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Indiana Beach (IB) Discussion Thread


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On 11/24/2020 at 12:13 PM, SharkTums said:

Pretty sure it's Chimera from Chapultepec Park in Mexico City!  Who would have ever guessed that a park that was super closed and bankrupt would reopen, and save a coaster we all assumed was doomed!!!!  2020 baby!

 

 

Damn the way it just rips through the course barely losing any steam is incredible.

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Funny enough I was just watching a video of Alpina Bahn the other day and thought the trains looked different... Sure enough, they are! Looks like Gerstlauer, good for them for keeping the business going. I think that's the fourth time now they've done that? Sooperdooperlooper, Psyke Underground, Lisebergbanan, and now that.

 

On 11/25/2020 at 7:21 PM, KBrylczyk said:

Damn the way it just rips through the course barely losing any steam is incredible.

That's because apparently the coaster was running with the mid-course brakes completely off while it was at La Feria, which from my understanding is not how the ride was designed to operate.

 

9 hours ago, Jew said:

I am curious to know just how much extra investment will be needed to get the ride up to ASTM standards...going to guess the neglect didn’t end with the trains.

I think it's going to take a lot. In addition to apparent cracks and structural issues found throughout the ride from before the accident, you also have the damage that was done from the derailed car. If you watch videos from before the accident (after the repaint with the red loops) you can see just how much the first loop was swaying back and forth.

I'm also curious how it's going to work. Maybe they'll have Premier do it and put new Gerstlauer trains on it afterward... The one saving grace is that the coaster is meant to be taken apart, so it's easier to deal with individual sections of track.

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I get why my fellow enthusiasts are excited about this. Don't get me wrong it is definitely cool and I want to ride it, but I think this is actually a bad investment.  Chimera does have a bit of a mythical reputation, but only among the most hardcore of enthusiasts so the marketing value of its time at La Feria is basically 0. If we take that away, they are left with an old and as it currently stands dangerous looping coaster from a defunct manufacturer. This thing is going to be extremely expensive to get up to code. It isn't like a woodie where you can just replace boards and beams. Even after refurbishing it, maintaining it long term is going to be much more expensive than a traditional steel coaster too as parts for defunct manufacturers are not as easily available. This is why all the old Arrow loopers are slowly being pulled out.

I am reasonably confident that even in 2020 a rollercoaster in the US is going to be allowed to run in dangerous condition, so I don't think this is actually a significant risk, but we do have to talk about the last possibility. Can you imagine how much damage it would do from the park if the tiny possibility of something going wrong with it actually happens and someone gets hurt? The coverage of a park buying a rollercoaster on the cheap that had killed someone in Mexico and failed every single safety inspection afterwards and then having someone get hurt on it here would be potentially park killing.

The risk here is astronomical and the reward is minimal. Chimera is not going to draw big crowds. Nor are enthusiasts going to rave about it over time after the novelty wore off. Part of the reason it fell apart in Mexico is that they shut the midcourse off, if I understand the story correctly. Indiana Beach isn't going to be able to do that and it will be at least somewhat neutered. I see this move as an attempt to up their coaster count on the cheap while throwing a bone to the enthusiast community that has really embraced the new ownership in the short term. In that sense, it is a nice move. I just don't think they are going to see a lot of return here.

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It wouldn't be neutered by turning the brakes back on, it would be back to running as intended.

As for the parts argument, Gerstlauer continues to support the operation of legacy Schwarzkopf coasters, with new trains and braking systems at the least. They've been busy as late as last year, when they put new reproduction trains on Lisebergbanan and Alpina Bahn, a traveling coaster of similar vintage.

The structural / refurbishment argument I'll give you. The damage from the accident, inadequate maintenance, and years of high-stress operation may actually put the ride in a condition beyond repair. But I don't think any park would have went for it without a plan, or without a confirmation from someone reputable that the ride is salvageable and can be safely repaired. I'll stay optimistic for now.

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5 hours ago, abovethesink said:

I see this move as an attempt to up their coaster count on the cheap while throwing a bone to the enthusiast community 

I don't think this park gives a shit about the enthusiast community, because they can't afford to right now.

 

I think Indiana Beach is trying to establish its identity as a quirky and fun park, with a focus on nostalgia. This coaster will fit right in. A larger newer attraction might look as out of place as Impulse. 

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I'm not sure what abovethesink is talking about...  Why the hell would the new owner buy this ride without thinking about all of that already??  There are plenty of Schwarzkopfs still running fine. Look at the one at Lagoon. Its running fine. The Scorpion at Busch Gardens?? It's even older.  So where are they getting parts from??   From someone apparently since they are all running great and have been for years. Do you really think IB would buy this ride without consulting a manufacturer to see if its saveable?  

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And if we're going to frame this discussion as an issue of "investment" or finance, Quimera is an old, portable, compact coaster, in less-than-perfect condition, from a park that no longer exists. Indiana Beach is probably picking it up for pennies on the dollar, even if it's going to require some refurb work. They get to add something thrilling at what I can only assume is a low financial risk. IB is exactly the kind of park that should be looking for this kind of opportunity.

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Without a doubt, someone (presumably the ride broker) was able to provide some sort of engineering report on the ride before it was sold.  It’s also safe to assume that Indiana Beach is aware of the estimated costs to properly refurbish it.

That being said, we can only hope that report was extensive and accurate given the park it came from.  I don’t think it is a stretch to think that there might be issues with the accuracy of any documentation provided by the now former operators of the park...

 

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I think IB is doing it right.  Perfect addition.  They probably got it for really cheap and will make it like new.  Not much groud prep since it is a portable coaster.  So they will end up having an awesome and thrilling coaster in as new condition for a low investment.  

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3 hours ago, grsupercity said:

Don't a lot of used ride sellers refurb the rides?

While I am sure there are places that fix up rides, Ital Inc and Rides4u ride brokers appear to sell stuff in an "as is" condition.  I would guess that ride brokers don't take possession of the ride and just list it for people and negotiate the sale.  The previous ride owner stores the ride until it sells and transfers.

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Zero-G, the parks Larson looper, has officially been removed from the park. Did I hear somewhere that falling star is going too? If so that leaves three big flat pads empty... I could see polyp going into zero-Gs old location. The old tornado by the double shot will probably be utilized for water park expansion eventually. Which leaves falling star...can anyone confirm if this ride is also getting the axe? If so that’s pretty sad, those are a rare find these days. 

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11 hours ago, tanthonyam said:

I have not heard anything confirmed about Falling Star leaving.

Falling Stars are easily one of my favorite flats. Most parks have gotten ride of them so I would assume they are pricey to maintain 

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