The Revolution--back in the day

[redunzelizer]

Yes, the Revoltion, one of the important rides in coaster history.

 

I just read what that "Ace Roller Coaster Landmark" plate said.

 

"Custom built by Swiss ride manufacturer Intamin and based on the design of [...] Anton Schwarzkopf...".

 

Nope. To my best knowledge not at all. Anton, together with Stengel *built* that ride all on their own. Intamin obviously were only involved as plain trade agency with this coaster. How come that SFMM representatives were reported to have visited Anton's factory in Münsterhausen (Germany!) then, for taking a peek and test ride the very first clothoid looping on earth right *there*? (Source: the "Stengel Book")

 

FYI, redunzelizer

[coasterboy76]

found this shot of the entire coaster from the air, if you click on the pic to see the larger version.

 

ps thanks again for all the responses about this great classic coaster!

 

here is the link for the giant photo

 

http://www.retrorizz.com/revolution16.jpg

The Revolution how it looks today

[Homer]

^Coasterboy76, those were misc. photos of Revolution cropped together to form one panorama. One train is on a block section before the loop, yet a few feet ahead, a train is heading down the drop into the loop.

 

But, at least its proof MM did have 5 trains on Rev.

[coasterboy76]

you know I didn't even take that into consideration... man was that stupid of me, just found that picture at the rollercoaster database...

 

sorry for the error, just gettin a little excited there....

[OldJJman]

http://www.retrorizz.com/revolution16.jpg

 

Unfortunately, this picture is not an accurate representation of how the ride actually operated.

 

First off, it's a composite of at least 4 different pictures. You can see the composite seams of where the pictures were assembled.

 

Second, when it was running 5 trains, a train was never dispatched until the train ahead of it passed the station (beginning of the third hill).

 

There were never really more than 3 trains out on the course at any one time, with one in the final brakes and one in the station. There are/were actually 4 stages of the final brake run to hold all 5 trains IIRC.

 

To get the infamous "threading the needle" pics on the loop, the second train wouldn't be dispatched until the previous train had crested that third hill.

 

It was quite an incredible machine during that time. Lines would stretch to the carousel and never be more than 45 minutes long.

 

Someone had also mentioned the airtime coming out of the tunnel. O-M-G!!! The back seat was pretty scary, because as you'd come screaming out of the tunnel, you'd see the train going over your head, forget about the change in direction and the airtime would catch you so off guard. It was awesome!!

 

Someone else had also asked why the OTSR's were added. Does the Simpson's "Tooth Chipper" ring a bell?? A BIG problem in the early years was when the speed of the Revolution went basically unchecked (aka brakeless) and the loop pulled in excess of 5 G's, people would lean forward going into the loop, and the g-forces would end up catching people off guard and chipping teeth (seriously) along with bruised and broken noses/cheeks, people biting their tongues etc... Since Schwartzkopk had not designed OTSR's, yet other looping coasters at this time (mostly Arrow) did, it was decided to add them. They went with the quick fix, and have permanently defaced and neutered the Revolution.

 

Unfortunately, here in the land of the lawsuit, that will NEVER change.

 

 

Long live the "Memories" of the Revolution.

 

 

JJ

[socalMAN123]

Yeah, I can only imagine how Revolution was back in the 70's. With no stupid OTSRs, I would've thought that it would be amazing.

Brent "I can only imagine" Shenton 8)

[Kroger8]

^^But to a lot of people it is worth it!!! I mean Schwarzkopf loops are soooooooooooo awesome, its impossible to keep your hands up in a loop, you will bend over forward everytime, its an awesome experience!!!

 

I can see how we are perceived as being sue-happy, it ruins a lot of good things!

[UberBeavis]

Actually, the only time I remember bending forward during the loop was one time when I was being stupid and didn't keep my head back.

[Kroger8]

Ya, but did you try to keep your hands up in the loop? Well, Mindbender is the only Looping Schwarzkopf I have been on too, so maybe it isn't like the others...

[SpectralN]

Being a taller than average person at 6'3 I find that the OTSR's on Revolution give me bad head and ear aches due to my head/ears banging back and forth between the restraints, this seems to be especially bad on Revolution.

Although I am happy to say that I have had many many rides pre OTSR days (back when there was wood railing in the ques) it was an amazing ride.

The lines for rev are much shorter now though

[Mind Eraser]

Being a Schwarzkopf fanatic, I was really looking foward to Revolution, despite the OTSR's. My first ride was wonderful! I went back and sat in a different section of the train and my head was beat unmercifully! I mean, it was painful like Goudurix!

 

SooperDooperLooper is so much more fun, regardless of the lackluster layout. It's like Diet Revolution.

[WW Goliath]

I had my first chance to ride the Revolution at the end of last year and the OTSR's totally spoilt the ride for me. It was very painful with plenty of head banging. Having been on a few Schwarzkopfs with lap bars I can only imagine just how good this coaster must have been in pre OTSR days. If only they could reinstate the lap bars it would be fantastic

[Tmcdllr]

I just thought this was a cool picture

[ebl]

^ That is an absolutely classic picture. But it's going to change once Tatsu is built.

 

Eric

[pvcoasterguy]

Six Flags shouldn't be the bad guy in this topic. They've kept so many Schwarzkopfs in a bunch of parks and kept them to their original standards. Mindbender, Shockwave, Greezed Lightning, and Whizzer come to mind. It's a great thing that Six Flags has kept these rides.

 

SFMM probablyhad to put OSTR's on Revolution. I highly doubt that it was their choice. I mean, Whizzer runs with seat belts only. Mindbender and Shockwave with lap bars only. It wasn't in Six Flags' history to retrofit their rides with bad restraints.

[Tmcdllr]

In it's prime-(This was scanned off a postcard I got from a recent trip to SFMM)--You can see 2 trains

[DATman]

I love revvy, and try to ride it every time I go to SFMM. Usually in the front too, as it is normally a walk-on

[UberBeavis]

I miss Rev running 4 trains - the crews used to look like they were some kind of drill team. The line would LOOK really long, but move almost continuously.

[coasterboy76]

So I was scouring the web for some cool shots of the Revolution, and a friend of mine sent me a really cool shot that I hadn't seen before.

[ebl]

^ That looks like the third drop and the climb up to the long descent into the loop. It was probably taken from the Orient Express.

 

And, pvcoasterguy, you're right about Revolution's OTSRs. The park had to put them on because of some class action lawsuit from what I heard. Also, when I rode Whizzer at Great America in California, it didn't even have seatbelts. I'm guessing that before Six Flags bought the Illinois park, it ran without seatbelts as well.

 

Eric

[Tmcdllr]

I remember riding Whizzer (at PGA) before and after the seatbelts were installed. If I remember correctly, the seatbelts were a result of an accident in which one train was going up the spiral lift and the drive wheels underneath lost traction. Because there was no anti-rollback device on this ride, this train rolled backwards down the lift back into the station and collided with another train sitting in the station. It happened as the 2nd train was boarding and as a result of the jolt of the collision, someone was knocked out of the train and was killed. The following season seatblets had been installed. There was also another accident in which an incoming train was approaching the station and did not slow down enough, due to the kicker tires mounted in the track that move the trains forward slipping- which collided-bumped actually the train in front of it. Only minor injuries resulted from that.

 

Despite all that, I STILL rode it because it was a fun ride. I believe this is also why "Willard's Whizzer" was changed to "Whizzer," "Willard" did not want to be associated with a ride that had a history of accidents.

 

At least that's what I remember.

[4718]

Revolution is a bittersweet ride for me now, it's got such cool features and bombs the landscape like no other coaster at SFMM, but at 6'4" the restraints crash into both my shins and shoulders, the only way to have a decent ride is to glue my head to the headrest (but then the bumpiness blurs some stuff). I know I sound like everyone else that's posted in this thread, but I wish I could have ridden it before the brakes and new harnesses took over.......but I think I am glad that the trees have grown around it, makes it cooler at night when you whiz past them in the darkness.

[cfc]

I rode this back in high school and thought it was great. Used to freak me out that the train just barely made it through the loop.

[ebl]

I always thought it was cool to look to the side and watch the park go all the way around. That view is gone now, thanks to the OTSRs.

 

But at least I can still do that on Montezooma's Revenge at Knott's!

 

Eric

[Tmcdllr]

All that stuff I said about Whizzer was from memory, I think it's pretty accurate. I'd like to be sure I remember it right. Is there someplace I can look this up on the web?