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Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread


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While waiting forever to ride Giant, the tv in line advertised that they will be running Batman backwards this summer. So, I guess that answers that burning question. Now to get through this slow moving Giant line. Good thing the weather is nice.

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^^I actually think both parks are beautiful in some ways. SFOT has retained a lot more charm and atmosphere to help counter its Six Flags-ness a bit, but SFMM does have a really nice setting and some decently pleasant areas.

 

Interesting that they'll be running namtaB (assuming they didn't just thoughtlessly copy a video from SFMM or SFGAm, though it's understandable that they may just be quietly introducing it for now instead of making a big announcement).

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seen Intamin coasters built at Six Flags parks since this happened, and we're seeing new Drop Tower installations even after the Superman:ToP accident at SFKK.

 

When I say quite some time I mean a couple of years, which is what it too Six Flags to start dealing with Intamin again.

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Thanks for the opening day update, chadster. It brings back memories of our trip during spring break last year. We also thought SFOT was a decent looking park and it has retained a lot of the 'Texas' charm since the park's creation.

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I need to add to my last comment on our visit yesterday, that I am happy to say that we got our two sons to ride Batman with us. They have had this thing about it being inverted and wouldn't ride it last year. My youngest was a hair too short for it, most of last season.

 

We convinced them to try it once and they loved it! So, that puts another ride on the roster that we can all 4 ride together as a family!

Now, to convince them to ride Freeze...

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^ I think Intamin and Gerstlauer is different. If Six Flags is looking for record breaker, Intamin is the right choice. But for Gerstlauer, there are Maurer, S&S, Mack and Zierer providing rides at roughly the same price. Sure that Gerstlauer made Takabisha and Smiler, I can still see Mack winning the marketing competition for capacity and quality.

 

Honestly, this is just how the amusement industry works. It's so small and so insular that the major companies don't usually avoid each other no matter what the circumstances are. I know of one company that had an active lawsuit against another for not delivering what they promised, and the company was countersuing over not getting the full payments for the rides and while that lawsuit was going on and the parks that had gotten the rides were having all sorts of issues with them, the way it was resolved was they both agreed to stop suing each other and buy more rides for the next year.

 

There simply aren't enough manufacturers with enough capacity to have companies stop buying from them entirely.

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The German ride manufacturer of the Texas Giant said blame rests with Six Flags for the death of a woman last summer.

 

Six Flags recently said in a court filing the cars riders sit in on the Texas Giant were defective. The park joined a suit against Gerstlauer Amusement Rides that was filed by the family of the woman killed.

 

Rosa Esparza, 52, fell 75 feet after being ejected from her seat and died in July 2013 riding the coaster. Esparza's family is also suing Six Flags in addition to Gerstlauer.

 

Gerstlauer said in its filing that Six Flags opted not to put seat belts on the Texas Giant, a decision that dated back to 2011.

 

The ride maker also said Six Flags failed to use the "test seat" given to them. Gerstlauer said the test seat had a "red light indicating that a passenger's size was inappropriate for the restraint system."

 

Gerstlauer also blames Six Flags for poor hiring and training of the ride's operators and their failure to properly perform a "push-pull" test on the ride's lap bar.

 

Gerstlauer wants a judge to dismiss Six Flags' suit against them. There is no timetable on an action from the judge

 

 

 

Read more: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/24906002/texas-giant-ride-manufacturer-says-six-flags-to-blame-in-death#ixzz2vDi0rRcW

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Great to see Shockwave running - hope they have solved the problems they had with it last season

 

We got a couple of rides on it on opening day. I was happy to see them finally running 2 trains again. The line zipped through. It was nice.

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Drove by Hurricane Harbor to check in on construction over there on the new Wahoo Racer. They have removed the Bubba Tub, Kamikaze, and Blue Niagara rides to make way for the new water slides. Ground work is pretty much all that is going on at the moment and slide pieces are yet to be seen in the parking lot. It'll be a nice improvement to that part of the park!

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^ I don't think we'll se construction for yet for some time, last year they didn't start to put up the new slides until May.

 

Edit: I just saw that the slide is going to open on memorial day, so construction should start soon.

Edited by _koppen
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^About the same if not slightly worse. They are also requiring any 'bulky' items in your front pockets be placed in the provided zipper pouch. (hey why not place your phone in it and not risk it falling out or screen shattering) If you're super close sometimes removing ones wallet from their back pocket provides that extra room needed.

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I know Gerstlauer is the manufacturer, but I do believe that their accusations are too realistic. For one, even if a test seat was not used, this still does not explain the accident, as using this is purely optional. Secondly, it is up to Gerstlauer to decide whether or not the ride is safe without seat belts, considering that they are the ones who designed the restraints. If they said it was safe without seat belts, there is no reason for the park to think against that. I guess they might have a point with the check system, but I do not believe V is giving fair accusations.

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I just don't see how Gerstlauer is responsible considering the restraint system did not fail. The rider was simply too large to be restrained properly. I think SFOT should solely be responsible as it was their ride ops who did not do their jobs of protecting the guest.

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I just don't see how Gerstlauer is responsible considering the restraint system did not fail. The rider was simply too large to be restrained properly. I think SFOT should solely be responsible as it was their ride ops who did not do their jobs of protecting the guest.

 

Then the ride should not have been able to be dispatched. The train has sensors to detect if the lapbar was properly lowered, the sensors told the operators she was ok to ride, and they dispatched the train. The whole point of modern safety systems is to make rides as "idiot proof" as possible for operators so that human errors are minimized. It sounds like they did what they were supposed to, unless maybe they figured out some sort of "glitch" that allowed them to fool the safety system. I operated a S&S ride at one point, and several operators figured out a way to "trick" the system into allowing larger guests to ride. Even if that was the case I would still argue the manufacturer/control programmer shares some blame for not finding and fixing that glitch.

 

Also, if Gerstlauer was so concerned about the lack of seat belts on the ride they should have never sold the trains without seat belts. IIRC, at one point PTC offered their trains with or without seat belts. They then made the decision that all trains would be shipped with seat belts installed, and parks would be taking their own risk to remove them.

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I think European engineers somethimes think "too European" when it comes to exporting our coasters to the US. Before venturing my first time into the US - and later riding my first Intamin/GCI woodie I never encountered seatbelts on a coaster. Doing Montezooma first I lowered the lapbar and thought I was ready before the attendant snapped at me that I have not closed my seatbelt - my reaction was "My WHAT???". Secondly I have noticed in the US a far greater margin of very voluminous people - and they even ride. I think the ration of very voluminous people are by 10-50 times greater than here - and here most of them do not even ride. Next to that most riders here close their restraints themselves and the attendant - aside from carnivals mostly a single person who doubles as operator - only walks by and checks visually. US park visitors are WAY less independent and very creative on how to use restraints the wrong way. I am always amazed at how many attendants and operators are around on US coasters - the only coaster coming to mind here in Germany with as much attendants is Olympia - and they can dispatch a train every minute if needed.

 

Overall I think - sadly - that Gerstlauer may end up with the verdict that their trains were not tested enough for very voluminous riders...

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