Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

To tie all that back in to the Giant, I'm nervous to see what Gerslauer has in store with their trains. They better be like nothing they have made in the past.

I will say that the Mammut trains were just fine. Very different from the box-shaped trains with the U-bars we've seen in the past. If indeed they are similar to Mammut's trains I'd say you have little to worry about.

 

Now if they are thinking about taking some old Megazeph or Twisted Sister trains and putting them on this, retro-fitted with different wheels, then that's a different story!

 

But the Mammut trains - they were great!

 

--Robb

[DenDen]

I'm so confused. I see very large bolt heads sticking up from the topsides of these red metal *tracks*. There has got to be something else getting placed on top of that big red rail.

 

Was the first thing I noticed too. I was thinking this new track would place wheels in the precise place, like tubular steel coasters do. Maybe it won't have any give from side-to-side as a wood track, the bolts seem to be on the outsides of the rail, so the wheel would roll inside them. Totally confused.

[1pizza14]

Still wondering if its worth it. Great pictures BTW. Is the track itself going to be red? In the first picture the track coming out of the station is red.

[darienlakerules]

Really if you think about it, they could have got it re-built and improved for that much by Gravity Group or GCI

[themeparkman25]

Deleted by author

Edited January 20, 2011 by themeparkman25

[RoCo]

Gee, I hadn't been paying close enough attention to this project... and didn't realize Gerstlauer trains were part of the deal. I'm still really, really psyched to see how this all turns out, but, boy, do I have some awful Villain memories...

 

But as others have said, thanks so much for keeping a close eye on the progress!

 

(Also, I wish to hell they'd rename this coaster to "The Iron Giant" and get Brad Bird on board with re-theme...)

[rollercoaster2428]

I apparently went to SFOT on saturday and took some photos too. Well, didn't want the photos to go to waste so I will post them anyway. Hope you guys like them. I will also take a lot of pics over the summer for you guys. Hope the ride gets on its way.

Just a general overview of the lift hill

Construction sign greatness

Bottom of first turn and old and new stuff

First turn looks like it will have some speed

The old helix is almost completly gone

Notice the bolts on the top of the track, so we know that this isn't the final track.

The same old control panel

Under the station

The number 13, big bolts and spare parts! What more can you get?

I miss the old sign

Wonder what's under there...

Old and New

Anyone up there?

New Structure... yum

For you wooden switch track enthusiast

They had some pictures of the original construction

They're even pimping it out with a lowrider!

[Jcoaster95]

This will definitely be interesting...

[themeparkologist]

I don't really think their method of assemble rails and attach to steel crossties? that aren't even bolted to the structure yet. It seems very...Ma and Pa Kettle-esque to me...or...as if they don't really know if it will work or not to convert something like this.

 

Eh...I'm confused.

[Spideyfreak]

rollercoaster2428,

 

If the wheels on the new trains are coated in a polyurethane material, then I think that this could very well be the final track. There is a nice and neat little slot of which the wheels could run through. Plus it wouldn't make any sense to prefab the track, install, and add material on top. As it is right now, the thickness of the lip appears to be the same dimensions as the wood track.

Old track. You can see the "lip" on the inside of the rail.

The "lip" on the new rail (the rail on the inside of the curve).

 

Just my two cents, but we won't know for sure.

[Zingoman]

Well this weekend brought plenty of bad weather, and large crowds on Saturday, but Sunday was dead. On a good note Shockwave was up and running at last! Just a few pics for the Giant and the latest graphic to share with everyone. I wasn't able to get up the Oil Derrick this weekend with the weather but not much new to see from there anyways. Here we go!

 

Looking a bit sad today. The last bunny hill is trackless now, and they have removed more track from the first drop and more structure from the drop before the midcourse.

 

Pile of old track in the infield

 

The "helix" on the station side is on its way out

 

A look at the area. They have removed a substantial length of the track from the lift his week.

 

Here is the latest graphic update

well this graphic is actually wrong and it won't update on here for some reason.

DISCUSS!

[Zingoman]

A whole week and no talking in here? Well, ready or not here is another update.

 

The entire lift and crown are trackless

 

No more track in the station,

 

or in the brake run as far as I could see

 

It's getting pretty ugly in here

 

The station side of the helix is nearly gone

 

Quite a bit of track is gone along these two turns. All

 

I took some time to go into the Music Mill as it was open for some music awards ceremony and grab this angle as well.

 

Now for the sad showing of the overall progress, I'd say maybe 50 to 60 percent of the track is gone.

[themeparkologist]

Eh...I'll start a discussion fer ya.

 

It's coming along it seems. Just need more of the new track put on the lift and approach, which seems like it should have already been done seeing as it was once there.

 

Anybody have any new guesses as to where the extreme banking will be?

[ArizonaGuy]

Wow....they sure have done quite a bit since the previous post of pictures. I wonder when more red track on the lift hill is going to start going up. I can't wait to see more progress.

[AnEscapeArtist]

Hmmm so I guess the question is why are there bolts on top of the track that appear would get in the way of the ride wheels? Unless they plan on the wheels going between them? Kinda odd.

[Movieguy]

Very neat idea. If this works, CF should definitely consider this for Mean Streak, as well as DL with Predator.

[Guy T. Koepp]

I thought this was just a re-track, with a little re-profiling. I'm surprised how much of the actual structure they are having to replace. Seems this thing was in a little bit worse shape than maybe originally intended.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^I could be wrong, but I'm sure the structure needs a little more bracing with this heavier track going in.

[FeelTheFORCE]

^ I remember reading somewhere when this was announced that the new track weighs about the same, so if that's the case, I doubt much new bracing, if any at all, will be added.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Well I suppose it's related to whatever re-profiling is going to happen then. Either that or they just saw it as a nice opportunity to do some structural work, since they're ripping down half the ride anyway.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Yeah, definitely. I know Mean Streak has a decent amount of wood replaced every offseason.

[Zingoman]

Theory points to the idea that the first turn after the first drop will be the overbank. I don't know where else they would put it, but you never know. With the ride being taller after this I can't help but wonder if they will be raising the block brake as well. I'm willing to bet we will see magnetic brakes used on the ride too, however hopefully not for trim purposes. I'm hoping this redo will let the trains run free as they did back in 1990.

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.amusementtoday.com/

 

Texas Giant track removal surpasses halfway mark

 

The massive $10 million overhaul of the Texas Giant wooden coaster at Six Flags Over Texas reached another milestone late last week when construction crews reached the halfway mark on the removal of the wooden track. A new and innovative I-Box Steel track system is being added on the ride, with the first curved section having been installed between the transfer track and base of the lift hill. Rocky Mountain Construction of Hayden, Idaho is overseeing the coaster's makeover. When the ride opens next season it will also feature a new and innovative train design from Germany's Gerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH. The park is describing the new coaster as a 'super hybrid'.

[darklingscribe]

It really looks like their building it to last. I'll be interested in seeing how much maintenance this new wood/steel hybrid track requires because, if the ride is good and the general repair bill is less than a normal wooden coaster, this type of retrofitting might become a trend.

[DiSab]

That is a weird looking track. Not sure if I like how the red steel on top of the wooden supports. But the thing that really looks odd is that they have those bolts sticking up on the top of the track. I'm sure the train wheels are going to run between the bolts, but it still looks really odd.