Texas Cyclone demolished

[restoca]

A friend has just phoned to say the Texas Cyclone was demolished this morning and the rubble is being removed in a convoy of very large dumpster trucks. Large Showcase Theater nextdoor also gone.

 

I'll have to see it to believe it. Noon news is just starting, so if it's indeed true there should be some coverage.

 

if possible I'll post photos later.

[pkdcoaster]

How Sad, I never got to ride it but from all the old footage I have of it (4-bench PTCs) it looked incredible.

A very good thing indeed that the original Cyclone was not moved here, that would have been tragic.

 

For thoses that do not know Astroworld wanted to move the Original Coney Island Cyclone here but opted to build a replica.

 

JEFF

[Musical Pete]

^Wow yep!

 

You have footage of four-row PTC car operation on it, Mr PTC obsessive Pete is jealous!

 

One woodie dies, several new get built. Nasty modern ones but wooden and it could be worse, they could be Boring&Monotonous steel..

[DerekRx]

Stinks they couldn't have moved it to one of the neighboring Six Flags parks and instead they took the thing down all less than 5 months after closing its doors.

 

I'm very glad I chose not to wait around at that Mexican restaurant outside the park for our table, and instead went back into the park when I saw TC was running back on my only trip there in 1999. Sadly, one more defunct woodie added to my count.

[Tomizzle For Rizzle]

Brant went by yesterday and took some pics of it and posted them on our forum...then went back today to the same spot and took some more...its completely leveled.

 

How sad:(

[Shockwave]

Seems like it just wasn't cost effective for Six Flags to move it. I'm sure they could have saved it if the removal bill wasn't too excessive for them.

 

So there goes another one that got away.

[Tomizzle For Rizzle]

Would have been great if Knoebels would have bought it...

[YoshiFan]

I heard that one of the reasons it wasn't re-located was because some of the clearances were in violation of some code that was put in place but since the ride was built before the code, it was allowed to stay as it was but if it was to be re-located, they would have had to fix those clearances which made it not cost effective.

 

I agree it would have been great if Knoebels got it (and Viper or Greezed Lightning since they could use a steel coaster)

[mike robinson]

Its a pretty damn sad day in Houston. That for sure. Even though we knew it was coming, it still kind of takes the wind out of our sails. Sadly it seems a couple of steel coasters suffered the same fate. I don't think Viper or XLR8 made it.

 

On the bright side look for some good news tomorrow on a couple of other ex-Astroworld coasters.

[ParkTrips]

^ Yea, I heard it was gone too. The only thing that will live on from Viper AFAIK is the trains and a bunch of parts which are now on-site in Atlanta. Too bad they couldn't bring the track over too

 

- Joe

[robbalvey]

I have to be honest, in my mind it was demolished 5 months ago. If it was a top ten woodie for me I'd be pretty bummed, but it was a C+ woodie at best, and we all knew it was going to be demolished back in October, and it's never been that highly ranked in the wood coaster poll so I'm not too sure what the shock or sadness is now.

 

--Robb "Sad to see it go, I guess, but it's not something I ever went out of my way to ride anyway." Alvey

[mike robinson]

Now the good news!

 

http://www.amusementtoday.com/

 

Greezed Lightning and Mayan Mindbender to stay in Texas!

 

Edit - And we all know you would be crying if it was a Togo Robb!

[robbalvey]

^ Now that is good news!

 

--Robb "Didn't even bother to ride Cyclone on one of my SFAW visits, but ALWAYS made sure to ride Greased Lightning!" Alvey

[ebl]

"Greezed" Lightning, Robb! Y'all gotta speak Texan, ya hear?

 

Eric

[restoca]

...so I'm not too sure what the shock or sadness is now.

 

Well I guess it all depends on personal perspective. This coaster was the first woodie I ever rode, when it was brand spanking new in 1976. No question it was a mere shadow of its former self, but unlike many coasters/parks this one sat within a major city and right on a major thoroughfare. I passed it often and I guess it stood as a visual reminder/memorial of the memories I have from its PTC days. Now there are only the memories. sniff sniff...

Enjoy your ride on the Cyclone.

You've had a tetanus shot, right?

Now where's that Freeze Frame kiosk?

Plaza de Fiesta and Oriental Corner sections.

Serial Thriller SLC used to live here.

Coney Island section looking more authentic?

Bad indeed!

Fright Fest lights still decorate the bridge across the freeway.

A few remaining pieces of Batman safely in a corner.

Everything's going. Including the administrative building.

[mike robinson]

While not much can match the 1976 Texas Cyclone, it was giving some great rides in it final years. Easily a top 15 wood coaster for me. Of course I have a lot of sentimental value for the Texas Cyclone so that affects my ranking I am sure.

 

Never the less, it was one fine coaster. It had its ups and downs through the years, but the coaster that was demolished was one of the great ones.

[yesac519]

That is such a shame that they could save it at all. R.I.P.

[verticalzero]

What sad pic's of the Texas Cyclone

 

It's a shame it could not of been saved to work at another park.

 

Weird how some rides are destroyed quickly with others are SBNO for years.

 

Everyone who has ridden it has the memories of how it performed and the enjoyment it gave to it's riders.

 

RIP: (: (

[USRoadTripper]

Those pics make me very sad, and I never even went to Astroworld. I'm glad I never saw pics like that of Opryland.

 

-Julie

[pianojohn]

That is sad. I never got to ride it, but when I joined ACE way back in 1982, all the enthusiasts talked about then was how amazing the Texas Cyclone was.

 

Oh well.......

[kidcoaster]

More http://www.coasterfanatics.com/sec_forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=966&PN=1

[Fisherman]

Well...it was my favorite wooden coaster...especially during its last two years. It ran smoother during the past few years...much smoother than Texas Giant or Rattler. It had AWESOME headchoppers everywhere, amazing airtime on every drop, awesome laterals, and it was beautiful to look at...what a profile it had. I agree with Mike Robinson...this was a great coaster...it will be missed dearly. My wife and I were in tears yesterday when we found out it was gone. She got some pictures of it last week because she works across the street from the park next to the stadium. Its been tough for her having to drive by the park each day seeing it get demolished more and more each day.

 

-Derek

[Freefallbestrideever]

it's a sad day when a fine piece of wood is gone in a matter of hours

[SixFlagsAstroworld]

No one posted on this topic for a long time. It sure was upsetting to see this park go. I remember when I went to this park. I wasn't tall enough to ride this, but I would alway look up at it and vision myself on it. I never got to ride it

 

R.I.P Texas Cyclone. (If only we could bring back this one ride)

[canadianparkfan]

^Wow yep!

 

You have footage of four-row PTC car operation on it, Mr PTC obsessive Pete is jealous!

 

One woodie dies, several new get built. Nasty modern ones but wooden and it could be worse, they could be Boring&Monotonous steel..

If you really want a rough/bumpy ride on an older woodie, feel free to make the trek up to Toronto... The Wild Beast's layout is *somewhat* similar to the cyclone, and you'll be guaranteed walk-ons all day because nobody else wants to ride it (all the GP care about in that section of the park is the boomerang and the new, somewhat forceless, B&M... No love for the newly retracked woodie and the drop tower).