Official Drachen Fire Thread [Merged]

[Jon Sabo]

The last post (made by Dragonlord) is right on the money. Management decided to go with Arrow based primarily on the sole purpose of its past relationship with Nessie and BBW. I have noticed several postings questioning certain specifics that happen or not happen and I can assure most of the people here that it was a complicated issue more than most people know at best. I still have some original documents/memos and preliminary design plans and other "gift items"..lol on the whole fiasco on how DF came about. While most parks can look back on their mistakes (if we could call it that), I believe there is no real proven method on what could result. Poor location was certainly a big role in the success and failure of the end result, but the "politics" involved certainly played precedence over what REALLY was designed or envisioned for that location. Also, (similar to Hawaii here) the local officials have some sort of charter in the master plans regarding this area (including Kingsmill and BG). If anyone works for the county or local gov't. and could supply/post that charter can open the light into the discussion. Also, remember the issues with BBW and how Arrow eventually took over that project. In fact, that almost ended in NO coaster and having a small coaster as a back-up even when all the land/footers were being prepared. DF taught many execs/management (and even ARROW) a good lesson on quality planning (or lack thereof).

[Gnome]

^ thats to bad all that happened, as far as layouts go, it looked pretty good. It was just the design of it that ruined it.

 

"Twas lack of planning that killed the beast."

[pkdcoaster]

as promised I found the DF POV during testing stages with the heaters...here are some screenshots.

 

Note to Robb (will send PM also) if you can get BGW's permission to post this POV video I will be more than happy to upload it. it is great quality and it runs through the MCBR brakeless!

 

JEFF

hard to see since train was moving fast

[rcoasters]

I just looked at the video and I thought that the ride looked great. The layout is awesome in my opinion and the story behind it is sad. I heard about the story a few years ago and it's good to know it back. I want to go out and design it in No Limits now !

[mike541x]

Well I've never been on DF but I remember I visted BGW with my family. I was little and DF was closed but we could see the roller coaster from the train. I remember seeing DF closed. Also I was wondering how you would get to it. I thought there was a train station at the DF area. I wanted to ride it so bad.

 

 

Questions: Is there a certain seat on DF that is smooth?

Anyone has pictures of Drachen Fire at night and the lights on the train.

 

Thanx .

[Top Thrill Dragster]

The front was smooth.

[Jon Sabo]

Best part of the ride?

 

Walking/inspecting the track towards wraparound corkscrew (after the lift) during SUNRISE-simply awesome!

Or even walking the lift AT NITE just to get a view (and inspect the clearance levels on the chain sprocket). You could see lights forever.

[bgwfreak]

Well I've never been on DF but I remember I visted BGW with my family. I was little and DF was closed but we could see the roller coaster from the train. I remember seeing DF closed. Also I was wondering how you would get to it. I thought there was a train station at the DF area. I wanted to ride it so bad.

 

 

Questions: Is there a certain seat on DF that is smooth?

Anyone has pictures of Drachen Fire at night and the lights on the train.

 

Thanx .

 

To get to it you just took a left at the Festhaus and walked towards the Black Forest picnic grounds. Instead of going right to the picnic area, go to the left a bit. I think they still have the gate there, but it's been about 4 years since I was up there.

 

There was not a train station at Drachenfire.

 

I loved how the train would wind between a few of the supports on Drachenfire.

 

The coaster wasnt' great or anything, but I still don't like the fact that it was just scrapped without so much as an explanation from the park.

 

I just wonder what that ride would have been like in the hands of B&M. lol I liked the ride, but like I said it wasn't the greatest.

[supertrooper]

I rode it a few times the season that Alpengeist opened. I was visiting a friend living in Norfolk at the time, and my Busch Gardens visit was on the day before I had to drive back to Kentucky. A few minutes after I got off of Drachen Fire, I noticed that my wallet was missing. I panicked. I had all of my money and credit cards in there. I figured it must have fallen out during the ride, since I remember having it before. I went back to the station and asked the attendants if anyone had found it. They said that they hadn't but that I could leave my contact information and they would call me if they found it in the ride after the park closed. I was bummed, because I was supposed to leave for home first thing in the morning. I asked if I could check around the station or in the trains. They let me, so I checked the next train coming in...and my wallet was sitting in the seat that I had been in. That train had gone through at least 3 cycles since I got off, and my wallet hadn't moved. Thankfully, the park was dead that day (A Tuesday in October...which I was surprised that they were open), and nobody had sat in the same seat.

 

So, that's my Drachen Fire memory. It's forces were apparently strong enough to rip a wallet out of my pocket and hold it plastered to it's seat for 3 cycles...but I don't think I particularly enjoyed the ride...I think it gave me a headache.

[bgeguy]

I know I'm bumping a thread, but I know some one that works at BGE and he told me last time I saw him and we started talking about the DF area and he said, "Did you know that they still have the trains in storage?" I don't know if he is telling the truth or not but just posting what he told me.

[CoasterFanatic]

^ Unless they were sold, I could see no reason to scrap them. They can always cannibalize them for Nessie parts.

[Kingbooba]

I swear they might have re-designed those trains and used them for Nessie. The first couple times I rode Loch Ness there was no pain at all. After that: the trains were cramped so you couldn't hold on to the restraints, and there is now some headbanging.

 

Anyway, I've only seen Drachen Fire in an RCT1 BGE recreation. Guests couldn't find their way back to it. The cutback inversion looked it had serious airtime.

[JuanSe_Colombia]

I just wonder what that ride would have been like in the hands of B&M

 

I was wondering that to while I was reading.

[demagio2364]

I remember it one time going to busch gardens I have spotted it when I was riding the big bad wolf but by time I got to the entrance I notice ride had been closed

[Goliath513]

Drachen Fire is probably the most missed ride of the modern era.

[Cyber.Fiber]

Yeah, it was pretty far back. My nonathletic mother described it as walking the Great Wall of China.

 

Hahaha, The kid that wrote this is only nine! Priceless!

[Top Thrill Dragster]

I had the opportunity to ride Drachen Fire 58 total. It was the ride that broke my fear of roller coasters and is the ride that made me an enthusiast. I personally never had a problem with the ride. The only head banging that I remember is the turn up into the MCBR and the two turns into the brake run. Also I remember the corkscrew at the end of the ride use to always pin me into the seat, I used to put my hands up and I would never come out of my seat. I will miss the ride and It was wired not seeing there when I visited the park for the first time in 9 years.

 

RIP Drachen Fire 1992-2001

 

 

 

[coastercrazed49]

Nice Pictures. I never got to ride it though. I might of missed a credit but other then that it sounds like a rough ride.

[Satchboogie3]

I have a weird obsession with this ride. I visited BGW the year after Alpengeist was installed. I remember riding Big Bad Wolf and seeing the roller coaster. I was just becoming very interested in roller coasters and that one caught my eye. I was curious why I hadn't seen it on the map or seen signs or anything. After I got off Big Bad Wolf I immediately went to the train to get a better view of the ride. It look incredibly interesting and unique so I wanted to ride it very badly.

 

Upon returning to New England after the trip I researched the ride and found out it was Drachen Fire and read about it's history/fate. I hoped it would reopen and I would get a chance to ride it but that never happened. I guess one of the reason I'm obsessed with this ride was because it was one of the key sparks to my interest in roller coasters. Plus I'm a big fan of Arrow Dynamic's coasters (I actually think the "banging" can be enjoyable...). Too bad BGW didn't wait a year and have B&M do it. Heck, why not turn to B&M and go after their original idea, make it the Revenge of Dracken Fire.

 

Oh, and does anyone know where I could fine the Original Test Run POV of Drachen Fire? I believe it was put up on this site a while back but I can't find it.

[pkdcoaster]

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23400

 

there ya go

 

JEFF

[RIP Psyclone]

Just compare those station pics to this:

 

 

It seems there is no POV of DF 1.1

[Satchboogie3]

Thanks for the video link Jeff.

 

So does anyone really know if there was any involvement with B&M? I've heard yes, I've heard no, I've heard that they dropped it, etc. The Cobra Roll (Batwing), layout, and support structure seem very similar to B&M's style. In face, the supports look like the exact same structure type of B&M, no other Arrow coasters used this type B&M style supports. I wonder why BGW has been so quiet about Drachen Fire. I can't believe no one from BGW is willing to answer/find answers to such simple questions.

[HCOSurfer90]

^I'm gonna have to agree with you. Almost everything about this ride screams B&M, the supports, the inversions, the layout, etc. I don't believe we've ever seen Arrow build a ride like this one until it came out, and even afterward we didn't see another Arrow ride built quite like it. Strange...

[trustkill22]

I also have to agree with the B&M stuff. Look at the end of the ride, Its tight with corks and with helix's and extemely low to the ground. Look at many of the B&M's and how the end of the ride had the extremely tight style (thinking of the end of Mantis at CP).

[trustkill22]

Sorry for double posting. I got Some e-mailing error.