What coaster should get the next Rocky Mountain treatment?

[crazywolf88]

You know what, I'll just say it, The Coney Island Cyclone! If this gets the topper track re-build people would ride it more often, maintainence would decrease, and the purists shouldn't be bothered because wood is still part of the track.

[HappyEisentrout]

A lot of people are mentioning Shivering Timbers. I dunno about that. I haven't been on it since '08 but it seemed a fine then as always. The maintainance staff there isn't the best, nor that good, so I see ST's issue as a train issue.

 

I am all for Mean Streak getting it's layout fixed and some new trains. Having worked that ride and other woodies, MS has the worst PTC's ever.

Son of Beast has just too boring of a layout and as much as I liked the loop, the ride has been neutered when they removed it. Nothing will respark it's interest.

I haven't been on Hades since opening year, but if it is seriously getting as rough as people are saying, then Id love to see it get the toppers.

Rocky Mountain could be the savior for Kentucky Kingdom, restoring the Twins isn't going to be easy, or cheap. Since TT needs rehab and new trains, RM and Gerstlauer could be great partners for KK.

These coasters could also use the toppers-

-Comet @The Great Escape

-Predator @Darien Lake

-American Eagle @SFGA

-WIld One @SFA

-Thunderbolt/Cyclone @SFNE

-Rolling Thunder @SFGAdv

 

 

Now if the whole Texas Giant rehab is a success, will RM only rehab existing rides or will they maybe start making their own coasters? I don't see GG or GCI building with RM track to begin with. I dunno, maybe S&S could get back into woodies again.

[ebl]

It's funny how at one time, PTCs were considered to be THE BEST trains a wooden coaster could have. Now, it seems like rides running them are slowly being torn up. Someone told me once that the mechanics at SFMM absolutely hated them, which is why the old three-bench PTC trains on Colossus were replaced in 1987 with the current Morgans (those were about the only other option at that time).

 

I agree that the "Rocky Mountain treatment" should only be done when a coaster needs a major retracking and doing so with new wood just won't cut it.

 

Eric

[CoasterLover]

^^WIld One @SFA in the top list of coasters that need this treatment?!? I would have to disagree. Wild One at SFA, to me, has consistently been one of the smoothest wooden coasters out there. Roar, on the other hand, now THAT one could benefit from this sort of modification...

[PAL]

^Agreed. Wild One delivered great rides when we visited in August. That thing was smoother than SROS.

 

Would any classic out and back need this treatment? I don't see it.

[GLund]

Eh, I'm definitely West Coast bias here.

 

Ghostrider, I'd much rather keep wood. What it needs is an Intamin wood refurbishment, let them teach Knotts how to keep an extreme tracks circuit smooth and manageable like El Toro.

 

IMO, I'd love to see Colossus resurrected. Forget the racer bologna, its outdated. Make it taller, steeper, perhaps get rid of the mild turnarounds and replace them with banked turns like Texas Giant. The things got nothing going for it, its so neutered its not close to what it used to be. Bring the double down back--seriously. No reason to build an Intamin Mega-Lite airtime machine if Colossus takes care of it instead! New trains! Aw man I'm drooling already!

[HappyEisentrout]

Roar just doesn't have the oomph that the other GCIs have. I was looking forward to it so much and it was such a let down

[willh51]

If it works at well in Texas, I can definitely see Magic Mountain doing it for Colossus since it's such a recognized and loved (in a nostalgia sense) ride. I'd love to see it on Mean Streak along with some reprofiling. I like Mean Streak's location but it's pretty boring for its size.

[texcoaster]

I've said it before, but why not say it again?

 

Boardwalk Bullet needs topper track. Seriously. That ride has been a "problem child" from day one in terms of getting the track to behave and the seaside location and brutally hot Texas summers are not going to help it at all. Hopefully, Landry's will realize that a sizable one-time cost up front can save a lot of money in maintenance (and loss of ticket sales during downtime while it's being worked on) in the long run. PLUS, if that thing were to ever run at the speeds it was designed to run (about 10 seconds faster circuit time than it currently runs on a really good day) it would easily be a destination coaster.

 

The layout is amazing, intense, and unique - it just needs to provide the kind of ride that it's designed for, and do it consistently.

[Gigalyte]

Eh, I'm definitely West Coast bias here.

 

Ghostrider, I'd much rather keep wood. What it needs is an Intamin wood refurbishment, let them teach Knotts how to keep an extreme tracks circuit smooth and manageable like El Toro.

 

IMO, I'd love to see Colossus resurrected. Forget the racer bologna, its outdated. Make it taller, steeper, perhaps get rid of the mild turnarounds and replace them with banked turns like Texas Giant. The things got nothing going for it, its so neutered its not close to what it used to be. Bring the double down back--seriously. No reason to build an Intamin Mega-Lite airtime machine if Colossus takes care of it instead! New trains! Aw man I'm drooling already!

 

 

From what I hear this will be Colossus B-day present for when she turns 35 in 2013 I have no other details on it other then the fact SF has ok'd Rattler to get the next rocky mountain treatment starting in 2011 these are just some ramblings I heard from the dipppin dots guy don't kill me if it's just the usually DD guys BS

 

Wouldn't Intamins plug n play track do pretty much the same thing this rocky mountain track is doing while steel keeping the coaster classified as wood.?

 

Is the plug n play track that expensive that, that Idea wasn't even thought of being n option

[The SETGO Guys]

Removed by user

Edited January 5, 2012 by The SETGO Guys

[ernierocker]

^You know, you really should not broadcast "priveleged" information like that on here. While you were allowed access to those in the amusement park industry and given access to inside information, there is an unspoken gentlemen's aggrement that you keep that information as what it is. INSIDE INFORMATION. Especially, as you claimed to have "overheard" this information, it doesn't even sound like you were intended to receive it in the first place!

 

Don't forget, that they do read this board in case you would like to get interviews with them in the future.

Edited December 6, 2010 by ernierocker

[larrygator]

^You know, you really should not broadcast "priveleged" information like that on here. While you were allowed access to those in the amusement park industry and given access to inside information, there is an unspoken gentlemen's aggrement that you keep that information as what it is. INSIDE INFORMATION. Especially, as you claimed to have "overheard" this information, it doesn't even sound like you were intended to receive it in the first place!

 

Don't forget, that they do read this board in case you would like to get interviews with them in the future.

 

http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/FUN/tab/8

 

And don't believe everything you since no single shareholder has more than the 1.7MM shares held by Kinzel.

Edited December 6, 2010 by larrygator

[DiSab]

SoB is about as boring as coaster layouts get. Sure, it has speed and height, but nothing else going for it. It was an experience when it had the loop, but it's just nothing special now. I can't imagine that an RM treatment would do much for it in the long run. Go to the other side of the park, though, and I think that The Beast would benefit immensely from it. As good as it is now, getting it to run smoother, faster, and cheaper (maintenance-cost-wise) would be awesome. Night rides on that thing would be even better with the topper track, and they could probably even remove the trims. Think of how fast that would be running without trims... And I can only imagine how far up the second lift it would get before it slowed to chain speed.

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

Ghostrider, definitely. My spine and the spines of many others would thank Rocky Mountain for it.

[metrock]

^ As I posted earlier, you can't simply blame the track for all that roughness. Recently I had one ride that was very comfortable. Switched trains and it was fairly bad (though, not as bad as it's been in the past). For what it's worth, I was just getting over a back injury when I rode. I was somewhat afraid it would re-injure, but I rode anyways. After both rides I still felt fine. Though past experiences from 2003-2009 left me feeling not so good. So I understand the frustrating with Ghostrider being so rough. I just don't want to lose Knott's only wooden coaster.

[KDcoasterMAN]

Now that we have accounts stating that the NTG will be a hit, can we make a definitive list of coasters which deserve this special treatment.

 

My list on coasters that need/want it the most:

1) Son of Beast

2) Ghostrider

3) Mean Streak

4) Predator

5) Rattler

6) Georgia Cyclone

7) Colossus (SFMM)

[crazywolf88]

Hurler at KD would be rideable and rerideable if the topper track is put on the roughest parts of the ride.......that means topper track goes everywhere but the station, brakes, and lift.

[FilmoreISnAZN]

With this Ghostrider discussion, I believe that it is quite rough, but should stay a wooden coaster and stay away from Rocky Mountain. Instead, I agree that maybe Intamin should come and retrack or maybe revamp the coaster with its Plug'n Play woodie track! Either that, or GCI should come and retrack the ride and maybe, as an added plus, add their amazing GCI touch!

 

Ghostrider retracked would redeem the once-amazing woodie!

[Zingoman]

Ok, here is my view on the NTG treatment on all these coasters. IT'S A BAD IDEA.

 

Most of those rides need topper track and they will be great rides just like they were in the beginning. They don't need entire reprofiling, and trains and all that jazz. I don't think people realize how much happened to Giant to accommodate these changes, and it simply can't work on just any existing ride so easily. SO many things had to be taken into account for this to happen on NTG. I won't get into what all was done to it, but if anyone needs convincing, I'll write an essay on it for all to see.

 

Rides that suck lemons like Mean Streak should get the treatment because even trimless, and smooth, Mean Streak is just a boring ride.

 

Ghostrider, is not boring. It just needs smoothed out. Topper track it!

Son of Beast, again, even smooth, the ride really is boring after the midcourse. NTG treatment, go for it!

Rattler, besides the helix and trims I actually love the ride, but some topper track and a bit of original profile resurrection and it would be awesome. Topper track it!

Predator is probably not worth the investment since it's not really a MAJOR ride, and I don't know how much potential it really would have. It's a good enough ride as is. Topper track it!

Georgia Cyclone, I haven't had the pleasure, but I'm going to say topper track it!

Colossus, well, I LOVE how it looks and a NTG treatment would fuglify it. (make it fugly). It's a sort of legendary classic in my eyes, however it is a tad dull. I say topper track it, but it may be worthy of a NTG makeover. I'm on the fence here.

 

Anyway, I think I made my points here. Basically I just wish everyone would stop saying every woody out there needs the NTG treatment. I hate that Giant got it actually. It was already a fantastic ride and some topper track on there would have thrilled me to no end, but they did a great job with what it is now, and I'm happy with their efforts. It did pay off, but man the original ride was a beast. I'll miss it. Lets just not get carried away and rape the world of all it's classic wooden coasters here.

[B.A.B]

Here is the coasters that I think need it:

1.Son of Beast (favorite woodie of all time0

2.Mean Streak

3.Hurler,Kings Dominion

4.Grizzly,Kings Dominion

5.The Racer's

[RollerCoasterSmi]

Well since I am a Billy Brit I hope we could see some of this treatment over here. I think The Big Dipper at Blackpool should get a topper track, and then maybe it will stop derailing. Even though I haven't ridden it I think the retracking should go to Megafobia at Oakwood. They haven't had any new attractions for five years, the only thing is renaming Hydro to Drenched. It is only a win win for them. They get a "new" attraction and they improve an already (apparently) brilliant attraction. I love the idea of Colossus being retracked. I rode it five years ago and I thought it was brilliant (I was ten), but looking back at pictures and videos of it now it does look quite boring. I can just imagine racing through overbanks...

[HowieP]

Here are my candidates:

 

For the Iron Horse Track, I also agree that Mean Streak and Son of Beast needs it, with the latter having the loop back in for a thrill. Even if its layout is boring in its current state, with what they did with Texas Giant, SOB could be an actual thrill with overbanked turns that goes beyond 90 degrees.

 

For the Topper Track, I will also say my home coaster, Shivering Timbers, would benefit from this, as well as getting some Timberliners. Another coaster that could use it, that I don't think got mentioned so far, is Clementon's Hellcat. It would do away with the trims on the top of the first drop. Also Rattler is a great candidate for the Topper. Maybe that'll bring back the extreme drop. I'll even throw Hades at Mt. Olympus in the hat for the Topper.

[John Knotts]

As I've said before, this is about MUCH more than just what coaster "needs" a rocky mountain makeover. This is also about which coasters are "marketable" enough to earn a quick return on investment. It's also about potential reduced maintanance costs to a park. Colossus may not really "need" the total change to steel, but SFMM is not only the park that started this whole "re-launching" trend, but I can only imagine the yearly budget it takes to maintain such a massive "double" tracked structure. So you have to look at more than just a "rough" wooden coaster when trying to predict which coasters might get this treatment.

 

I'd be willing to bet most parks could care less if their wooden coasters are considered rough. What they do care about is bringing more guests through the turnstyle, and cutting maintanance budgets.

[the ghost]

^You're right. At Knott's they pretty much said besides minor retracking ghost riders staying as is. It seems weird more parks aren't jumping on this. Rattler is apparently running smoother and stuff like that, but no major cedar fair announcement yet. That being said... I cant remember the last time Cedar Fair rebranded a ride or changed one or anything like that. It just doesn't seem to be their style imo.