[RCT3] Tennessee's Great America

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

Steel Savage looks great, I'm excited to see how the guests like it.

[fraroc]

NEW COASTER, NEW NAME

 

This April, Elmwood Lake Park will open their newest extreme steel roller coaster Steel Savage, but here's the catch.....the park ain't called "Elmwood Lake Park" anymore!

 

 

After a year of discussions with Cedar Fair's PR department, it was finally decided that Elmwood Lake Park will be renamed Tennessee's Great America! Even though Elmwood Lake Park was owned by the Tennessee Amusement Corp. instead of Mariott, Tennesee's Great America is now considered the "sister park" of Six Flags Great America in Chicago and Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara. All merchandise containing the "Elmwood Lake Park" name will now be sold at half price for the next season.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

Damn you Cedar Fair, naming two of your parks Great America?, lol. I liked the Elmwood name better. It was more original, but the new name is pretty too. Nice job so far, and I can't wait to see how Steel Savage turns out.

[IronWolfman]

Great seeing how this park is coming along well. I have a RCT2 park I'm working on also named the same thing.

[fraroc]

June, 1994

 

Hello again! It's Debra Caldwell from Cedar Fair! It's been quite a while since I've posted any reports about Tennessee's Great America, mainly because I'm working with the PR department of Cedar Point as they are also promothing their OWN "inverted coaster" named "Raptor" But here I am! Let's see how the Tennessee's Great America is doing!

 

Steel Savage was, quite predictadly, a MASSIVE sucsess!

 

People never expected that there would be a new coaster after the park was basically saved from indefinite abandonment, but here it is! Queue lines for Steel Savage have been entirley full for the past few months it has been open!

 

However today, the wooden classic Screamin' Eagle was closed due to braking issues...hopefully it'll be open soon!

 

The triple-looping demon, Vampyre still reigns supreme over all of the other roller coasters in the park! Just slightly more than the new Steel Savage coaster! It's ten years old and it's still one of the highest-rated steel roller coasters in the entire United States! Anton Schwarzkopf must really have known what he was doing with this one!

 

 

It's pretty amazing to see how much this park has transformed over the years. I mean, look a this picture from Elmwood Lake's opening day in 1971....

 

....and the park NOW in 1994!

[deathbydinn]

You should change your paths a bit. Most parks aren't just straight lines with rides jutting off. Some flat rides would help as well, seems like a lot of coasters for a small park. Steel Savage looks great though.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

I agree with Jon. Why don't you try starting a new path to the right of The Vampyre? You could extend it from there. The park looks like a nice classical park though. Good job.

[fraroc]

Thanks for the advice and the compliments guys!!

 

 

 

August,1994

 

This is an excerpt from a local TV broadcast.

 

Today is a day of great sadness for Tennessee's Great America and for the entire town of Lynchburg,TN as a whole. Just yesterday, a young 22 year old woman fell to her death on a tower ride. The young woman went to Tennessee's Great America with her boyfriend and they decided to ride the "Espionage" which is a rollercoaster-type attraction built by Intamin A.G based in Switzerland. One of the spokespersons for Cedar Fair gave her somber affadavit. "We can confirm the tragic death of a 22 year old young woman who fell out of the car either before the vehicle dropped down the slope, or during the drop. What we're trying to do is figure how such a thing could happen. Of course, Cedar Fair has their guys working on the ride and we are also being assisted by the local police department." The rest of TGA remains open, but the area where Espionage is has been cordoned off, including the park's most famous roller coaster, the Vampyre. Some park visitors believe that the reason why this happened was due to a mechanical failure, others believe that is was the rider's fault. There has been some talks that the 22 year old woman committed suicide by jumping from the ride, but that cannot be confirmed. Coroner's reports tell us that the fall itself did not kill her, but what caused her death was the vehicle colliding with her incapacitated body, spraying blood and dismembered body parts all over the ride. Now we are getting an affadavit from one of her friends, saying that the fall was caused by a mechanical failure with the ride's over-the-shoulder restraint claiming that poor mechanics caused it to open while operating. Espionage is an aging ride, first erected in 1980, the ride is currently fourteen years old. The young woman's best friend also gave a somber request to Cedar Fair to "please pull the plug on that ride before anyone else gets hurt."

 

 

 

Espionage, the ride in question.

 

 

 

 

 

[mcjaco]

Coroner's reports tell us that the fall itself did not kill her, but what caused her death was the vehicle colliding with her incapacitated body, spraying blood and dismembered body parts all over the ride.

 

This level of detail would never be in a news report. Or necessary.

[ArundelHigh Coasters]

That's a very sad story, even though it's only in RCT3. I hope the ride starts operating again soon. Steel Savage looks great though.

[SFMMfan346]

Great roller coasters! My personal favorite is Steel Savage! It's good to see that you are using Steelworx, your coasters look amazing!

[fraroc]

May, 1995

 

After the tragic accident in 1994, we at Cedar Fair decided to finally demolish Espionage from the park via-controlled demolition. We understand that the Intamin Freefall ride was a favorite among parkgoers, but the saftey of our patrons is our number-one priority. That being said, we have plans for the empty space that was left behind. The project is dubbed "Project T" and will be another major addition for Tennessee's Great America! What is Project T? Is it a new roller coaster? a new spinning ride? another children's area? You have to wait to find out!!

 

 

This is Project T's location, in case you are wondering...

[Voxelmatic]

Mr. T: The Ride.

[fraroc]

Mr. T: The Ride.

 

Close but no cigar!

 

 

August, 1995

 

After months of waiting....we are going to reveal "Project T" to the public! (Drumroll)

 

 

 

New for 1996, TWISTER! A brand new compact steel looping roller coaster unlike any other in the park! Twister is a patented "Boomerang" model roller coaster built by Vekoma based in Holland. Here is the skinny on how this ride works, riders enter the train which is hoisted up the first slope by a pulley system, when the pulley releases the train plummets down the hill at speeds of over 45MPH and enters a Cobra Roll element and a loop! Then the train gets pulled up the second slope by a chain drive, released and the train goes through the entire system again! Twister will go upside-down more than any other coaster in the park with a total of SIX INVERSIONS!

 

Here are some more promotional pictures of the new coaster!

 

 

 

 

TWISTER OPENS IN 1996

 

 

(creator comment: How's THAT for an extremley overhyped Vekoma Boomerang?! Take that,SFSTL!!!)

[CorkscrewFoley]

How the hell did you do that with the boomerang? (Talking about how the spikes are meeting at the top.)

[thrillseeker4552]

^ It's a custom track meaning that it wasn't created in the game. I'm not exactly sure how they are made, but I do know it involves techniques outside of RCT3, then it's imported in to the game. Just like you would do with custom scenery.

[fraroc]

June, 1996

 

 

Hello again to another sucsessfull season of Tennessee's Great America!! Lets see how the park is doing!

 

 

Here is the Vermont Maple Train! This was the first roller coaster ever built at the park and even though it looks lame and un-thrilling, it's still a nice small roller coaster for the entire family to enjoy!

 

And here is a ride for the big boys! Even after two years of being operational, the inverted coaster Steel Savage remains one of the most popular attractions at TGA!

 

Twister is now open to the public!!! It might not be large, but it's intense! (and a little painful, not gonna lie.)

 

I'm getting word from the higher ups at Cedar Fair that they're considering giving the park's vista an overhaul which sadly includes the removal of the Parachute Drop and Twist And Shout, which are two thrill rides that opened with the park in 1972. However, if the plans go through, bigger and better rides will take their place!

[fraroc]

October, 1996

 

Hey, It's Debra Caldwell again. I'm here to announce that the recently postponed 1996 Halloweekends for Tennessee's Great America has now been officially cancelled. We are duly sorry for any inconviencence for all of you late-season coaster freaks and we at Cedar Fair PROMISE that there will be a 1997 Halloweekends! The reason why TGA is closed while all other Cedar Fair properties are having Halloweekends is because we are right now in the middle of a major renovation of the park's main plaza. I have some pictures.

 

Here is a picture taken from the controlled demolition of the Parachute Drop. It's sad to see a peice of TGA/Elmwood Lake's history die like that.

 

When I returned to the park, I was shocked to see how much they tore apart. So many old attractions from the old Elmwood Lake Park days were shamelessly leveled. Not only did they get rid of the Parachute Drop, they also got rid of Twist And Shout, the Wave Swinger, AND the Cafe Americana!

None of the roller coasters were damaged (Thank God), and we currently have no idea what the powers that be have in store for the park's plaza. We'll just have to play the waiting game again....

 

I took this picture from the top of Super Looper. It's almost like a scar...

[XYZ]

I'm glad there's one less parachute drop in a RCT3 park, I've seen too many RCT3 parks having this ride. Anyways, I can't wait to see what your new attraction will be. Also, the park looks a bit too blocky. If you can make it less blocky, the park would look better.

[fraroc]

June 1997

 

Sorry for being absent for the unveiling of the new park plaza for TGA, I was away on business purposes for Knotts Berry Farm. But now I'm back in Lynchburg and I'm ready to show you all of the cool new additions in the renovation of the park!

 

 

A very regal-looking fountain was added in the middle of the path which I think makes a GREAT centerpeice for the park, and two new thrill rides were added! Lets get the lowdown on each one!

 

 

This is STRATOSPHERE, a brand new S&S Space Shot/Turbo Drop tower complex! At almost 200 feet, Stratosphere is now the tallest ride in the park! Riders get a choice as soon as they board the queue line, Violet launches you up while Blue launches you down!

 

 

This vomit-inducing monster is called the Top Scan! Riders get into a star-shaped gondola attached to a giant mechanical arm that rotates while you get spinned all around! It was built by a company named Mondial Rides, based in Denmark. If Top Scan is a sucsess, we at Cedar Fair might go back to Mondial in the future (hint, hint...)

 

 

Not only was the park plaza redone, KidTown USA was COMPLETLEY revamed into "Camp Snoopy", bringing to Tennesee's Great Adventure familiar names such as Charlie Brown, Sally, Marcie, Peppermint Patty, Linus and Lucy! Not only that, but we added a brand new family coaster built by Vekoma named Fireball Jr., a kiddie version of Arrow Dynamics' Fireball!

 

 

In place of the Cafe Americana which was removed last year, three different themed resturaunts were added to a prestigious food court! Coaster's Drive In, Texas Roadhouse, and SweetZone!

[IronWolfman]

I am LOVING the progress your making with this park!!! The 2 new flat rides look great, The 3 new restaurants are very nice and I like Fireball Jr. Keep up the good work!!

[fraroc]

1998

 

 

 

Tennesee's Great Adventure announces RAGE! Coming 1999!

 

 

Coming in 1999,Rage is a brand new steel looping roller coaster with brand new innovative trains in which your feet dangle in the air, giving riders the sensation of flying! Not only that, Rage goes upside-down not once, not twice, not thrice, but FOUR TIMES! Riders will experience a terrifying vertical loop, a "cobra roll" double-inversion and a giant corkscrew, all packaged into one thrilling ride!

 

COASTER STATS:

Type: Steel Track Floorless

Height: 110ft

Speed: 54mph

Number Of Inversions:4

Builder: Bolliger and Mabillard

Designer: Werner Stengel

Height Requirement: 54 inches.

 

 

Wow, this announcement was totally out of left feild. I didn't get ANY word from the big dogs at Cedar Fair. Either way, it seems weird that they would announce a new coaster two whole years in advance, we'll see what will happen!

 

(NOTE: Rage is not actually the first B&M Floorless to open. It was built first, but Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure was the first to open, Rage opened second.)

Edited May 14, 2013 by A.J.

[XYZ]

Looks very good! I like the green and blue "Deja Vu" color scheme as it fits well. My only problem is that helix at the end doesn't look very B&M-like.

[fraroc]

Memorial Day, 1998

 

Hello everybody! Happy Memorial Day!!! I hope that all of you are having a safe and fun holiday, because I spent my memorial day at Tennesee's Great America! You see, as the PR girl I'm allowed by Cedar Fair a few days per season to visit the park as a guest rather than an employee.

 

However, my TGA experience was a little less up to snuff becuase they picked the WORST day for me to go to the park. Memorial Day weekend. 2 words, CROWDS and LINES.

 

The first ride of the day was Screamin' Eagle. Despite the fact that I literally RAN like Ben Johnson to the ride's entrance, there was still a 25-minute wait. I enjoyed the ride though. A little rickety, but fun nevertheless.

 

The second coaster I rode is my personal favorite, Steel Savage! The best B&M Invert EVER! (in my opinion, of course!) However, I waited 1 1/2 hours to ride even though they were operating all three trains!

 

I walked to the back of the park after having lunch to ride the rides back there. I discovered that Twister, the Vekoma Boomerang was a walk-on and I was more than happy to oblige! However, riding it I discovered WHY it was a walk-on. It was pretty intense, but during the cobra roll, my head kept slamming against the restraints! Giving me a horrible headache! I guess part of the reason is because the ride uses Fireball's rarely-used third train instead of it's own. This ride would be so much better if Vekoma would give Twister one of their own trains.

 

Speaking of Fireball, that was next on the agenda! It's gotten a little rougher over the years (considering that it's eighteen years old), but it's still a very good ride!

 

However before I knew it, it was 10PM! All of the coasters closed and park security began to scream at people to get the F out of the park. It just pissed me off that most of my day was waiting on line instead of riding roller coasters. Oh well, etter luck next time!

[fraroc]

February 1999

 

 

Hello, It's Debra Caldwell again. I have some good news and some bad news to tell you. One peice of good news is that Rage's construction is complete and is currently running test runs! Overall, the prototype floorless coaster looks short, but very very sweet and I anticipate that popularity will be through the roof when it opens! But here's the bad news, there are some problems with the saftey features of the ride's train that are a lot more serious than B&M thought it would be. The upshot, Rage's grand opening has been officially delayed and will not be open when the park opens in May. There is currently no sign of any tenative opening date for Rage, which means that Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey which is the second and larger B&M floorless coaster built will be the first to open. We hope that this will not take a hit on Tennessee's Great America. Also, I regret to inform you that pretty soon, I'll no longer be working for Cedar Fair. I just found out the other week that I'm one month pregnant and I'm due in September and I'm quitting my job really want to be there for my future son or daughter! After the 1999 PR trip, I will no longer be documenting TGA's progress. It's been a pretty good time and I'll miss my job, but such is life.......

 

 

Rage doing another test run. Hopefully they'll fix these problems soon....