Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[Schotcher]

The yellow train seems to be up now. With people.

From BGWcam

Edited July 11, 2012 by Schotcher

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!

[Guy T. Koepp]

That's totally photoshopped!

[A.J.]

Totally agree! I thought that the yellow train burned up in the atmosphere after an altercation with a rogue crane.

[scbt]

^ Nah, i heard it was eaten by the intamin cable which manifested itself a deer... and then got burned up in the atmosphere after a bar fight with the crane.

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

Too bad I ate it....

[KDcoasterMAN]

Rode The Yellow "bar-crane-fighting deer" Train yesterday, front row, at night. Pretty radical!

[grimby]

Awesome! I'm really excited about this. By the yellow car finally being ready the ride is complete.

To be honest after i heard about the horrendous accident i was quite worried that "little yellow" might never see the light of day again. But she's out.

Would love to get out there again and take a spin in it.

[GayCoasterGuy]

I think I must have missed something ... whappen to the yellow train?

 

Was it the minor incident with a crane during pull-through testing I vaguely remember?

 

I've only been to the park once - in August 2009 for the last rides on Big Bad Wolf. Loved the park, can't wait to get back. Mmmm... and that big chilled slice of chocolate cake in the Festhaus! THAT is something I want again, hands down.

 

We only got one ride on Loch Ness once and my first thought was "Demon runs so much better!" I mean, a bit rougher, but fast and much more effortless. It seemed Nessie was missing some needed track grease or something - the curves had a rubbery squeal to them I never remember hearing on an Arrow coaster (and trust me, I've heard just about every odd and wonderful noise an Arrow coaster can make).

 

Another thing that surprised me about the park is how much I loved their B&M coasters - especially Apollo with it's wooded ravine voyage and moss/tarp covered marshy crossing area. B&Ms usually feel very same-y to me, but there was something special at BGW. Same with Tampa... must be all the theme-ing and stuff.

[Tmcdllr]

It was a freak, massive, death accident involving a crane, a dear, the yellow train, a garden gnome, and the evil Intamin cable.

[GayCoasterGuy]

It was a freak, massive, death accident involving a crane, a dear, the yellow train, a garden gnome, and the evil Intamin cable.

 

Doh! The dreaded Nantimi cable again. Wait a second - is there one in that park? The sky ride? Did it break and fly through the air, slicing everything in it's path!? I always heard that would happen if a sky ride cable broke...

[Tmcdllr]

It was a freak, massive, death accident involving a crane, a dear, the yellow train, a garden gnome, and the evil Intamin cable.

 

Doh! The dreaded Nantimi cable again. Wait a second - is there one in that park? The sky ride? Did it break and fly through the air, slicing everything in it's path!? I always heard that would happen if a sky ride cable broke...

 

Lol...

 

I really don't know what happened, I was just being silly.

[cfc]

There was an accident with the yellow train during testing that was blown way out of proportion by another Web site. So, it's led to a few "yellow train of doom" jokes.

[KDcoasterMAN]

This is worth checking out!

 

It done by Devin Olson Media, who also created the Intimidator 305 & Cheetah Hunt documentaries.

 

[esvadj]

The Daily Press is reporting that Mach Tower is CLOSED. The issue is not safety related and no re-opening date has been announced.

 

One of Busch Gardens newest signature rides — the Mach Tower — has been closed indefinitely for reasons a park official said were not safety-related.

 

Park spokesman Kevin Crossett said Mach Tower was removed from service July 12 while park officials "review manufacturer-recommended changes to the ride's parameters." Crossett said the current closure is unrelated to a previous closure in late June he characterized as maintenance-related.

 

"It's as good a time as any," Crossett said, of the closure's timing. He characterized the move as following "best practices," and added: "It's not a safety-related issue."

 

In an email, Crossett explained: "The review is an attempt to alleviate future ride down-time issues. Removing Mach Tower from service benefits guests by reducing the amount of time Mach Tower is down for maintenance and related issues. Mach Tower will return to service soon, but no official date has been set."

 

 

entire story here:

 

http://www.dailypress.com/news/williamsburg/dp-nws-mach-tower-20120718,0,2139847.story

Edited July 19, 2012 by cfc

[pkdcoaster]

"Removing Mach Tower from service benefits guests by reducing the amount of time Mach Tower is down for maintenance and related issues"

Quote of the year!!

 

That ride is the biggest POS and one of the worst drop towers I have been on....it would be better as an observation tower. The only good thing about it is the view.

 

JEFF

[SharkTums]

I'm assuming this is partially the reason we haven't heard much about BGT's new drop tower!

[DBru]

^Perhaps they are in the midst of changing manufacturers.

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

Why did they choose Moser over Intamin?!

[PayneTrain]

^If that was a serious question, then it's because BGW doesn't have a great relationship with the company after Escape from Pompeii for having mechanical problems when it opened.

 

This is the textbook definition of "irony".

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

Well they're paying for an old grudge now.

[DBru]

^I wouldn't consider not returning to a company that couldn't deliver them a successful project "holding a grudge"---IF that is even the case.

[T-BONDIcoasterkid]

True, but Intamin has proven themselves in the drop tower ride type.

[SoCalCoasters]

True, but Intamin has proven themselves in the drop tower ride type.

 

Yep, they've definitely proven themselves.

 

In 1984, three passengers riding The Edge at Six Flags Great America were injured and hospitalized. The boys were soon after released. The ride had experienced a software malfunction that caused the ride to fall backwards down the wrong shaft.

 

n August 1999, a 12-year-old boy who was mentally disabled fell from the Drop Tower: Scream Zone ride at Paramount's Great America and died. The victim's family claimed the harness was not locked properly. An investigation was inconclusive and no charges were filed.

 

In June 2007, a 13-year-old girl had both of her feet severed at the ankles on Superman: Tower of Power at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. A ride malfunction caused a cable to snap and a cord to wrap around the girl's feet, amputating both of them. She was brought to the hospital in critical condition [8] and the park was later fined $1,000 for not properly maintaining the ride.

 

On February 24, 2012, a 14-year-old girl died in an accident at Hopi Hari, Vinhedo, São Paulo State, Brazil. She fell from the drop tower ride "La Tour Eiffel" suffering cranial trauma and died on the way to the hospital. Local police are investigating the accident, initial investigations suggest the possibility of mechanical failure in the restraint latch

 

Sure not all these incidents are reflective of the company...but when was the last time Intamin opened a major drop tower? Incidents like these, no matter whether they are caused by the company or not, don't exactly have people clamoring to buy them.

[cal1br3tto]

Wow. I'm not too sad about missing out on a drop tower, seeing as how there are so many out there. This one did sound a bit more unique, though. Well, hopefully they work things out sooner rather than later, and for good.