Telling woodies apart.

[imbordisux]

It's fairly easy to tell a steel coaster's manufacturer by looking at the track (B&M has a box-spine, Intamin has that awesome lacework look, etc.), but is there any way to tell the manufacturer of a wooden coaster just by looking at the track?

 

Other than Intamin's "Plug-N-Play" woodies with their massive gaps in between rungs, of course.

[pianojohn]

Well, I can always tell a Six Flags woodie from almost any other woodie in the following ways:

 

A Six Flags woodie is usually faded with chipped paint

The rails are rusty

It runs like crap.

ie Rolling Thunder, Psyclone, Thunder Run, Roar, Texas Giant, etc

 

Is that what you meant?

 

John "who doesn't care for Six Flags woodies"

[What Now]

GCI woodies are more twisted then most wooden coasters.

[CoasterFanatic]

^ Er. You mean steel.

 

If you actually look at the track construction, you can easily tell apart all the wooden coasters.

[Real]

Its all in the supports. Each manufacturer has a unique way to support a ride that is akin to them and them only. Its a way to identify themselves apart from everyone else.

[kenshinmac]

Personally I have a very specialized very professional way to do it...

 

www.rcdb.com

 

I seriously can't keep up with all the designers and builders of Wooden coasters. It is just so easy with steel coasters to tell the difference.

[pvcoasterguy]

Pianojohn,

 

A bunch of Six Flags woodies are actually really good! Six Flags built Viper at Six Flags Great America themselves, and look how awesome it is! It's an amazing ride. Also, American Eagle has been running very well the past couple years (as good as Viper), and hopefully it's getting a refurbishment for its 25th anniversary.

[WillMontu]

One thing I've noticed from watching Discovery Channel is that many CCI's have extra railing on the lift.

http://www.rcdb.com/ig280.htm?picture=4

 

GCI's are known for having little or no straight track.

[Real]

Here is my breakdown:

 

CCI/GG - Its all in the supports. They use a stair-step approach and its easily identifiable. No other rides feature this unique setup.

http://www.real-coasters.com/images/gallery/Holiday%20World/Legend/slides/IMG_1752.html

http://www.real-coasters.com/images/gallery/Holiday%20World/Legend/slides/IMG_1731.html

http://www.real-coasters.com/images/gallery/Geauga%20Lake/Villain/slides/IMG_1494.html

http://www.real-coasters.com/images/gallery/Michigans%20Adventure/slides/IMG_0428-2.html

 

GCI - They use some spectacular fan-style supports on all of their rides. The taller or more forceful, the more it fans out. Plus they are the only ones to use the Millennium Flyer trains

http://www.coastergallery.com/2002/DW15.html

http://www.coastergallery.com/2002/DW14.html

http://www.coastergallery.com/2003/CC08.html

 

Dinn and Summers - They used a combination of fan and stair step structure. It steps down similar to CCI but its sloped far more. They also use sections of angled supports like on the Texas Giant photo mid-way on the lift.

http://www.ridezone.com/parks/oh/cedarpoint/cp20.htm

http://www.rcdb.com/ig2.htm?picture=1

[pianojohn]

Pianojohn,

 

A bunch of Six Flags woodies are actually really good! Six Flags built Viper at Six Flags Great America themselves, and look how awesome it is! It's an amazing ride. Also, American Eagle has been running very well the past couple years (as good as Viper), and hopefully it's getting a refurbishment for its 25th anniversary.

 

Wel, I will be up there in a few weeks to ride them myself! I am not saying ALL Six Flags woodies are crap, but most of the ones I have ridden (Colossus, Psyclone at SFMM, Twisted Twins and Thunder Run at SFKK, Rolling Thunder @ SFGAd, Texas Giant at SFOT, Roar and Wild One at SFA, and Georgia Cyclone at SFOG) were all pretty rough and in need of some basic maintenance.

 

I will reserve judgement on SFGA until I get to ride Viper and American Eagle!

 

John "who is looking forward to SFGA in a few weeks!"

[65skylark]

^ Roar @ SFMW has always ran very nice. Of course they have Milennium Flyer trains on that one and they are obviously a much better option for a twister than PTC.

[MagnumForce]

Well, I can always tell a Six Flags woodie from almost any other woodie in the following ways:

 

A Six Flags woodie is usually faded with chipped paint

The rails are rusty

It runs like crap.

ie Rolling Thunder, Psyclone, Thunder Run, Roar, Texas Giant, etc

 

Is that what you meant?

 

John "who doesn't care for Six Flags woodies"

 

 

You must be riding a different Thunder Run then me, that thing is a great ride.

[imbordisux]

Thanks a lot, Real; that's exactly the kind of definition/description I was looking for.

[USRoadTripper]

You must be riding a different Thunder Run then me, that thing is a great ride.

 

Exactly my thought. I've never had a bad ride on Thuder Run. It's my #1 woodie, and has always been as smooth as any good steel coaster. This year it was a tad rougher than last year, which means that it feels like a normal woodie now!

 

-Julie

[robbalvey]

Yeah, Six Flags woodies are pretty much crap. Although I've had some really good rides on Wild One, both Roar's, Viper, Thunder Run, and the SFOG woodies in the past 3 years. But yeah, otherwise Rolling Thunder, Colossus, Psyclone....all crap!

 

--Robb