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A Close Look at the Forgotten Intamin Standup


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The short version of what I understand that happened is something like this - it was very hard and risky for new ride companies to make rides, so Intamin in the 80s served as more of a "contractor," finding talented designers that might not otherwise have the resources, matching them to parks, and helping to build their rides. B&M were one of the designers that Intamin contracted.

 

From what I understand, the trains on Iron Wolf were the exact same as the "Intamin" trains, and then sometime after that (not sure if it was on one of the Vortexes or on Mantis) B&M redesigned the train to fix some issues with the way the "Intamin" trains functioned.

 

If you look at the history of B&M, you'll see a common thread with one particular park... Great America bought Z-Force, replaced Z-Force with Iron Wolf, and also has the first B&M Invert. The article that was linked to about how B&M found the plant in Ohio they use for production sheds some more light onto that relationship.

 

It isn't too hard to believe that management at the park met the designers when Z-Force was being designed, and then offered to remove the middle man and to buy the ride from them directly, negating the need to have Intamin in the middle (and maybe saving money at the same time). Then, the same group that had experienced success together created the invert coaster together.

 

I wouldn't say that I have any definite data about this, but it seems too perfect to be a coincidence... and, I remember seeing a video from the opening of Superman at Great America where one of the designers said something about how without Great America's management, B&M probably wouldn't exist, and they were happy to continue their great partnership with Superman.

 

Oh yeah, as for this track, it really wouldn't be that hard to refurb it from being rusty... *if* it had any real value, but it probably doesn't. Having said that, somehow, Six Flags found an excuse to rebuild Iron Wolf, and if they found reason to do that, there is a chance that Darien Lake - which is a similar size to SFA - could still decide it has some value. I'd be curious to know exactly exactly how Apocalypse does this year and next at SFA. If it proves itself popular, I wouldn't be surprised if Darien Lake or someone else decided it was worth the risk to rebuild this thing. If it doesn't, as I expect that it won't, then I expect this to go get itself melted down.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Herschend probably has no interest in setting up the old Intamin stand up coaster from Six Flags Astroworld at Darien Lake. Because it was dismantled improperly and It would be very expensive to have B&M refurbish the ride in order for it to run again, so I guess that melting it down is the only thing they can do with it!

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  • 3 years later...

^ That thing did not look like it was in any type of condition to ever operate again. . . And that was nearly 7 years ago. I can't imagine what it looks like now.

 

Regardless, It'll be interesting if it really does end up reopening.

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Cool thread.

 

I rode this coaster once, as Shockwave, the summer it was new @ GAdv. The overall experience is honestly a bit foggy since it was only once, and so long ago, but it was with my Mom and we waited forever and then some more for the front row. My first Intamin, and first standup. I do remember how weird it was loading into those 'seats'/restraints, but I don't necessarily remember the ride being bad. I could definitely tolerate more b*llshit from coasters at that young an age, so I'm not sure I'd have an equally ambivalent opinion if I rode it today.

 

Coincidentally we we're talking about this in the GreatAdv FB Group recently and a couple of the old totally cheesy TV ads were posted there.

 

Magic Mountain:

 

Great Adventure:

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