Billy Hill Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Is there some particular reason that this thing is never running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Fan Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 **SixFlags** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeezus Juice Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Anybody ever seen it run any train besides the purple one? Nevermind that it was designed to run 5 at a time. oh...^^I love me some puddle prance! -JDeezy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Seen it run 4 in 98 at Astroworld, but then broke down and has eluded me ever since .. even March 13th .. damn Zonga .. coaster I'm destined never to ride since SFMW was such a horrible experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalMAN123 Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 I've never been on it, except for on No Limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phazan Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 well ive heared it doesnt run while its raining because the lift hill doesnt do so well when its wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Fan Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Tires + water = Slip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowforce Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Just a random, (but slightly fitting in this place) question, is it normal for coaster lifts to be more noisy when they are wet? I noticed riding Vildsvinet half a year ago, when we arrived, the morning dew still hadn't quite evaporated, and the slight rain of the day before still left it moist, but not wet. It was EXTREMELY noisy. As the day went by, the sun dried it, and it became more and more silent. Anyone heard of something like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mind Eraser Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 Little Zonga info I've gathered... Zonga opened at the European fairs as Thriller. It only had lap bars. Eventually, someone bitched enough and they added the "accordian"-style shoulder harnesses. Something of note: often the back car or two were roped off because the coaster pulled 6.5 G's (in the back) Thriller was sold to Six Flags and placed at Astroworld. It was renamed Taz's Texas Tornado. It ran for awhile with the same accordian shoulder bars. Many people complained that the heavy positive G's compressed the spine and it was painful. I lucked out on my visit to SFAW in 1999 and Taz was open, I got about five rides. I thought that if you tried to hold your back up, it was fine. The coaster was clearly a masterpiece and now a legend. SFAW dropped the Taz namesake and it was eventuallty just dubbed The Texas Tornado. Sometime around 2000 or 2001, SFAW decided to change the restraints. They sent the trains back to Weiland Schwarzkopf (Anton's son), and he retrofitted the trains with the new massive and hard shoulder restraints (think FoF, pre-padding, but much bulkier). Texas Tornado opened with the new restraints, and it either ran about a day with the public, or it didn't even open at all - terrible headbanging! Texas Tornado also had an accident back when it was "Taz", where the train slid back down into the station and "bumped" another train. So, SFAW had constant trouble with the lift hill. Everyone claimed it was too hot in Houston for the coaster (I dunno ). Texas Tornado closed for awhile and was finally moved to Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo, Ca and renamed Zonga. Somewhere between SFAW and SFMW, the actual TRACK got reprofiled. From what I've heard, the first drop was shortened and the first loop or two was redone. Experienced riders say Zonga is now missing some of the best parts of Thriller/Taz/Tornado. In addition to the track reprofile, SFMW has apparently been playing with the restraints, adding different types of padding and what not. It's been said that the new restraints on Zonga also disallow your arms from being able to be raised. There you have it folks. That is my interpretation of Zonga's history. This post is just info I've gathered over the years. Don't shoot me if some details are wrong or whatever. -kip- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahecht Posted March 28, 2005 Share Posted March 28, 2005 ^IIRC, the modifications to the track were done by Premiere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 Track mods were done by Premier and the new train mods are being done by Larson International (since 2003 when it was relocated). Last time Zonga ran at SFAW was 2001, when it opened for 4 hours with the new retro-fitted trains by Wieland Schwarzkopf .. sat idle ever since. There was also another mod that reduced the train capacity from 5 to 4 after the slip on the lift hill, anti-rollbacks were installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 I think the official reason for downtime usually has to do with lift hill tire problems, raining or not. I have seen it running, even with multiple trains, but it tends to open midday (if at all). Another possible reason: lack of riders. Even the rotten SLC gets a lot more ridership, and it's small wonder. Anyone who's queued for Zonga has heard the frequent post-ride complaints of folks getting off. I'll take the word of folks who rode pre-SFMW that it was a masterpiece. In this incarnation, with its nasty restraints, zero knee room, and general roughness, it's really unlovable. Word has gotten around, and few people want to ride it, fewer still to re-ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mind Eraser Posted March 29, 2005 Share Posted March 29, 2005 Round of applause for Six Flags, ruining another brilliant coaster. Hip Hip... Hooray! -kip- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollerholden Posted April 2, 2005 Share Posted April 2, 2005 I had a season pass to MW last year and went a lot during the summer and it was always open. It was closed for an occasional hour or two here and there but that happens with a lot of rides. I have seen it run two trains but that was on one Saturday when the park was very crowded. I noticed they rotated which trains were in operation also, sometimes purple, sometimes red, or sometimes blue. I haven't gone this season yet but I will in the next couple of weeks and see how Zonga is (weather if its open or not, I most likely will never ride again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Hill Posted May 4, 2005 Author Share Posted May 4, 2005 Is there anything recent about why this blasted coaster isn't running anymore? A post in another thread mentioned that it's going to be closed all season. I don't know if that's official information, but this is getting really old. I actually want to ride this thing someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster1 Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Maybe they are doing more mods to the trains? Hell I still haven't ridden it and I used to live 220 miles from it .. then visited SFMW in March .. so yeah, maybe they just need to melt it down and build another kiddie coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 Amongst the usual complaints about SF, let's not forget that another Bay Area Schwartzkopf classic was torn down and uncermoniously left to rot in a parking lot. By Paramount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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