S&S Sansei Discussion Thread

[Yamez]

^ I hope they can refine it further, but honestly I'm more interested to see what B&M is doing with it. If they can perfect the concept, I doubt S&S is going to be able to do anything with that market afterward. But if B&M doesn't...

[Jhcbiinoc]

Who wouldn't want to see more Tennessee Tornado's get built?

 

Well if we're going to go there, another Orient Express! But make it better, faster, stronger than it was before.

The Orient Express was the very first coaster I ever rode.....and it was back in the 80s. All I remember is that is was really scary to me as a little kid and never rode it again!

 

The Orient Express was responsible for me craving bigger and faster coasters with more inversions and crazy elements. That was the first "big" coaster I had ever been on, and I was nervous but I absolutely loved it. It skyrocketed Arrow to being my favorite coaster company for the longest time-at least until B&M came along.

 

But I rode it when the ride was only about 3-4 years old; I heard that it got rough, as many Arrows have with age.

 

I do want to see S&S perfect the 4D Coaster.....and they might want to get on that, as speaking of B&M, they're in the process of doing their own "spin" on the 4D.....

[rollin_n_coastin]

Hmm...maybe a mega (and hopefully quieter) version of Tranan! But that may need actual lapbars since it's scary enough as it is

[tntornadox]

I'd love to see the old Arrow multiloopers come back as well, just so long as they can find a way to improve the wheels or restraints, so they can cut back on any headbanging issues.

 

To me, that's the saddest part... having ridden and worked on Tennessee Tornado, I can say that I have never had headbanging issues on that ride. Then again, it's smooth and actually features banking, not hairpin turns.

 

Arrow had finally figured it out, but it was too little too late.

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

I'm actually sad and exited at the same time to hear this. Stan really made the company what it is today, and I'm sad that he's leaving.

 

But still, with new people, maybe the company can become better and make even better rides.

[CorkscrewFoley]

^Yeah well, they can continue where they left off. I for one would love to see the return of the Arrow multilooper...

[Dailey Enterprizes]

I have my doubts that any park would buy another coaster like Great American Scream Machne. It takes up too much room and more parks are into buying heavily themed coasters. I can see another Tennessee Tornado at some the other non-chain parks. If the style does come back I see them being built overseas because like I said the standard looping coaster is kind of dead in the U.S. right now.

[4rturo]

I hope this means they take the dust of from arrow's designs and revive them

[CorkscrewFoley]

I would like to see a revival of Drachen Fire, but with newer changes to the design of the trains, wheel assembly, etc etc...

[SoCalCoasters]

just a quick but strange question...Does anyone know whatever happened to Thrust Air 2000, the prototype air launched coaster?

 

Just curious

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

^Are you being sarcastic or are you being serious?

 

If you're being serious, it sorta had problems and just didn't catch on... until S&S revived it with Powder Keg. Even then it still didn't manage to catch on, with Intamin making more reliable and faster launched coasters.

 

EDIT: Maybe Larsen can revive the Sky Sling? Highly doubt it, but still, I think it might be a cool idea.

 

V I never really got a chance to ride an original one. I really think they should bring back the old seats and add them to the already existing rides. Forgive me for getting off topic a little bit, but which mode was best?

Edited October 10, 2010 by Six Flags Enthuseast

[Geauga Dog]

^I like that idea. I loved VertiGo when it was at CP.

 

The suspended coaster never saw its full potential (well except for Eagle's Fortress based on Robb's POV) and I'd like to see the concept revived. Beef up the track and supports so that there won't be as much stress as on the older models.

[BigDipper 80]

^I agree with you about the suspended coasters. I've always felt that B&M killed the concept off before Arrow had the chance to really perfect the idea, even though the suspended coaster really is such a different ride from the inverted coaster. Perhaps if inversions hadn't become as prevalent in the 80's and 90's the concept could have survived. It couldn't hurt to have more rides like Flight Deck or Eagle's Fortress!

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

I also agree that it would be a good idea to bring a few Arrow rides back. I really think that if Larsen did decide to bring Arrow rides back, they could be successful again. Among those rides that should be brought back (IMO) are the Megalooper, Suspended coaster, the 'slightly banked' Wild Mouse, log flume, and the never-built Pipeline coaster.

[SoCalCoasters]

Yes! Bring the pipline coaster to life!

 

I was able to find this documentary on Arrow from 1990 the of focus of which is the pipline prototype they built!

 

The first part can be watched on Youtube as well, but this part shows the Pipline Prototype testing!

 

[Joe Cool]

^Found an old thread about the Pipeline Coaster.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40141

[GabrielOak]

Utah based thrill ride manufacturers, S&S Worldwide, Inc., have entered into a binding agreement with Sansei Yusoki Co., Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, whereby Sansei will invest in S&S.

 

Utah based thrill ride manufacturers, S&S Worldwide, Inc., have entered into a binding agreement with Sansei Yusoki Co., Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, whereby Sansei will invest in S&S.

 

The transaction, which it is hoped will lead to a stronger alliance between roller coaster and amusement rides manufacturers, Sansei and S&S, is scheduled to complete on July 3, 2012.

 

Rich Allen, President and CEO of S&S said, "The financial strength of Sansei, coupled with their strong engineering and manufacturing focus, will be a tremendous complement to S&S's patented portfolio and strong sales success all around the world."

 

Jeff Koffman, Chairman of the Board of S&S Worldwide, said, "It has been a pleasure getting to know the Sansei team, led by Makoto Nakagawa. I am excited about his vision for the future. Both companies are convinced that, with the strength of the combined entities, S&S will gain further marketshare in the roller coaster and high-end segment in the amusement industry."

 

Both Allen and Koffman will remain in their roles after the transaction, as will Kevin Rohwer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for S&S.

Edited June 20, 2012 by jedimaster1227

[jedimaster1227]

S&S Worldwide has sent us a press release regarding the addition of Tim Timco to their team.

 

S&S Worldwide is very pleased to announce that Tim Timco has joined their team as the Director of Business Development. Tim has over 30 years experience in the amusement industry, with 14 of those years in an executive management position. Most recently he has been providing business development management services to a number of manufacturers within the industry as an independent contractor, this aGer serving 28 years as a senior executive in the admissions and ticketing business. Tim has also been heavily involved with IAAPA, recently serving on its Board of Directors, as well as the Chair of the Manufacturers and Suppliers Committee.

 

Said Timco – “I’m very excited about the new opportunities and growth potential for S&S (Sansei). I am truly looking forward to working with an organization that has been a staple in the amusement industry with such a bright future ahead of them”.

 

Said Kevin Rohwer, Vice President, S&S Worldwide and Member of the Board of Directors – “Ever since Tim and I met at EAS in Munich under the humorous circumstances we did, I knew then that Tim was the caliber of person that I wanted to associate myself with. I consider Tim one of the top persons in our industry and, without question, a quality person possessing the integrity, commitment to excellence and work ethic – making him a quality individual; one that we at S&S Worldwide (Sansei) are honored to have as part of our team. With excitement, forward thinking and the structure of S&S and Sansei, we’re excited for Tim to be an integral part of our team!

 

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Tim Timco to the S&S (Sansei) team. We look forward to being “partners-in-progress” with you, our customers, in our industry and in support of the IAAPA Organization.

Edited December 22, 2012 by robbalvey

[robbalvey]

Today we got to do something very cool...

 

We have been doing work with S&S for some time and they use many of our videos for their IAAPA booth and other promotional materials (videos of Dinoconda, Tranan, Powder Keg, etc) and during the last trade show, we were invited to come out to see their shop next time we came out to Salt Lake City.

 

Well, it just so happened that we were doing a skiing weekend in Park City, and I dropped them an email, and next thing we knew we are strapped into their new prototype 4th Dimension "Free Spin" roller coaster prototype and away we went!

 

The 4th Dimension Free Spin is very different from X2 or what we are used to from the current S&S 4D coasters. There is no "X Rail" that controls the spinning, it's all free spinning based on gravity and the weight distribution of the cars. We were told that the prototype (and a full scale version) will include dampers (look like little trim brakes, but not for the actual train, but for the seats) in areas that will help the seats spin even more!

 

These dampers can be adjusted to make for a more or less extreme ride. Not only that, each set of two seats could have different dampers to create a more extreme or family version even on the same car!

 

One might compare the ride to the Intamin Zacspin, but it rides VERY different, and the idea of the free spinning with some "help" from the dampers I think will create a much more exciting ride. Everyone knows we are big Intamin fans, but we felt this was an even BETTER version of that style of ride.

 

Also, while the prototype track might look like a "Disk-O coaster on steroids", this ride is NOTHING like a Disk-O and the track is that way just to test out the free spinning feature. The actual ride would be a full circuit with lift hill, etc.

 

We really hope this gets picked up by parks as it would be really cool to see some more S&S 4th Dimension coasters out there!

 

Take a look at the photos and video below as we also got to take a short tour of the S&S facility!

 

Hey look what book is sitting on the table in the lobby of S&S! We know that guy!

Let's cut to the chase. This is why we are here... The 4th Dimension "Free Spin" prototype!

A slightly closer look at it.

Here are some of the layouts they showed off at IAAPA.

So there is the ride vehicle. How on earth do we get up there?

By forklift of course! lol

Remember, this is a "prototype", so if it kind of looks like it was made from spare parts around the facility...it probably was! This is a "proof of concept" prototype that parks can come out, ride, see what the coaster sensation is like, and then talk to S&S about larger-scale models.

Elissa is all strapped in and ready go!

This is the view we have from our seats...

And when we look behind us, this is what we see. Not gonna lie, it was a *little* terrifying!

The attach a cable to the car, and up we go!

"Yo, man, we all good? This thing isn't gonna fall down, right????" Keeping in mind that I think the track just "ends" in the back there.

"You guys really? Gonna give you a big PUSH!!!!"

Heading down the drop... OMFG!!!!

We flipped around so many times! The world looked a lot like this most of the ride!

If this is what the ride does with just this short piece of track, imagine would a full-scale ride could do!

The prototype was incredibly smooth! This is thanks to some amazing engineering from the design side of things and the use of the steel I-Box track from RMC.

Yup, here's our butt!

It was hands up fun all the way around!

So the prototype didn't really have anything stopping the car (from what we could tell) from flying off the end. Thankfully, the designers developed a prototype that would stay on the track!

But this was our view, and it was kind of nerve wracking!

Still, we just an awesome time! We seriously LOVED IT!!!

Now it was KidTums' turn to ride! (Note - the Green Lantern seat is NOT a 'hint' at where the ride is going, nor is it trying to say it's like Green Lantern at SFMM, it's just that S&S made a Green Lantern El Loco for Australia, that this was a seat they had left over.)

KidTums looks slightly nervous...

And here we go spinning!

Want to see the back of the car? There ya go!

She looks like she's having a great time!

Here's a view from the top of the platform!

She LOVED flipping around, and even at her size, she was very secure and comfortable in the seat!

TWO THUMBS UP from KidTums!

Let's give you some "coaster nerd" shots. Here's a look at the seat...

Wheels and things...

These are the dampers which can help control the spin if needed. They can also be adjusted fairly easily to create a more or less extreme ride.

Underside of things.

More underside.

Yes, this is coaster porn.

Another look at the prototype sitting at the S&S facility.

"Are the wheels gonna hit those track bolts???"

Love the minimalistic support structure for the prototype. We are told a full-scale version would have much more structure!

This is what it looked like when we first arrived. The warmed up the car under the tarp since it was only 18 degrees outside!

Pulling the test vehicle up to the top of the platform.

More of the dampers on the track that can help with spinning. These can be moved to help make it spin more and the material used on the dampers will attribute to how much it spins.

Another POV shot. (Are you getting tired of coaster porn yet?)

Invisible riders having a GREAT time!

View from the top of the platform.

More wheels and things...

This is track. You know how I know? Actually, I don't know...

Back inside S&S we got a tour of the plant and the warehouse.

They keep a lot of "ride stuff" here...

We are told that the S&S and Arrow parts departments are kept completely separate. I assume this helps with organization.

But in case you were wondering, yes, they still supply TONS of parts for all those Arrow rides out there!

Some brand spankin' new Arrow wheels!

Lots of parts that I'm sure coaster geeks would love to get their hands on!

S&S also makes their own control systems for many of their rides.

Over in this area, they were working on refurbishing some older rides.

For example, this Frog Hopper came in from the Jersey Shore and was partially destroyed in Hurricane Sandy.

They are working on new parts for the rides and then they get shipped back out.

Here are two of the seats from El Loco at Adventuredome.

These seats will include an ADA compliant feature that will allow someone who is disabled to transfer into the seat. Part of the bottom is removable on two of the seats.

More ride thingys.

Lots 'o wheels!

Some people may remember when S&S Sansei was called "S&S Sports Power" - they still have the building!

They are currently working on new trains for Eejanaika!

These are much like the newer X2 and Dinoconda trains. Perhaps we'll see that ride become a little bit smoother in the future!

If you need parts machined, they have some equipment here!

Lots of pipes and rails and things.

These are some parts going to a new S&S Launched Coaster in China.

It's a new park and hopefully we will hear more about it soon!

Another look around some of S&S facilities.

They can design and paint all the theming, seats, etc, right here in their factory.

And yes, that's an old Arrow Bat Head!

Let's take another look at the 4th Dimension Free Spin prototype. It was fun boarding a ride via forklift! Six Flags should try this method! lol

Yes, it was 18 degrees outside, but the free spin warmed us up!

Seriously so much fun! I really hope a park picks this up! (Wait, I mean I hope MANY parks pick this up!)

KidTums instantly wanted to ride it again as soon as it came to stop, that's a good thing, right?

You can see the dampers in this photo and when they interact with the ones on the train, it helps you spin a bit more. But the spinning itself is "free" and based on how much weight is on the train, the position of the seats, how fast you are going, etc...

You can see the coasters loading station down to the left! lol

Hi. Here's our feet.

The 4D Free Spin gets a THUMBS UP from KidTums! Thanks to S&S for having us out and we wish you much success with this fantastic new design!

Edited October 29, 2017 by larrygator

[Nrthwnd]

Man, how to do a skiing trip right, huh?

 

That looks great. And cool you got to try a prototype out.

[2012jarrett]

As somebody with a desire to go into the engineering aspect of the industry, that was really cool! Love the spare parts prototype and the technical stuff! Makes me want to tour a similar factory even more now!

[Mrlittle]

Awesome photos and report. S&S has always been one of my favorite companies so it's really cool to see the factory. I hope a park sees this report and thinks wow we should go build a new 4D coaster. That was really nice of S&S to let you tour and ride the prototype. I'm jealous and want to ride it.

[thrillerman1]

THIS is incredible. I remember back in the 80's and 90's how long I'd have to wait between years to see new ride development (in print no less), but here it is right here right now twenty fourteen thanks to Robb and Elissa. WOW...thank you guys! I totally hope some parks (ahem Beech Bend) pick this up as it looks super fun. Way to go S&S with this new design!

[Vtafro]

Wow, that looks like a lot of fun. Ride could have a small footprint and plenty of intensity(when desired).

 

Wondering why the seats have the green lantern logo, if its ok to ask.

[Comeagain?]

Wondering why the seats have the green lantern logo, if its ok to ask.

 

From the caption of the picture of KidTums in the seat:

 

(Note - the Green Lantern seat is NOT a 'hint' at where the ride is going, nor is it trying to say it's like Green Lantern at SFMM, it's just that S&S made a Green Lantern El Loco for Australia, that this was a seat they had left over.)