Kings Dominion (KD) Discussion Thread

[andyuk200523]

Well, introducing to you the amazing drawing skills of me!!!!!

 

Hope this kinda explains what I was trying to get across, I am basically explaining how that section of track/support which looks like a vertical lift piece, isn't actually one.

[chad5871]

For those of you thinking it'll be vertical because only one lift hill piece (that has been delivered SO FAR) has support connections - look at some vertical lift coasters. They are all far shorter than 300 feet and have multiple support connections on the lift.

[cgodsey]

I believe that tower support will be used for a vertical/beyond vertical first drop, not the lift. Those lift pieces have space for the evacuation vehicle/track. As I have said before, vertical lift track doesnt contain space for an evacuation system as seen here from Fahrenheit http://www.rcdb.com/ig4049.htm?picture=12

 

I know I know... This is a new track style completely so anything is possible. But, I doubt VERY seriously you will see a 300+foot lift hill that is vertical lifting a typical hyper/giga train this coaster will probably have.

[AmyUD06]

Andyuk:

 

I see where you might think that, but the forces acting on the supports for a slow-moving section of the course like a lift hill would still be vertical (gravity and gravity alone), and not along a slant like your images imply. The image on the left would put a lot more stress on the joint between the footer and the beam.

[andyuk200523]

I fully understand gravity still works in a vertical way and that coaster construction cannot warp gravity to a 45 degree angle However, the forces exerted on the steel beams (stress's and the like) will still be exerted in a 45 degree angle.

 

If you look at bridge construction, this is a great example of what I am talking about.

 

 

If the archway was to stop just after the roadway and the supports went vertically downwards to the earth/river, the bridge would not be able to take anywhere near the forces that it can with its construction method as shown.

 

Even though the lift is a slow moving part of the coaster, the design of it will be to take many many times the forces that will be exerted on it from the weight of the carriage, people walking up the catwalk etc...

[Loefet]

andyuk200523 got it all right, and the vertical force wouldn't be as bad as the shearing force that a vertical footer would endure, especially as the other lift hill supports would share the vertical load, but none of the other ones share the horizontal load.

[pogoism9]

The oddball "support" is for the base of the lift.

 

Based on what was just said, looking at the "support" piece, it makes sense. The stair supports are set out farther and angled to be flat as the "support" sits at roughly 45 degree. Also, the 2 flat connections will hold the initial lift track (once again, based on the angle of the curve between them). The 4 connectors on the large end will bolt into a footer or some other form of support that is in the ground for stability, and the top section has the + on the end to bolt directly up to a piece of trussed lift track. Look at the pic of the crazy red support and think of what I just said while piecing it together...you will then see.

 

 

The lift stairs are also oriented correctly in relation to the lift (AKA they are on the correct side).

[Wes]

I'm pretty sure I figured it out. It's not a 90º lift, nor a 45º. In fact there's no lift at all. It's not launched up either. Intamin is building a 300 foot Arrow Shuttle Coaster. You're gonna have to walk up to the top.

[The Disneylander]

^ I don't really see how that could be possible...I mean, guests don't really want to walk up 300 feet.

 

EDIT: Never mind, it was Wes.

[Wes]

^ Instead of Intamin having to redesign their cars to accommodate Americans of larger dimensions, they just decided to help people lose some of those extra pounds by putting an exercise routine before the ride.

[Emiroo]

I'm pretty sure I figured it out. It's not a 90º lift, nor a 45º. In fact there's no lift at all. It's not launched up either. Intamin is building a 300 foot Arrow Shuttle Coaster. You're gonna have to walk up to the top.

 

I guess a lot of acers will never get to ride it then...

[SuperShawn]

^^Clearly Richard Simmons will be sponsoring this ride

[CP_RULES]

It seems pretty clear to me that the "obvious" vertical track piece is obviously not, and here's why:

 

I think it's safe to say that most coasters start in a station that is at least 10 feet off the ground (usually more). As andyuk200523 pointed out, the truss system has to connect to the ground at an angle that is the same as the lift's angle. The piece of track that has those odd track connectors is simply the piece where the track coming from the station and the truss system meet (see attatched photo). The track connectors line up nicely for a horizontal to angled lift. The track also has places to connect the catwalk. No other vertical lift coaster has a catwalk, why would this one?

 

EDIT- Yea I'm late on this one, I was having trouble with the uploader for the pic.

[DiSab]

CP_RULES wins a cookie. That's what I was going to try to describe using words, but he did it much better with that picture.

 

Also, it seems like a lot of you arguing for a vertical lift are operating under the assumption that all the lift pieces are there already. How do you know? I would guess that there's only about half the lift pieces there already, and some of the others that will be coming will have connections for the support structures.

 

Also, the truss system that is attached to the lift-track pieces is much too thin to support a vertical lift. The straight pieces don't have any connections to attach to additional supports. A vertical lift that is only about 100 feet or so (like Fahrenheit) would work with that truss system, but a 300-foot system would have much too many forces for that truss to support the entire lift safely.

[CoryPa77]

If it really is only 380' of track on-site, then at 45 degrees that would make for roughly a 270' lift.

 

So, in order for the lift to be, oh say 307' - then you would need about 435' of 45 degree track. You don't usually see Intamin stations very high off the ground either, so I'm thinking it will start at close to ground level.

[chef kitchen]

Any ideas on when the press release is?

[Homeboy23]

^ I think they said August 22.

 

Wes, do you think Maverick's heartline roll will be placed on this one? It missed out on Rip Ride Rocket

[chef kitchen]

Man, 6 more weeks thats soooo far away!

[LJGoBlue]

^Yes, but that means six more weeks of heated discussion and speculation...

[atem122]

^Followed by a week of people praising it, followed by months of people ripping on it before they ride it. Knowing Intamin though, they'll definitely make this un-rip-onable (best word ever)

[Wes]

Wes, do you think Maverick's heartline roll will be placed on this one? It missed out on Rip Ride Rocket

 

Definitely the station. Disabled guests are gonna have a hell of a time on this one!

[redfoot12]

Wes, do you think Maverick's heartline roll will try to follow us on the Texas trip? It'll keep missing us at each park we go to then become suicidal as its forces are just too much for this world.

[rollercoastercraziness]

^Yes, but that means six more weeks of heated discussion and speculation...

 

Heck yeah! Isn't that what we all live for! Screw the coaster lets have a heated discussion. Wow that sounds intense!

 

un-rip-onable (best word ever)

 

totally agreed!

 

Now im just wondering when one of us crazy fanboys is going to find a crazy way to get a copy of the layout before the announcement. Its only a matter of time .

[redfoot12]

Someone's already made the claim to have seen the layout at the county courthouse.

[kingsdominionlvr]

Someone's already made the claim to have seen the layout at the county courthouse.

 

I doubt the county would give away anything that was not on their website at the actual courthouse.