Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread

[Skycoastin Steve]

Well the whole 1961 era Cadillac makes sense since that was the year the park opened and it's a celebration of the 50th anniversary. The longhorns are just another park of Texan heritage, so I'm sure the locals won't mind the way it looks. If they're going to jazz the trains up, might as well do it by incorporating park/state history into it!

[Zingoman]

^My sentiments exactly! I think I'll love it. Working headlights?

 

So this week's progress lies mostly in ledgers and a little hardware. Drive wheels are installed in the station and work has started in the brake run as well (was being started last weekend actually). On to the photos!

First of all, if anyone wonders about how high the flood waters got from the flooding a on the 9th, you can see the waterline on Giant's banners just along the top of the words "THE WORLD'S STEEPEST BANK"

Here we have a drive wheel

If you are nuaghty enough to keep looking up Giant's skirt you will see several of these beauties.

here is the extended brake run. If I were to guess, I'm thinking that this part will have magnetic brakes, and the entire covered portion will be retractable tire drives. You can see the retracting mechanisms being installed from the rail road however it's too difficult to photograph through the bushes.

"That which we do not speak of's" last bunny hill looks a smidge tighter than it's former self. I approve!

They have the ledgers in for most of the hill. Looks familiar and makes me smile.

A few more ledgers have gone up for the first "overbank" (not sure this one will make it into the overbank category though)

another angle from the Oil Derrick

a last look at the latest work from the tower

Here on the diagram there is a LOT of progress actually. A lot of the progress can only be seen from Titan's lift. The ledgers are completely installed up to the midcourse, and a few more have gone in for the big overbank next to the first drop, there is some newly replaced structure before the final bunny hill and the posts have been set with the wood blocks for the ledgers to be installed on, drive wheels are in the station, and a bit more track has gone in on the back side leading into the big overbank. All these ledgers surely mean that track will be flying up soon, however they hadn't touched the section leading into the brake run before and yet it's suddenly tracked so who knows?

[texcoaster]

I've read in a couple of places that roughly 15% of Giant's layout will be modified.

 

So... lift hill is higher, drop is steeper, double-up into first turn, first turn modified, second turn modified, third turn modified, double-up into midcourse.

 

That seems like pretty close to 15%, wouldn't you think? Maybe they're going to get the first part radically new, then leave the stuff after the midcourse pretty much like it was?

 

If so, I'm loving that idea. I'm hoping to be at Lone Star Coasterthon next weekend and one of the perks is supposed to be a tour of the construction site. I'll take lots of pics and ask as many questions as I can.

[Zingoman]

^I'll definitely be at that event with a friend and I'm dieing to find out what kind of info they will reveal to us about the project.

 

At this point far more than 15 percent of Giant is different. I'm thinking the layout difference of 15 percent doesn't mean the overbanks, and bunny hills. Those are all profile changes. A layout change would be something like the helix is removed. I do hope it isn't though. Just coming over the lift one time then straight into the finale seems like a lot to cut from the ride. I do like the idea of the second half staying the same though, but more speed in the helix would be great!

[BrandonR]

I think it'd be cool if the helix started out like the old double helix but by the time it made two rotations it was at ground level. A downward spiral with ever-increasing speed would be fun right before the magic carpet.

[odene497]

This is looking more and more gorgeous. I've never been to Texas, but might need to make an effort next year.

[texcoaster]

I think it'd be cool if the helix started out like the old double helix but by the time it made two rotations it was at ground level. A downward spiral with ever-increasing speed would be fun right before the magic carpet.

I couldn't disagree more.

One thing I really liked about the old layout was that little slowdown right before the finale - it was kinda like Giant was saying, "ok, take a deep breath, here... we..... go!"

To barrel down a spiral and right into the finale would take away the contrast you get from that little lull in the action then the maelstrom of intensity that followed.

[jynx242]

^ plus, at an exagerrated speed - the ending that shall not be named might actually give someone an anyeurism. Seriously - it was amazing, just as it was. I remember, after riding, thinking, "WTF was that and how long till I can do it again?"

 

David

[Skycoastin Steve]

I remember, after riding, thinking, "WTF was that and how long till I can do it again?"

That's what she (or he) said.

[jynx242]

^ I see that my reputation preceeds me . That CERTAINLY is what he said.

 

David

[Skycoastin Steve]

^ I see that my reputation preceeds me . That CERTAINLY is what he said.

 

David

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

 

[Funky Cold Medina]

You can clearly see on the time lapse photos that the magic carpet is halfway done, and track for the 95+* bank is being put in. Can't wait until Saturday so I can see it myself!

[Zingoman]

^"haha. I wouldn't say "that which we do not speak of" is half done. Just teh last bunny hill is done. Glad to see track finally going up though!

[rcfreak417]

I'm pretty sure they will keep most of "that which we do not talk about" very similar to the original design. I'm definitely more curious/concerned about what is going to go where the helix was.

[Guy T. Koepp]

^Yeah, it kinda seems they're saving that area for last, as it doesn't seem to have been touched at all yet.

[Funky Cold Medina]

And I really hope it stays that way. It would just look horrible without the helixes.

[texcoaster]

Just got back from Lone Star Coasterthon.

 

I had hoped to post lots of pics and info from a Q&A session, but all of that was rained out. Johnson creek flooded again and the entire site was unsafe for folks to go tromping about in. Sharon, the SFOT public relations queen, was really bummed about it since they had planned to let us climb the lift hill (!)

Anyway, I'm not sure what we'd have learned in the Q&A anyway, since the one guy they had on hand to talk to us was VERY tight-lipped about pretty much everything, especially about specifics of the layout, the trains, etc. Lots of "you'll have to wait and see" and "I'm not going to lose my job by telling y'all that" kind of answers.

 

Steve Martindale (SFOT pres) did confirm that they have a train onsite and it's "not like anything we've ever seen before". He didn't confirm nor deny any specifics about the looks of them.

 

We did get to walk up the exit ramp (still raining heavily, so I didn't get pics) and get a closer look than what you can see from the park. The pics don't do this thing justice. It is amazing looking. I had my doubts about this project, though I was hoping for the best. Now I'm completely stoked and even bought a SFOT season pass for 2011 yesterday. (We got to get them at the price for a ticket upgrade of $39.95)

 

Some tidbits: The first drop is insane. The double-up doesn't look as violent as it does in the pics, but the turn after it looks SICK. The second drop is a lot steeper than before and goes about 20ft or so further down than the original. The overbanked turn that lines back up with the first drop still looks impossible. There HAS to be more structure going up on that. Period.

After the midcourse, the ride used to do a twisting drop into the structure. That part looks pretty much like before. After a curving hilltop, the original layout dipped slightly and then rose into a high turn to enter the lift hill helix. The new layout does the drop off the midcourse, a curving hilltop, and then a STEEP drop through the structure into a wicked ground-level turn right at the edge of the station, then shoots all the way back up to a highly-banked turn that should then cross over the lift like before. Whether or not it will circle around again before the finale remains to be seen. There was no way to tell from the supports that currently exist.

As for the finale, only the final bunny hop is installed. I looked as best I could and even rode the antique car ride for a different angle, but I couldn't see ANY new ledgers or wood anywhere on that section of the ride. Clearly, the final bunny hop is going to have to come from track that is inside the structure, so the lack (so far) of new track ledgers might indicate that if there are changes to be made on that section, they probably won't be major - at least not major enough to alter the structure for it.

[Funky Cold Medina]

^Basically sums up everything I wanted to say. I went yesterday and was in awe of that overbank. I love how you can really see the progress from Titan's lift hill and on Superman. It looks so much better in the air than on the ground.

[Houston Thrills]

2 comments...

 

After a curving hilltop, the original layout dipped slightly and then rose into a high turn to enter the lift hill helix. The new layout does the drop off the midcourse, a curving hilltop, and then a STEEP drop through the structure into a wicked ground-level turn right at the edge of the station, then shoots all the way back up to a highly-banked turn that should then cross over the lift like before. Whether or not it will circle around again before the finale remains to be seen. There was no way to tell from the supports that currently exist.

 

From what I could see, it looked very likely that there would be 2 loops around the lift. It just kinda seemed like it the dive/turn wouldn't line up with the structure that was already there. Of course, judging angles from afar can be very misleading, so I wouldn't put too much weight on this. Another thing I noticed, though, was that on the single piece of structure they left up from the old double helix, they didn't cut down the handrail posts on either track, so I thought maybe there would still be 2 passing by that particular spot.

 

As for the finale, only the final bunny hop is installed. I looked as best I could and even rode the antique car ride for a different angle, but I couldn't see ANY new ledgers or wood anywhere on that section of the ride. Clearly, the final bunny hop is going to have to come from track that is inside the structure, so the lack (so far) of new track ledgers might indicate that if there are changes to be made on that section, they probably won't be major - at least not major enough to alter the structure for it.

 

The ledgers were sitting on the ground unassembled going all the way around the last turn, you could see them from the train.

[Zingoman]

There are ledgers for a new bunny hill before the last one installed. I have a few pictures (I nearly ruined my camera in the rain to get the shots and it was definitely worth it.

behold in all it's glory

first off the water level was way over the banks of the creek and swallowing the entire base of the ride.

Here you can see the new bunnyhill in the backround

a closer look

and here is the new "old" bunnyhill

New track working it's way over the first overbank

first off the water level was way over the banks of the creek and swallowing the entire base of the ride.

magnetic goodies and tires in the brake run

there is now a crane inside the old helix putting up ledgers

these two ledgers are at the new drop approach to the old helix section

if you look closely you can see the new wood blocks where the ledgers will be set. This turn is going to be crazy low and tight!

here is a nice close view of the controversial bolt plates

and the show how much rain we had here is the water by Shock Wave

and here is the water by the mine train.

and here is the updated graphic

Edited September 28, 2010 by robbalvey

[Guy T. Koepp]

Wow! No one said they were adding any sort of water splash element to the ride! That looks amazing! I can't wait for next summer!

[texcoaster]

^^ looking at the 3rd and 4th pics, everyone notices the bunny hills at the end and the double-up after the first drop... but OMG look at the bunny hill next to the double-up! What used to be a long, curving rise into the midcourse is now a short and steep bunny hop with an insanely steep curving pullup. I can only imagine how fast the train will have to slam that bunny hill to make it all the way up to the midcourse brake.

 

I'm starting to get a bit nervous about this now. When they get all this track in place and run the first trains full of dummies with accelerometers, I'm wondering how accurate their calculations of G-forces are on a train and track system that are completely new and untested. This layout seems to be REALLY pushing the envelope with little margin for error. I would hate to see this thing riddled with trims all over it -- or worse, having to reprofile several of those extreme bunny hops to reduce the ejector air forces.

 

Got my fingers crossed and hoping for good engineering data, but if this thing opens with the park on March 5, I'm going to be really surprised. I'm fully expecting reprofiling delays (though I hope I'm wrong).

[Zingoman]

^^ looking at the 3rd and 4th pics, everyone notices the bunny hills at the end and the double-up after the first drop... but OMG look at the bunny hill next to the double-up! What used to be a long, curving rise into the midcourse is now a short and steep bunny hop with an insanely steep curving pullup. I can only imagine how fast the train will have to slam that bunny hill to make it all the way up to the midcourse brake.

 

You can see the bunny hop before the midcourse on SFOT's Facebook.

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7041800&id=65853440990

[rcfreak417]

To me it looks like they cut off the old supports for the second helix...I hope they replace them.

[stormrider]

Those pictures are just While they're at it, it'd be nice if they'd redo Titan's drop to be like Texas Giant's. I remember riding Texas Giant in 2002, and it was amazing to me back then (I think it was my first "big" roller coaster, but I was 11 and 48" tall so maybe I wasn't beaten up as much, but I'm not ashamed to say I like the wildness of woodies). So the people redoing this ride had a hand in building the Intamin prefabs, right? If the ride keeps the best of what it had previously, and becomes a kind of smoothed out El Toro + Texas Giant then that'd be amazing. The unknown is how this new kind of all-steel box-track is going to perform. I'd hope there'd be a little bit of "roughness" in this new ride though, but that's just my own taste Nobody would complain if it became glass-smooth.