Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

To me it looks like a piece of typical wood track (same train) but fabricated from metal. Much like prefab track on Intamin wood.

Well, the Intamin pre-fab track is made out of WOOD. A piece of steel track which looks a lot more like the S&S I-Beam track from Hypersonic is NOTHING at all like Intamin wood coaster track.

[themeparkman25]

Deleted by author

Edited January 20, 2011 by themeparkman25

[sixflagsguy5]

This is a very good idea. Keep the existing wooden structure, so that you have the bend factor that wood has for the truss structure. And then use steel I-beams for the ties, so that you eliminate the 7 or so layers of wood that are used for the track from moving. Basically it seems to me that they're creating a whole new meaning for hybrid wooden coaster. You have a mixture of wood and steel for the supports and you have a typical wooden coaster track on top of those supports. It's kind of like they're using what they have and trying to make it a hybrid structure.

 

A 95 degree turn would be really cool on this coaster, especially if you're taking it a decent speed. The sensation of being inverted (not an inversion though) will be really cool going through a wooden structure.

[jynx242]

Wouldn't this be an over-banked turn?? Definitely wierd. I rode the Texas Giant when it was new and it was awesome. Unfortunately, over the years, it hasn't fared well. Don't know what to make out of this... Time for another "wait and see what happens" game.

 

D.

[megamatt]

Well, its sad to see a wood coaster go, but if it makes the ride ten times better with the Steel Track, im all for it.

 

I wonder if it will be Tubular or Flanged track...

[Capitalize]

Now I really wish I made it to SFOT over all these years to get a ride on Texas Giant before the renovation since this is obviously going to be a huge change...

 

Should be interesting to see what ends up happening here.

[FeelTheFORCE]

My guess is that it's generally the same as pre-fab track (the same concept at least), but perhaps an updated version that utilizes updated technology? Regardless, it looks like it's going to be transformed into an awesome ride!

 

Cedar Point should take notes for Mean Streak...they could make that one hell of a ride, judging by the sound of TG's rehab progress.

Edited March 3, 2010 by FeelTheFORCE

[Wes]

I don't get it.

[robbalvey]

Same.

 

Isn't Texas Giant being rehabbed by Intamin?

No.

 

Also, wasn't Rocky Mountain Amusements rumored to have been involved with El Toro?

Yes. They helped "build" it. But not design or fabricate it.

[G-Force!]

Need...more....details!

[robbalvey]

^ Yup!

[DenDen]

Cedar Point should take notes for Mean Streak...they could make that one hell of a ride, judging by the sound of TG's rehab progress.

 

This was exactly my first thought. Nice to see that it's not only being refurbished, but reprofiled! This is very exciting.

[FeelTheFORCE]

^ Yeah, it definitely gives hope to those old and "used to be amazing, but not so good anymore" Dinn wooden coasters. Especially one like Mean Streak that is still in the top 10 for height and speed amongst wooden coasters.

 

 

Also, thanks for clearing those up for me Robb, I wasn't sure.

Edited March 3, 2010 by FeelTheFORCE

[andyuk200523]

So all those that rode the old Texas Giant....will this be a new Credit? What does JJ think?

[Montuman99]

I think it does count as a wooden coaster because it have wooden supports. It's gonna be a shaky 95' turn, the wood might not be able to support it!

[alpengeist04]

The supports have nothing to do with determining whether it's a wooden or steel coaster.

[ScottBrown]

Im sure a big part of the decision to have steel track is to lower maintenance costs as much as they can

[FeelTheFORCE]

^^ I agree, the track is what changes the experience of a coaster, thus causing it to be classed differently, not the way it is supported.

[Hilltopper39]

To me the piece of red track looks just like a piece of the intamin prefab wood track, just steel. I'm kinda curious if it's all steel or a combination or what.

 

Does anyone know if they're getting new trains for the ride as well and if so what kind? For a 10 million dollar rehab I'd hope new trains would be a part of the refurbishment.

 

I really really hope this project is a success, and other parks see it as a success and decide to invest in their aging woodie. I can think of a lot of once great wooden coasters that haven't aged well that a refurbishment like this could really help, Son of Beast, Mean Streak, Rattler, Beast, Grizzly, American eagle, Boss, and plenty others. So I'm really hoping this is a success

[andyuk200523]

Anyone think that they might lay wooden laminate over the top of the steel? Using the Steel as an Upstop runner?

[ScottBrown]

I think I had heard Gerstrauler come up at one point regarding the trains

[robbalvey]

An UPDATE from Amusement Today. Be sure to read their article here:

http://www.amusementtoday.com/

 

During a press introduction Wednesday, the Arlington, Texas park, debuted the newest in track design for the traditional wooden coaster with the unveiling of Iron Horse Coaster track. The steel I-beam design is the result of three years of engineering. The Chinchillian Red painted track is not bent, but is cut, then welded together in 40 to 53-foot lengths before being bolted to the Texas Giant's wooden support structure. 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.

 

To me the piece of red track looks just like a piece of the intamin prefab wood track, just steel. I'm kinda curious if it's all steel or a combination or what.

See, I dunno, to me, this: (photo from Amusement Today) http://www.amusementtoday.com/

 

looks a lot LESS like a wood coaster than this:

 

At least in the Intamin track you can CLEARLY see that it's made from wood and you can still see layers of wood and the Intamin track still uses the traditional steel strip on top of the wood track:

And on an Intamin wood coaster the wood track still sits right on top of wood beams:

 

But this track which looks like steel track being installed on steel beams:

 

Looks a lot more like this to me:

or this...

or even this...

and if course this...

 

So IMO, if it really is "Steel Track on a wood structure" than this ride should be classified the same as Gemini, Excalibur, or Cedar Creek Mine Ride.

 

I think the idea behind the improvements sound AWESOME, but IMO if what we know so far is correct, it will no longer be a wood coaster. I won't be able to classify it as such.

 

--Robb

[FeelTheFORCE]

Hmm, yeah, "first of it's kind track design" it also says on Amusement Today. Interesting indeed.

 

What is also interesting is that it also says that the steel track is about the same weight as the former 9-ply wooden track complete with steel track and track bolts. That was something I was originally concerned about...if the structure could handle the weight of the steel. In my opinion, this is a huge breakthrough that could revolutionize wooden coasters. But in the same respect, I agree with you, Robb. If track like this is used, then wooden coasters are no long considered wooden coasters. In my opinion, this track option shouldn't be used when building new coasters, because as we have seen in coasters like recent GCI ones and Gravity Group ones, traditional wooden track can still be used to make great, world-class coasters. I think this should be used sparingly, to preserve the integrity of the wooden coaster as we know it today. Rather, 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. But that's just my opinion.

 

I'm liking this project a lot more than I originally thought. I was under the impression originally that this would just be a normal wooden coaster re-track, with the 'Six Flags touch' added to it (flamethrowers, etc.), but this has definitely caught my eye, and will result in me following the remainder of the project very closely...perhaps even planning a visit down there within the next few years to ride this.

[ScottBrown]

if the "track is not bent, but is cut, then welded together in 40 to 53-foot lengths" wouldn't that make it rather jerky

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Interesting.

 

 

I wonder will they use steel or polyurethane wheels.