinger @ WoF. Loved that thing as a child.

 

Holy cow, yeah! I always explained Zambezi as the "slightly smaller but more rambunctious brother of Whizzer." The hills were all much steeper, and there was good air time in a few places. And that tunnel!

 

 

I'd love to get to get to South America and ride it in it's new home. Since we were talking capacity and all that fun stuff, you can see four trains (even though one is in transfer) in this picture:

 

 

That was a crime removing such a great ride. It was very popular with everyone it seemed.

[zombi3elephant9]

Hey, am i the only one who thinks that they should build Green Lantern First Flight in the old station where Iron wolf is, or they could take out the bumper cars in Orleans place and put Green Lantern there. With Superman, Dark knight, and Green Lantern all in the same place, they could rename Orleans to "Hero Plaza" or some crap like that. Actually that's a pretty good idea. Great America, you should do this for next year

[deathbydinn]

^ No thanks. We don't need another low capacity ride, and we definitely do not need any area themed to dumb super heroes.

[sfgam#1]

I would have to agree, no more low capacity rides. Plus I like Orleans place how it is now.

[Cameron]

Hey, am i the only one who thinks that they should build Green Lantern First Flight in the old station where Iron wolf is, or they could take out the bumper cars in Orleans place and put Green Lantern there.

 

Now there's no way I can be absolutely sure about this, but I'd wager that yes you are the only one who thinks that

 

First off, as Jon mentioned, Green Lantern is low capacity. Second, it's a horrible horrible ride. The great people of Chicago and Milwaukee rejoiced when Iron Wolf left - none of us want it replaced with another horrific torture device!

 

Personally I'd love to see the Iron Wolf space filled with something like Sky Rocket at Kennywood - or perhaps even something Maverick-esqe. Or - if this really is a trust and true Universe - that space would be filled with about 5 Bayern Kurves!

 

Cameron.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Hey, am i the only one who thinks that they should build Green Lantern First Flight in the old station where Iron wolf is, or they could take out the bumper cars in Orleans place and put Green Lantern there.

 

Now there's no way I can be absolutely sure about this, but I'd wager that yes you are the only one who thinks that

 

First off, as Jon mentioned, Green Lantern is low capacity. Second, it's a horrible horrible ride. The great people of Chicago and Milwaukee rejoiced when Iron Wolf left - none of us want it replaced with another horrific torture device!

 

Personally I'd love to see the Iron Wolf space filled with something like Sky Rocket at Kennywood - or perhaps even something Maverick-esqe. Or - if this really is a trust and true Universe - that space would be filled with about 5 Bayern Kurves!

 

Cameron.

 

 

I personally wouldn't mind a Blue Fire clone. I've never ridden it but It looks amazing, smooth, and cool.

[mcjaco]

Or - if this really is a trust and true Universe - that space would be filled with about 5 Bayern Kurves!

 

Cameron.

 

 

This.

[zombi3elephant9]

Hey, am i the only one who thinks that they should build Green Lantern First Flight in the old station where Iron wolf is, or they could take out the bumper cars in Orleans place and put Green Lantern there.

 

Now there's no way I can be absolutely sure about this, but I'd wager that yes you are the only one who thinks that

 

First off, as Jon mentioned, Green Lantern is low capacity. Second, it's a horrible horrible ride. The great people of Chicago and Milwaukee rejoiced when Iron Wolf left - none of us want it replaced with another horrific torture device!

 

Personally I'd love to see the Iron Wolf space filled with something like Sky Rocket at Kennywood - or perhaps even something Maverick-esqe. Or - if this really is a trust and true Universe - that space would be filled with about 5 Bayern Kurves!

 

Cameron.

 

well i thought it would be cool to get an Intamin ZacSpin in my little old theme park in the MidWest. I guess i didn't think about the capacity of the ride or the roughness because, well i have never been on one. Also, naming it after a comic book character that had a movie that just straight up bombed at the box office probably wouldn't be a good idea. But i guess a Sky Rocket ride would be cool. or, i duno just throwing things out there an Intamin Strata Coaster? Ha! Just joking that would never happen!

[Geauga Dog]

Though I haven't ridden it but based on the opinion of most TPR members something compact like iSpeed in Iron Wolf's spot would be ideal. It's compact enough to fit in that spot.

[Woodie Warrior]

I rode Iron Wolf in 2010 and is #11 on my list of 27 steel coasters I've ridden.

I honestly didn't think it was too rough, but it wasn't that special to me.

Raging Bull is the only steel coaster I've ridden that completely blew me away.

[DanM64]

Though I haven't ridden it but based on the opinion of most TPR members something compact like iSpeed in Iron Wolf's spot would be ideal. It's compact enough to fit in that spot.

Personally I'd love to see the Iron Wolf space filled with something like Sky Rocket at Kennywood - or perhaps even something Maverick-esqe. Or - if this really is a trust and true Universe - that space would be filled with about 5 Bayern Kurves!

I agree 100%. There are already more than enough B&M's in the park. I'd love to see another Intamin sprinkled in, and some form of blitz coaster for fit in perfectly in that spot I would imagine. Nothing wrong with you Bayern Kurve idea either, Cameron!

[GoBears]

SFGAm is my home park and I would love to see a compact Intamin added to Wolf's former spot. However, the spot is definitely more tight then what some people realize but removing the Wilderness Theater would provide a bit more room. I think an Intamin would be a great addition to an already great collection of roller coasters at the park. The only Intamins at SFGAm are V2 and American Eagle. I believe Eagle is the first Intamin coaster (besides Jr. Gemini) ever built but I could be wrong.

 

Here's a look at the former spot of Wolf and you can see the Wilderness Theater off to the side (left) that they could remove to make more room...

 

 

I wish they would remove Winner's Circle Go-Karts in Yukon (though it was built recently) which looks very ugly to the area and move the kids attractions from Camp Cartoon to that space. That would create even more room on the side of the pathway where Wolf was for a bigger coaster.

[Woodie Warrior]

I don't think we will see anything in that area soon.

SFGAm will probably get a SkyScreamer next year.

[Vonni]

I hope they dont get a SkyScreamer

[NAMTABSFGAm]

It is also my home park and I was trying to think of a way to open up some new room for a coaster to go in Iron Wolfs land and then some. I wad thinking what if they could move all of the rides including Spracely Sprockets Rockets that are are in Camp Cartoon and move them to Hometown Square. I think they could fit all of the rides and the coaster in the spot where the 3 point challenge and ladder climb game is. It could be called Hometown Park just like the kids rides and kiddie are there used to be, ahh the memories. With the then they could remove the Wilderness Theater and then we could add a great and big roller coaster coaster in that spot. thoughts on that idea?

[Rollercoaster Rider]

It is also my home park and I was trying to think of a way to open up some new room for a coaster to go in Iron Wolfs land and then some. I wad thinking what if they could move all of the rides including Spracely Sprockets Rockets that are are in Camp Cartoon and move them to Hometown Square. I think they could fit all of the rides and the coaster in the spot where the 3 point challenge and ladder climb game is. It could be called Hometown Park just like the kids rides and kiddie are there used to be, ahh the memories. With the then they could remove the Wilderness Theater and then we could add a great and big roller coaster coaster in that spot. thoughts on that idea?

 

 

I don't think a Coaster would fit in Hometown Park.

[NAMTABSFGAm]

It is also my home park and I was trying to think of a way to open up some new room for a coaster to go in Iron Wolfs land and then some. I wad thinking what if they could move all of the rides including Spracely Sprockets Rockets that are are in Camp Cartoon and move them to Hometown Square. I think they could fit all of the rides and the coaster in the spot where the 3 point challenge and ladder climb game is. It could be called Hometown Park just like the kids rides and kiddie are there used to be, ahh the memories. With the then they could remove the Wilderness Theater and then we could add a great and big roller coaster coaster in that spot. thoughts on that idea?

 

 

I don't think a Coaster would fit in Hometown Park.

 

You don't even think the Spracely Sprockets Rockets I was talking about going in there, a Vekoma Roller-Skater Model with a track length of about 680 feet could fit there. They could even build it over some of the existing grass by the little creek. But again it was just an idea.

[goatdan]

Space really isn't an issue for *any* park when it comes to building new roller coasters. Remember, roller coasters ultimately use relatively smally track that can go over, under, or around existing structures if the ride is being built custom for the park. Iron Wolf's space is enough to build many coasters.

[zombi3elephant9]

So i just went to Six Flags GA today and it was pretty good. The lines weren't too bad, then again i only went on three rides for the 3 hours i was there. I got to experience Batman backwards and it was a little Nauseating not going to lie. The scariest part of the ride was going up the lift hill, i felt like i was going to fall out. I also went on The Dark Night because it had no wait, and it seems like they have changed some of the theme for the ride. For starters, you no longer have to sit through the pre-show (thank god), but they got ride of a lot of the lighting and sound FX on the ride, The whole thing is basically in the dark and more boring then ever! They didn't have the new Grand finale light show up yet but i don't care, but when they do have it up i hope it will be like Disney where everyone goes to see all the shows so you can go on all of the rides with no wait.

[DanM64]

That light machine at the very end of TDK always used to breal when I was working it a few years ago. I don't think it worked at all in 2011 the few times I was there, wouldn't be suprised if they just disabled it. Hopefully they'll get all of the theming for it back up and running (minus the preshow, of course! Leave that thing broken forever!)

[Woodie Warrior]

The preshow was confusing, but it was the only themed part of the attraction.

I vote remove all the lights, sounds, and themeing and make it pitch black.

Rename it "Black Hole" or something.