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Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread


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^^ The individual sheets are bent before being welded together.

 

I guess the official 95 degree record is, "First roller coaster track segment banked more than 90 degrees to be supported by a primarily wooden structure."

It will be interesting to see how they support it.

Edited by nannerdw
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I agree with you, Robb. If track like this is used, then wooden coasters are no long considered wooden coasters....it should be used to resurrect older wooden coasters that are well past their prime, like Mean Streak, Son of Beast, Beast, etc. and give them new life.

I totally agree. Just to be clear I'm not saying that I don't think the idea of doing this is bad at all. I rode Texas Giant last year, and quite frankly, it was terrible. And if this steel track idea works and can turn an "old & busted" wood coaster in a "new hotness" steel coaster then HELL YEAH!

 

If it works, I'd want GhostRider to get this treatment in a heart beat!

 

But it would no longer be a wood coaster. And IMO, that's fine. I'd much rather have a KICK ASS steel coaster over a crappy, beaten-up, broken down wood coaster any day.

 

--Robb "Who is also a big fan of Gemini." Alvey

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I don't really understand this.. What I got out of it was that wood will be laid on top of the red I-beam, then the steel sheets would be put on top of the wood so that the wheels on the coaster car could run. So basically the I-beam will just act as the backbone of the pieces of wood and the coaster's "track" (the part the wheels actually touch). Is this right though, or are they saying that the red I-beam is what the coaster's wheels will run on...?

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Yes, Gerstlauer trains are in store for Giant. Which, if you're anything like me and several others watching this project, disappoints even MORE after this development. But then again, maybe this can help those trains run better..

 

Im keeping my fingers crossed that Gerstlauer is designing new trains for this project and we wont see the horrible trains we are thinking of running on this coaster

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It almost looks like Colossus which has had a ton of it's track replaced by I-Beams and feels like it!!!

 

If these guys had anything to do with El Toro and other Intamin prefab's I'll totally give them the benefit of the doubt until I ride it!

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I don't really understand this.. What I got out of it was that wood will be laid on top of the red I-beam, then the steel sheets would be put on top of the wood so that the wheels on the coaster car could run. So basically the I-beam will just act as the backbone of the pieces of wood and the coaster's "track" (the part the wheels actually touch). Is this right though, or are they saying that the red I-beam is what the coaster's wheels will run on...?

How I'm reading the Amusement Today article is that there is NO WOOD involved at all other than the base structure of the ride:

 

The new track design does not use any wood on the track bed, nor does it use any track bolts. A newly engineered galvanized ledger design, that the Iron Horse Coaster track bolts to, acts as the spine/backbone for the steel railed track.

 

This sounds to me like they are turning it into Gemini, but with steel I-Beam track instead of tubular steel track.

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This sounds to me like they are turning it into Gemini, but with steel I-Beam track instead of tubular steel track.

 

The thing about Gemini is that most of the GP still regard it as a wooden coaster despite the fact that it clearly runs on steel track. I think this is a great move on Six Flags Texas' part because for 1) a lot of the mammoth Dinn coasters of the 80's and 90's have run well despite continual retracking with wood (Mean Streak 2009, Hercules for example), 2) the GP will still see it as a wooden coaster. Its a really interesting idea, and sort of reminds me of Steel Phantom/Phantom's revenge if my train of thought is clear at all. I really want to go ride this thing in 2011.

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Yes, Gerstlauer trains are in store for Giant. Which, if you're anything like me and several others watching this project, disappoints even MORE after this development. But then again, maybe this can help those trains run better..

 

Im keeping my fingers crossed that Gerstlauer is designing new trains for this project and we wont see the horrible trains we are thinking of running on this coaster

That's a cool point to ponder..

 

I was hoping the Texas Giant layout I know and love would stay virtually the same, but this announcement does not make the case for that. In my opinion, if I ride it in 2011 and it's nothing like I remember layout-wise, then I'd count it as 2 credits: Old Giant and New Giant, wood or not.

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Im keeping my fingers crossed that Gerstlauer is designing new trains for this project and we wont see the horrible trains we are thinking of running on this coaster

 

Whatever happened to Megazeph and Twisted Twins Gerstlauer Trains??? I hope they don't plan on putting those old style ones back on!!

 

The new Gerstlauer trains on Mammut were okay, but I can't imagine them on a coaster as big as Texas Giant.

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Does anyone think that the "Texas Giant" name will be altered in any way? Seems almost like it needs to because it won't be the original Giant anymore.

 

When I saw that steel was being used, my first thought was they were pulling a Colossus on it (Steel I-beam track), but putting a layer of wood on top to keep the "wood" feel. However, it appears that the only wood in the ride will be the structure holding it up.

 

Eric

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Im keeping my fingers crossed that Gerstlauer is designing new trains for this project and we wont see the horrible trains we are thinking of running on this coaster

 

Whatever happened to Megazeph and Twisted Twins Gerstlauer Trains??? I hope they don't plan on putting those old style ones back on!!

 

The new Gerstlauer trains on Mammut were okay, but I can't imagine them on a coaster as big as Texas Giant.

 

I thought the MZ trains went to SFSTL as parts? Possibly TT's trains went there also.

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Woah, this is definitely not what I was expecting the rehab to be like. My only concern is that the public won't be able to tell the difference between the old and new Giant. They will just see the giant wooden structure and assume that it's that crappy ride that they rode last year. I would imagine that they would have to do something to distinguish how it has changed. New name maybe? I also wonder how they are going to do the whole 95 degree bank and where. I will be following the progress on this for sure. It's going to be interesting to see how this new design changes the ride experience.

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So chalk this up as one of the oddest ideas I've ever seen. Steel I-beam track using the wood structure? Not even remotely close to what I was expecting. But to echo other sentiments in this thread, there's no way they could make it any worse, that coaster was unbearable last year. I almost put it in the same category as Rattler.

 

And I would think it has to count as a new credit. New layout, new track, and no longer wooden.

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All of this just seems to odd for me. So the track is suppose to look like a construction beam? I wish they could just tell us some more of the new elements so I can get a full glimpse of what they're doing. Very happy about the renovation though since I kind of hated that ride. Can't wait until the park opens this weekend so I can get my pass. Hopefully later I could also take some construction photos or videos for everyone!

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Now the real question is, will this be a cheaper alternative to new coasters vs. re-tracking existing ones if it becomes a runaway success.

 

Mean Streak has a very sound structure, every time I've rode i don't see as much sway as I do with others. But with SoB... I don't think that structure can handle much change at all. Especially if the steel track and trains are heavier, which caused SoB to rupture.

 

I applaud Shapiro and the rest of the Six Flags big wigs for opting for Renovation/ Re-imagination over installing a new coaster/ Attraction. Makes me wish Cedar Fair would do the samefor its large Coasters and attractions as well. My Hats off to them!

 

Nick "Wishing that some day he could ride Mean Streak and come off smiling" Wells

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I'm with Robb. If this makes Texas Giant awesome, this could be a hot new trend that fix sucky coasters everywhere! And at half the price of a new coaster, rides like Rattler and Mean Streak could be totally new experiences. Good luck Six Flags, I routing for ya on this one!

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This is quite interesting. If it works, we all need to lobby together to get CP to do this to Mean Streak. I'm very curious as to how all this will work out. It is a shame that it will no longer be a true wooden coaster, but at least it should give a much better ride now than it has in the past. Also, is it just me, or did the guy in the video a few pages back say that the first drop is going to be 79 degrees? If so, then awesome!

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