drechen fire

[methos]

this was origaly supposed to be a b and m ride from what i have herd. but b and m at the time was just starting and could not build both this coaster and build kumba, bgt got kumba and arrow was asked to do df.

 

it is funny to see that this park has not any where in the chain looked to arrow since this coaster. i was able to ride it both ways. the ride wasn't any rougher then gasm at sfgadv. their were some rough transitions on it, the fast changes almost look like b and m but by not haveing the wide gauge track would have been tighter and rougher.

 

the elments look simalr to that of kumba,

 

arrow corks were not interlocked with this exeption.

arrow did not build cobra roll/boomerang elements on any other coaster.

arrows first loop on this coaster almost resembles a b and m dive loop.

 

just my thoughts that the coaster was designed to be b and m and then modified to be an arrow.

 

wasn't big bad wolf going to be a Schwarzkopf before they went out of busness and then it was an arrow project??

 

homer thanck you for that link.

[peteb]

Apparently BBW was to be a Schwartzkopf. Arrow took over and the trains/track are their design. One thing I'll never understand is how Arrow suspended track is always of a smooth, flowing design without all the rough transitions you find on their standard looping models. It's as if someone completely different in the company was responsible for this design. Who knows why they never improved their sit down coaster design that dated back to the 70's when it was clear that all their competitors were way ahead.

[chauncey]

this was origaly supposed to be a b and m ride from what i have herd. but b and m at the time was just starting and could not build both this coaster and build kumba, bgt got kumba and arrow was asked to do df.

 

B&M has said publicly that's a load of bull! Arrow has said publicly that's a load of bull! And I can say right now that a lot of your speculation is a load of bull!

 

 

Through the list:

 

it is funny to see that this park has not any where in the chain looked to arrow since this coaster.

 

Neither has anyone else, really. B&M really impressed the industry with Kumba, and Batman The Ride, and Arrow really let down the industry with Drachen Fire. The only portion of the industry Arrow held on to were hypercoasters, because they were the only guy in town. Then Morgan come out with their's, and it was over.

 

They tried to rebound with the Mouse, but other companies had done the same earlier, better, and cheaper.

 

Their last hope was X, and, well, yeah...

 

the ride wasn't any rougher then gasm at sfgadv. their were some rough transitions on it, the fast changes almost look like b and m but by not haveing the wide gauge track would have been tighter and rougher.

 

Assuming the layout was identical in every other way, reducing the gauge of the track would have no effect on the ride at all! It would simply be like taking off the 2 side rows, and the excess track used to support them.

 

Actually, it would appear, and ride, LESS tight, if anything.

 

the elments look simalr to that of kumba,

 

arrow corks were not interlocked with this exeption.

arrow did not build cobra roll/boomerang elements on any other coaster.

arrows first loop on this coaster almost resembles a b and m dive loop.

 

1. Arrow corkscrews weren't interlocked on this coaster, either.

2. It was the first time Arrow used one, and they never built another looper on the scale of Drachen Fire.

3. Actually, a B&M diveloop almost resembles an Arrow element! They used them as half of their "Boomerangs" (what B&M calls a Batwing), and it's simply a reverse of one of their "Sidewinders" (what B&M calls an Immelman).

[cfc]

Apparently BBW was to be a Schwartzkopf. Arrow took over and the trains/track are their design. One thing I'll never understand is how Arrow suspended track is always of a smooth, flowing design without all the rough transitions you find on their standard looping models. It's as if someone completely different in the company was responsible for this design. Who knows why they never improved their sit down coaster design that dated back to the 70's when it was clear that all their competitors were way ahead.

 

Some folks complain that BBW is too jerky, but I've never had a problem with it--certainly wasn't as big a headbanger as Drachen Fire.

 

The Drachen Fire station has found new life, of sorts, as "Sleepless Hollow Manor" during Howl-o-Scream.

[verticalzero]

What was this coaster like to ride. Was it rough

[Homey G.]

The Drachen Fire station has found new life, of sorts, as "Sleepless Hollow Manor" during Howl-o-Scream.

 

And, as me and my gf found out, sometimes not during Howl-o-Scream! :shock:

[methos]

what i was saying was the elments did not look like normal arrow stuff. if you look at viper sfmm, scream machine at sfgadv, shockwave orent express and others they do not in any way resmble df.

 

df elments look more simalar to the ones found on current b and m coasters. as for fast trasitons many b and m coasters have them but they are smooth. look at the drop after the trims on nitro, good air time on a quick drop. same on alingust. medusa has a couple as well.

 

most arrows at the time were loops in line or on a 90-180 turn with more loops. df had as far as i rember no verticle loop. but had what was like a dive loop, cobra roll, a pair of interlocked corkscrews, and the cutback in between.

 

arrows gauge and inside track wheels cause a lot of the roughness you feel. the wider outside wheel design helps b and m in smoothness, as well as the heartline being more to center of body rather then center of train. width of the track plays into forces too, think of a low wide sports car and the suv for example. the wider wheel base helps to reduce the tendacy to lift one side during turns, for obvious reasons a coaster will not flip, but that force is preasnt none the less. the wider car has the effect of reducing it by hving a more centerd mass. also the supports and spine seam to move in arrow more then b and m. i knoticed viper shifts qite a bit in the first loop and turn.

 

not to say arrow was bad at coasters, but they all seam to have some roughness to them, all had inside wheels, and same track gauge and spine, vekuma is plagued by the same roughness (some times worse) on many of their coasters. intimin uses wheels on the outside of the track as do b and m, thier coasters tend to be smoother then thouse above.

 

time will tell better as batman and kumba gain age and close in on some of the older coasters. we shall see if they get rougher like the arrows did.

 

qestion who did the design for df? it doesn't resmble ron toomers work much.

[chauncey]

There are rough B&Ms, and other coasters with the same basic track and train style as B&M. There are also smooth Arrow coasters, and other coasters with the same basic track and train style as Arrow.

 

That isn't the issue, really. I think the biggest issues with rougness on a coaster are the design of the track layout, the vehicles (wheel assemblies, and restraints / seating especially), and the support structure, along with mantenience.

 

Also, while Drachen Fire didn't fit the typical Arrow mold, neither did a lot of their coasters, including all of their custom loopers made after Drachen Fire!

[methos]

it just seams as more arrow coasters have that issue. whitch arrow loopers are you refering to after df??

[chauncey]

Fantasia Special, Canyon Blaster, Big Dipper, Rollercoaster, and, especially, Tennesee Tornado, and X.

 

Also, more Arrow coasters have the issue because of their poorly designed layouts and vehicles, because they're old, and because they're often poorely mantained.

[verticalzero]

R.I.P drechen fire

[Geoff]

df elments look more simalar to the ones found on current b and m coasters. as for fast trasitons many b and m coasters have them but they are smooth. look at the drop after the trims on nitro, good air time on a quick drop. same on alingust. medusa has a couple as well.

 

I'm sure I read somewhere that original Drachen Fire was to be built by B&M but they were busy doing something else. Kumba I think.

[Hercules]

Yes. From what I know the design was a B&M design but B&M bailed on the project because they were busy, so BGW was left with prints of the design and nobody to build the ride, so in came Arrow. Since Arrow did such a good job finishing Big Bad Wolf and with what they did with Loch Ness Monster, they were the (at the time) obvious choice to build Drachen Fire. Too bad they didn't realize that Arrow track didn't mix with B&M design.

[CoasterFanatic]

Haha! I have that movie. It makes Drachen Fire look nice and smooth, but it shows the train coming into the station and nobody's smiling and those low trains look really uncomfortable.

 

You want to see some funny faces? Fast Forward to the Steel Phantom Segment on that same DVD.