Reprofiled Coasters

[coastercrazy216]

With all of the reprofiling being done on rides lately, I started wondering about older reprofiled coasters. Obviously the original Rattler's shortened drop and SOB's inversion removal are major make-overs, but what about other, less talked about reprofiles? What are some coasters that have had major work done, but no one really talks about it? Why did the rides get makeovers? Feel free to share before and after pictures or videos!

[DCA_Chris]

There was the big Maverick re-profiling prior to opening.

 

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[smallpox]

Intimidator 305 had part of its first turn re-worked, either due to rider complaints about grey-outs or wheel lifespan, depending on who you ask.

 

Drachen Fire had a corkscrew removed ... did little good, as the ride was closed for good after only a few seasons regardless.

 

Texas Giant got steel "topper track" to rave reviews as far as i know.

 

The Wild One at Six Flags America was significantly reprofiled at its turnaround and helix, greatly reducing lateral Gs and general intensity.

[Double0Kevin]

V2 at SFDK has the 45 degree Tower 1 and the shortened 150ft Tower 2, opposed the 186ft vertical towers it opened with.

 

Colossus at SFMM is another one that has seen a lot of modifications over the years.

[coastercrazy216]

Wasn't the Texas Giant previously reprofiled before NTAG?

[IronWolfman]

Does Phantom's Revenge count?

Also, the Demon Duo with their loops in 1980.

[ArizonaGuy]

The original Rattler at SFFT. First drop lowered from the top, raised from the bottom and then modified over the years as well. Fan curve after the first drop lowered and smoothed out several times as well.

[SFOGdude25]

Wasn't the Texas Giant previously reprofiled before NTAG?

Yep. Texas Giant originally had a double-up turn that was later smoothed to just an upward swooping turn. I think that some of the banking in the helix was reprofiled at some point as well.

[Voxelmatic]

Thunderhawk at Dorney had significant layout changes back in the 1930s.

 

Steel Phantom was changed from a looping coaster, to a hyper by Morgan.

 

Colossus had its double-down removed for a MCBR.

[coastercrazy216]

Wasn't the Texas Giant previously reprofiled before NTAG?

Yep. Texas Giant originally had a double-up turn that was later smoothed to just an upward swooping turn. I think that some of the banking in the helix was reprofiled at some point as well.

 

Are there any pictures of this? I can't seem to find any anywhere. Also, does anyone know how extensively Magnum was reprofiled?

[mike_kelly]

Son Of Beast - Had loop removed

 

Didn't i read that they did a little reporifiling on the Voyage when it was retracked last year?

[Double0Kevin]

Also, does anyone know how extensively Magnum was reprofiled?

 

Not a ton, This is the only photo I found big enough to see the mods, If you look at the supports you can see the track dropped more suddenly and lower from the hill leading to the turn around.

 

[Angry_Gumball]

Reprofiled coasters...how about that Texas Tornado coaster (or the Windows 7 coaster icon)?

 

And also Zonga, though didn't seem major, weren't the bottoms of the first 2 inversions raised a bit to reduce the G's?

[GayCoasterGuy]

Wasn't the Texas Giant previously reprofiled before NTAG?

Yep. Texas Giant originally had a double-up turn that was later smoothed to just an upward swooping turn. I think that some of the banking in the helix was reprofiled at some point as well.

 

Geez that double-up was excellent. It was still there when I worked at the park in 1995, not sure when it was taken out. Also, going into the helix there was a a small bump on the curve nick named the "Summer's Curve" after Curtis Summers. It was removed after the first year. It was one of those "knock you silly" moments. I remember bumping heads with a friend on it at Coaster Con 1990. The ride was ripping itself apart very quickly. We went out for ERT one morning and a brake had been put on the first drop over night (it wasn't in use yet, just installed). During the Con, they also took the front car from the blue train and put it on the front of the white train to keep 2 out of the 3 trains operational. Good times!

 

I keep wanting to write an article on the specifics of the Giant's issues and history (as well as Texas Cyclone, Ga Cyclone, Blue Streak at Cedar Point, Timberwolf, etc, etc.) but... guess I'll get to it at some point.

[Zem]

Before and after of Texas Tornado:

 

 

[Randomman295]

^That is unreal. If it was a Schwarzkopf, who made the refurb?

[XYZ]

^That is unreal. If it was a Schwarzkopf, who made the refurb?

 

Texas Tornado wasn't manufactured by Schwarzkopf, it was manufactured by Hopkins which still exists today.

[Zem]

^That is unreal. If it was a Schwarzkopf, who made the refurb?

 

Yeah like XYZ said. It was built with those loops but never opened with them. During testing they ran into problems of the loops being uncomfortable and it wouldn't make it through the second loop. They eventually reprofiled the ride by changing the two loops and the double up.

[Sunfire]

Both of the Demon coasters at the Great America parks are the results of reprofiling. They were known in the 70s as Turn of the Century, and the layout was the same, except the track was white, and two ejector air-inducing hills followed the first drop. But in 1980, as inversions began to become more popular, both parks removed the airtime hills and replaced them with vertical loops. Add tunnels, rock formations, and extensive theming (and painting the track black), and they had a reimagined thrill ride.

[palmerleeberry]

Okay, I was ready to provide a list of coasters that I have known and ridden, but it seems everyone else beat me first, so I'm going to do something a little different: instead of naming a coaster that was reprofiled, I'm going to name a coaster whose queing lines got reprofiled. And that honor goes to KIng's Dominion's The Grizzly.

 

When the ride first opened in 1982, there was an attendant present to open and shut the gate because the enter and exit crossed the railroad tracks. This went on for many seasons until the train was taken out and the gate became permament. Then the lines had to be modified so the Go-Kart track can be installed. Last year, when Dinosaurs Alive! arrived, the enter and exit lines were rebuilt once more.

 

So while the coaster's layout has remained unchanged, the lines to and from the station has underwent many modifications.

 

I'm not perfect: I just love to ride!!!"

[CorkscrewFoley]

Also, does anyone know how extensively Magnum was reprofiled?

 

Not a ton, This is the only photo I found big enough to see the mods, If you look at the supports you can see the track dropped more suddenly and lower from the hill leading to the turn around.

 

 

What was the problem? Too much air?

[jmicha]

^From what I've heard, yes actually haha. I believe the problem was that there was no flat portion between angling down to leveling out as there is on that hill now. Therefore you'd be flying over hill 3 and the air would be increasing since you'd be accelerating over a circular piece of track then with no transition immediately be leveling out on another circular piece of track, causing people to slam back down into their seats. I heard reports of quite a lot of bloody noses from people hitting their faces on the front of the car or seat in front of them, etc.

 

If anyone is interested, here's a POV of the original Magnum layout before the changes to hill 3 and the pretzel turnaround. also note the trims before the pretzel are on top of the hill instead of at the bottom as they are now.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFpHxzCarh0

[Koasterking48]

Didn't i read that they did a little reporifiling on the Voyage when it was retracked last year?

Yes but it was a minor reprofile. There was an awkward outward bank right before the first 90 degree banked turn that was fairly uncomfortable. This POV of the ride show it. They are in the middle of retracking the last portion of the layout.

HW did post a newer POV of the new layout. Notice from 1:25 to 1:32 that there is the newer track.

[Myself]

Okay, I was ready to provide a list of coasters that I have known and ridden, but it seems everyone else beat me first, so I'm going to do something a little different: instead of naming a coaster that was reprofiled, I'm going to name a coaster whose queing lines got reprofiled. And that honor goes to KIng's Dominion's The Grizzly.

 

When the ride first opened in 1982, there was an attendant present to open and shut the gate because the enter and exit crossed the railroad tracks. This went on for many seasons until the train was taken out and the gate became permament.

 

If I'm not mistaken, didn't Mantis at CP have a similar queue situation during its opening year? I think I remember seeing somewhere that its queue crossed the CP&LE tracks that summer, not unlike Shoot the Rapids.

[3Mutts]

No one has mentioned Thunderbolt at Kennywood, it was once the Pippin and in 1968 they expanded and retracked it to become the Thunderbolt.