Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[jfruge]

I am truly excited for this incredible looking coaster. My opinion on the matter of whether or not this coaster is moot, although I will state my confidence in the process that RMC is taking at present. I truly admire the risk the company is taking that I am certain will ensure a bright future for wooden coasters. I do agree with colleagues who've posted previously that the question and debate over whether or not this coaster is wooden or steel is vacant and should yield to the question of how good the ride itself is.

[glouthan]

Who cares if it's a wood coaster. I recall a few years back, at IAAPA, Alan Schilke said he wanted to make rides that look intimidating. I think the new lift looks WAY more intimidating than the old renderings. The new change looks great.

Edited February 24, 2014 by glouthan

[ArizonaGuy]

Very intimidating, that's for sure. Thing thing is going to look absolutely amazing when it's done.

 

Any reason why it was changed? Not that I mind the change, just curious.

[glouthan]

It was probably changed due to time constraints. (A minimalistic steel structure take less time to build than a massive wooden structure).

[netdvn]

Are we REALLY getting into this argument again? Goliath is a wooden coaster. It doesn't matter what the supports are or what wheels it runs on. If it's got wooden track, it's a wooden coaster. If you wanna classify it as a steel coaster, be my guest, but it's still a wooden coaster regardless.[/img]

 

Yeah, but it has steel track. It sits on top of some wood, but everything within the wheel assembly is steel, just like, say, a steel coaster. I don't really care if anyone thinks it is one way or another, but the attitude of "there's no argument! I'm obviously right!" is silly.

 

Wooden casters were built one way for a century. Now a ride like this is being built in a completely different way, of course there's room for questioning it.

 

 

Wood track + wood supports = wood coaster. OK fine the track is a little different from typical wooden coaster track. You can call it a hybrid or a grape flavored fruit chew, but it's still a wooden coaster at heart. And pretty much all wooden coasters run on steel rails. Topper track just uses thicker steel.

 

- I don't remember this whole wood vs. steel argument being as heavy (or as annoying) with Outlaw Run last year. Makes me wonder if Outlaw pulled the same lift stunt, would as many people dispute that it's a wood coaster?

[willthegolfer]

Very intimidating, that's for sure. Thing thing is going to look absolutely amazing when it's done.

 

Any reason why it was changed? Not that I mind the change, just curious.

I think this was planned all along, here's why.

-In the original concept art, there was no gap in the supports under the airtime hill, which is where the service road passes through. The road has been there for a long time and I doubt they would block it with supports because it is needed to get to maintenance area. Also, I believe at IAAPA someone at RMC said there would be a change in the support structure from the concept art. The park also stated at the TPR tour a few weeks ago that the ride was on schedule to open, and if this change was to speed up construction, I doubt that they came up with it in less than a month. I think they either wanted to keep it a secret or didn't have time to get an exact structure figured out in time for the announcement.

[NAMTABSFGAm]

Very intimidating, that's for sure. Thing thing is going to look absolutely amazing when it's done.

 

Any reason why it was changed? Not that I mind the change, just curious.

I think this was planned all along, here's why.

-In the original concept art, there was no gap in the supports under the airtime hill, which is where the service road passes through. The road has been there for a long time and I doubt they would block it with supports because it is needed to get to maintenance area. Also, I believe at IAAPA someone at RMC said there would be a change in the support structure from the concept art. The park also stated at the TPR tour a few weeks ago that the ride was on schedule to open, and if this change was to speed up construction, I doubt that they came up with it in less than a month. I think they either wanted to keep it a secret or didn't have time to get an exact structure figured out in time for the announcement.

That road is how emergency vehicles would get to a desired place if it was needed.

[willthegolfer]

Very intimidating, that's for sure. Thing thing is going to look absolutely amazing when it's done.

 

Any reason why it was changed? Not that I mind the change, just curious.

I think this was planned all along, here's why.

-In the original concept art, there was no gap in the supports under the airtime hill, which is where the service road passes through. The road has been there for a long time and I doubt they would block it with supports because it is needed to get to maintenance area. Also, I believe at IAAPA someone at RMC said there would be a change in the support structure from the concept art. The park also stated at the TPR tour a few weeks ago that the ride was on schedule to open, and if this change was to speed up construction, I doubt that they came up with it in less than a month. I think they either wanted to keep it a secret or didn't have time to get an exact structure figured out in time for the announcement.

That road is how emergency vehicles would get to a desired place if it was needed.

Ah, gotcha, even more of a reason that they wouldn't block it off.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I suggest everyone take a break from the discussion about whether it's wood or steel and appreciate that Alan Schilke and RMC brought this to real life. Without them, our definition of wooden coaster would still stick to GG's way or Intamin's way. They brought crappy giant woodies back to life with Iron Horse treatment and turn wooden coaster upside down multiple times very naturally. Goliath is already inspiring enough with the original support but before this, who can imagine i305 and SkyRush like support would appear on a wooden coaster?

[jray21]

Amen!

[rollin_n_coastin]

Wow. Nothing else really needs to be said. Not since seeing El Toro has a wooden coaster inspired awe--This is awesome. I'll agree with SoB comments in that it looked fantastic in a menacing way but at least here, we'll have a ride to match the look.

 

This is the first design of a train on a tracks that comes the closest to an actual railway in look and feel, if that makes sense? Definitely a modern classic.

 

I really hope to check out Outlaw Run soon as well, now more than ever.

[coasterbill]

Intamin's way.

 

You say being stuck with Intamin's way like that would be a bad thing. I love RMC but there's nothing wrong with this either

[rcjp]

^I was kind of thinking of that too. Sadly I've never ridden one

[Cameron]

I like how traditional wood coaster supports look.

 

Then go ride American Eagle and Viper, Goliath isn't trying to be a traditional wooden coaster

 

Joking aside, SFGAm already has two very good examples of traditional wood coasters, adding a third would be kind-of redundant. If no-one ever broke with tradition then we'd have no "plug and play" wood coasters, no inverted coasters, no impulse or launched coasters, heck we wouldn't even have steel coasters. This is a thrill-ride in an amusement park, it's totally OK to go a little mental (I would even argue that it should be encouraged!) ...

 

I can totally understand how some people might be concerned that crazy-insanity coasters like this might mean the end of new traditional wood coasters, but I personally don't see that happening. I can't see the future of course, so I have no proof; but just like there's room in the industry for many different types of steel coasters, there should be room for various types of wood coasters too. History has shown us that gigantic traditional wood coasters just don't work (Son Of Beast, Mean Streak, Voyage, and many many others), devising new technology to deliver these types of thrills is a Good Thing .

 

Cameron.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I like how traditional wood coaster supports look.

 

Then go ride American Eagle and Viper, Goliath isn't trying to be a traditional wooden coaster

 

Joking aside, SFGAm already has two very good examples of traditional wood coasters, adding a third would be kind-of redundant. If no-one ever broke with tradition then we'd have no "plug and play" wood coasters, no inverted coasters, no impulse or launched coasters, heck we wouldn't even have steel coasters. This is a thrill-ride in an amusement park, it's totally OK to go a little mental (I would even argue that it should be encouraged!) ...

 

I can totally understand how some people might be concerned that crazy-insanity coasters like this might mean the end of new traditional wood coasters, but I personally don't see that happening. I can't see the future of course, so I have no proof; but just like there's room in the industry for many different types of steel coasters, there should be room for various types of wood coasters too. History has shown us that gigantic traditional wood coasters just don't work (Son Of Beast, Mean Streak, Voyage, and many many others), devising new technology to deliver these types of thrills is a Good Thing .

 

Cameron.

 

We also have a very good Little Dipper wooden coaster.

[Pyrozooka0]

IMO, the supports are a stupid reason to not consider a ride wooden.

[GoBears]

I messaged Brandon Bruce about if Goliath's final design was going to use this new steel structure instead of the wooden structure for the lift and top of the zero-G stall all along and here's what he said...

 

"Hi Tyler,

 

Yes, the lift hill is a steel super structure supporting the wooden roller coaster track.

 

We decided to keep the final design for Goliath as a surprise and are thrilled to show the world one of the most unique wooden roller coasters ever built.

 

We created a rendering of a traditional wooden roller coaster last August based on the centerline design. The final design that we released on Friday shows something much more unique leaving the inverted zero G stall exposed offering nothing but air between riders heads and the ground. Not only does that make the ride more extreme, but it also continues to hold the three world records. The drop, speed and height all remain the same.

 

I hope you're excited about it! We've been dying to share it because it really stands out as a world record breaker and it looks awesome.

 

Sincerely,

Brandon"

 

When they released the final design a few days ago, I figured that the first renderings that were released last year when Goliath was announced was just a first draft (so to speak). This lift/drop design with the steel structure was something they probably had planned all along, or at least well before the ride was announced.

[Dr. M]

IMO, the supports are a stupid reason to not consider a ride wooden.

 

 

NOBODY SAID THAT. NOBODY.

 

The only comment I made about the supports is I'd prefer wooden coasters to have traditional wooden coaster supports.

 

If anybody has ever disputed whether or not Goliath is wooden, it's due to the construction of the track and the wheels. I don't believe we've ever had a topper track coaster with polyurethane wheels before. That's the difference between this and Outlaw Run.

 

Are the wheels even going to be touching wood, at any point? Or is it seriously polyurethane wheels running on a thick cement-filled steel beam that happens to be mounted on several layers of wood? If that's the case, then you'd have to be crazy not to admit there's an argument to be made. I'm not even making it, I'm just saying it's there.

 

I'm not trying to offend anybody but I think people are being pretty stupid about this.

[RandallDuell]

 

Looking great - I can't fathom why anyone really cares whether it's wood or steel or hybrid. There is no sanctioning body (at least one that would be universally agreed upon) to decide the definition, so knowing that it will always be open to interpretation -- WHO CARES!?! Let them call it wood - obviously there IS a lot of wood there....this is not quite like bolting a 2x4 to the side of Raging Bull and calling it a wood rollercoaster.

[Diamondbacker27]

This is like calling any wooden coaster steel because it has steel tracking. So is Voyage not a wooden coaster just because all of the supports aren't wooden?

[Squills]

I need to go to Chicago soon

[Dr. M]

This is like calling any wooden coaster steel because it has steel tracking. So is Voyage not a wooden coaster just because all of the supports aren't wooden?

 

You know what, forget it. Clearly nobody is willing to actually read what I'm typing, so why bother? No, whether or not it's a steel coaster doesn't affect how good a ride it is, so the discussion is not worth this amount of aggravation.

[The Yeti]

I just wanted to add that Wodan uses polyurethane wheels on top of steel rails on a wooden track!

[yay101]

When you think about it, who cares if Goliath is wood or steel or anything?! The only things that matter are:

 

-It is an RMC Coaster

-This most likely means it's a good coaster

 

With those two things in mind, it doesn't matter to me if Goliath is wood or steel! Six Flags Great America needs a good coaster like Goliath, and I'm proud it's coming here, wood or steel!

[cal1br3tto]

I was looking forward to the imposing wood structure I was expecting, but I'm intrigued by this novel take on wooden coaster design. It's interesting how it's seeming to bring some extra praise for an already-hyped ride, even though the ride experience (apart from visuals) hasn't been altered. I don't remember as many people previously thinking it might be better than Outlaw Run, but I've seen that several times since the change was announced. As for me, I could totally see it being on par with Outlaw Run and I'm open to the possibility of it being better, but I can't think of many parks that could ever top the combination of quality ride and stunning setting that SDC pulled off so well.