larrygator Posted February 21, 2017 Share Posted February 21, 2017 (edited) Orphan Rocker Larry's digging deep! You caught me. Actually that was one of the 3 that instantly came to mind, I didn't even try to research any similar scenarios. You should be glad I didn't bring up this one. I'm just trying to stay positive, because quite frankly Playland's Castaway Cove could have just stayed the course and not made any positive additions over the past 5 years and they would still be doing well. Yes, the park bungled the PR by not keeping the public in the loop, but we have seen that type of PR confusion repeatedly when products/projects are late and that's not just in the amusement park industry. I tend to give those little business some slack since they haven't had to deal with negativity of this scale previously regarding a problem with a large ride installation. Plus, I have seen "enthusiasts" bitching the delay elsewhere online, saying they it is disasterous for the park. When in actuality those enthusiasts will be one and doners and bring in minimal increased revenue. They will probably take advantage of a ACE event at the park to ride the coaster cheaply and overindulge in a buffet lunch narrowing the profit margins for a small park just trying to get some publicity. Edited February 21, 2017 by larrygator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirkFunk Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 People laughed because management and S&S/Sansei appeared inept. No one put a gun to their head and told them to try and open the ride for a day in December to claim it as a "new for 2016" attraction, most certainly not ACE (who requires parasitic relationships with parks to be in any way, shape or form relevant). If they felt that they had to do that for their regulars/best customers, certainly that wasn't the enthusiasts who usually blow through town in a matter of minutes to go on the bare minimum of rides before continuing on to the next boardwalk. It looks like they'll be finishing up construction after some 16-17 months. Maybe they actually bit off more than they could chew? Maybe the parts keep being delayed because their checks keep getting lost in the mail? Funny how all the bits for the Six Flags Freeflys seem to arrive on time and bolted together just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 New track piece is in the buildin'! Via GreatAdvOnline... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 It seems like some additional modifications will need to be made to the new track piece as it doesn't currently connect to the supports or the track behind it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaellynn4 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Oh. Dear. God. Those pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 It seems like some additional modifications will need to be made to the new track piece as it doesn't currently connect to the supports or the track behind it. Exactly. Come on Larry, laugh with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomNick Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 "So wait....this piece of track we've been waiting on actually has to attach to the supports?!?! Well, $%it then!! Back on the phone with S&S!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoulderDash Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 Really embarrassing, they have to cut up brand new track for a new piece that doesn't even fit. What is S&S even doing with this? This model was one of the options for the new coaster at LC and they are really happy they went with the Skyrocket over this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 It seems like some additional modifications will need to be made to the new track piece as it doesn't currently connect to the supports or the track behind it. Exactly. Come on Larry, laugh with us. HaHa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RollerManic Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 How do you f*ck up a track piece that just has to be remade? To me it sounds like the design was fine, but the manufacturing of the track lead to an imperfection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejot Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 This is just tooo frickin' funny. The first thing that comes to mind, as a comparison, was an old B&M documentary that claimed their track dimensions are stringently QC'd to something like +/- a millimeter or so. ^ Umpteen potential points of failure for this sort of thing. My guess would be poor engineering controls of CAD data at S&S. And yes, I do sit behind a CAD workstation in the professional world every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 OMG whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 At this point, is it fair to ask what will open first- Xanadu or Gale Force? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcoastermark Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 Magic balls says, considering Olivia did this in 1980, I say Xanadu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted March 23, 2017 Author Share Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) UPDATE! After long delay, Playland's massive coaster set for May opening in Ocean City OCEAN CITY – At long last, an Ocean City amusement park hopes to open a 125-foot-tall roller coaster in May, more than a year later than originally planned. The unveiling of two roller coasters at Playland’s Castaway Cove on 10th Street and the Boardwalk, including the massive GaleForce, has been pushed back more than a year due to a number of shipping delays and other setbacks. The park opened the first of three new coasters, a spinning coaster named Whirlwind, on Memorial Day of last year. But work on GaleForce, the triple-launch, magnetic-powered coaster that began towering over Playland’s Castaway Cove in early 2016, and the new coaster that wraps around it, Wildwaves, ran behind schedule. Brian Hartley, the park’s vice president, said GaleForce’s manufacturer, S&S – Sansei Technologies, opted late last summer to rebuild one section of track that leads into the coaster’s station. The rails on that section of track were found to be slightly out of alignment when the manufacturer inspected the coaster, Hartley said. He said it was not a potential safety issue, but rather it just made for a bumpier ride than desired. Because of the coaster’s triple-launch design, a GaleForce car would use that track three times per ride, Hartley said. “The two rails were a little bit out of alignment. You’re talking centimeters,” Hartley said. “But on a car moving 60 miles per hour, it makes a big difference on the smoothness of the ride.” Other than that, he said, the ride is complete. The park tested the track on Monday, March 20, rocking the car back and forth on two steeply graded tracks that flank the station. The park also ran the ride all the way through a few times, Hartley said. The park places plastic dummies, usually filled with water or antifreeze to weigh them down, inside the car for test runs. He said the coaster was set for a welding inspection on Tuesday. “If all goes well, we’ll continue running it,” Hartley said Monday. He said the park would then apply for a state inspection. From the time the park resubmits engineering documents to New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs for the ride, the state has 30 days to inspect it, Hartley said. If all goes according to plan, he said, the ride should be ready for an opening in early May. But he knows plans for the coaster’s opening (he had hoped to open the ride in April of last year) have gone up in smoke before. Manufacturing a one-of-a-kind ride typically includes obstacles on along the way, he said. “It’s something that happens with all rides, to be honest,” he said. “It’s the first of a kind. You’re not buying a ride that’s already been manufactured.” Wild Waves, a ride with plenty of dips and turns, but no loops, is also set to open in the spring, Hartley said. The track was delivered and assembled by the end of last summer, but the coaster’s car was not delivered to the park until October, Hartley said. “There’s always hiccups,” he said of installing a new ride. “You’re always frustrated with the time frame, but you want to get it right.” The new rides were announced in 2015 to replace two older coasters at the park, looping Python and Flitzer. GaleForce features a 90-degree drop and a top speed of 64 miles per hour. When it opens, it will take riders through a number of thrilling loops and spins, Hartley said. The coaster was designed to be 220 feet long and 40 feet wide. It powers riders through three separate accelerations, and the ride runs forward and backward before returning to the station after the third launch. The coaster will also use a three-point harness system, in which a shoulder harness comes down from over top, and two smaller harnesses protect both sides of the body. Playland, owned by Scott Simpson, is one of two amusement parks in Ocean City. The city’s mayor, Jay Gillian, owns Gillian’s Wonderland Pier at Sixth Street and the boardwalk. Edited March 25, 2017 by jedimaster1227 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Now I am actually starting to like the look of the two coasters combined. The skyline feels very industrial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Like Theme Parks. Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 ^^We'll see about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Yeah, I'm still leaving open the possibility that this might not be open yet when I'm in the area in August. If it is, I'll stop by and ride it. If not, more time at Morey's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Good to see they've resolved the isssue and testing again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Details for the annual Easter Sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastinmiller Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 ^ saw your post. Book marked! Going to be a good summer! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCoasterKid211 Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Good to see they've resolved the issue and testing again. Famous last words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pear Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Gale Force got a new train design to help with articulation and reduce the screeching. There is now a separate back row. Also they have a very interesting way of getting the supports to connect to the track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerstlaueringvar Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 Very interesting modifications! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superbatboy Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 Now the ride has trim brakes?? Who designed this? Diddy Kong?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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