Weird Coaster Facts

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Six Flags Fiesta Texas Is/Was the only Six Flags branded park to never have a Looney Tunes/Bugs Bunny themed area.

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain has Bugs Bunny World, a children's area?

 

 

Yes. I'm saying that SFFT never had a Looney Tunes themed area. SFOT, SFOG, SFStL, SFAW, SFGAdv, SFMM, SFGAm, SFAm, SFDL, SFWoAdv, SFEG, SFKK, SFDK, SFNE, SFMex, SFBelgium, SF Holland all had Looney Tunes themed areas but SFFT did not.

[Mr Stratosphere]

HAHA! I apologize my mistake, I misread your post!

 

On a side note, MGM Grand Adventures would have been celebrating its 20th Anniversary, if the park was still in existence.

[DBru]

John, do you happen to have a POV or any footage from the MGM Grand coaster? I was looking for some on YouTube the other day and was unsuccessful.

[Mr Stratosphere]

I unfortunately do not. It is actually very difficult to find anything from the park online. Just a couple of amazing articles about Deep Earth Exploration and Grand Canyon Rapids.

[Mr Stratosphere]

Ah here is a neat fact, Sierra Sidewinder at Knott's Berry Farm has two trains, the station is actually the transfer track to the maintenance shed. The shed is under the station.

 

The station track lifts up and a train can be parked on the track below. The track drops back down and the train goes under the station. I think it is a very clever use of space!

[3Mutts]

^ Yup Pegasus at Europa Park uses the same system.

 

 

 

http://rcdb.com/3403.htm?p=17131

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

The ocean liner at DisneySea is a tribute to the original plans that called for the park to be built in Long Beach alongside the Queen Mary.

[Seddy]

Im loving this thread! I have a few fun SFOG facts that some people may not know.

 

The Great American Scream Machine and the Dahlonega Mine Train both have stations built at a slope. When trains are dispatched, they gently roll out the station instead of using feedmotors or 'kicker wheels'.

 

If an E-Stop is pressed at the Dahlonega Mine Train after the train clears lift 3, the brakes before the station will close, causing the train to bounce back into the tunnel and roll back and forth until it stalls. At this point, guests are unloaded and the train has to be pulled back to the station by a winch.

 

The 180 degree turn (C-Curve) on the Great American Scream Machine is also built at a slope. This is also the dispatch point for the 2nd train (if in operation) which is set by a timer that counts down from 25 after the lift is cleared.

 

Before they were removed, the chasing lights lined along the track of the GASM were used so that the operator would be able to see the trains location on the track after dark.

 

The panel at the GASM is set in place so that the operator can see the full circut of the ride standing behind the panel.

 

There is a building you see during the first drop of Superman Ultimate Flight. This building is painted with clouds and has a cutout of Superman on the side of it. This building was the Vipers old station and is now used for storage by the food stands in the area.

 

After the Viper was relocated to SFKK, the control panel was not reprogrammed, therefore the digital readout still read 'Viper' although the ride was renamed Greezed Lightnin'.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Seddy

[kidcoaster 2]

After the Viper was relocated to SFKK, the control panel was not reprogrammed, therefore the digital readout still read 'Viper' although the ride was renamed Greezed Lightnin'.

 

Cedar Point's Skyscraper still says Valleyfair Amusement Park.

[Seddy]

Cedar Point's Skyscraper still says Valleyfair Amusement Park.

 

I guess parks figure those types of things arent important enough to do. Lol.

 

Thought of some more facts lol...

Batman the Ride at SFOG has the longest que in the entire park. (I think the warehouse takes an hour and a half from entry to the side door). BTR is also the only 'clone' with chasing lights in the floor and a batman 'tune' that plays at each dispatch (although in recent years the tune no longer plays). When it opened, mist used to spray from the sides as a train was returning to the station from the transfer brake.

 

BTR cont'd. If either operators release the advance/dispatch button while the train leaving the station, it will cause a RMC/ESI and a mechanic must be called to manually reset the ride.

 

Superman Ultimate Flight at SFOG was the first flying coaster in the USA. It is the only Superman clone that has 2 loading platforms and the ability to run 3 trains (3 train operation is soooo fun btw ) SFOG's Superman also differs by using 7 cars per train instead of 8 like the other 2.

 

The panel for Superman was also changed after the first season. One dispatch button-per platform was on the sides of the panel (since there are 2 loading platforms there are a total of 4 dispatch buttons - the side dispatch buttons were moved near the top of the panel). I was told that this was done to prevent one-hand dispatches although an operator with long arms can still use one arm to dispatch a train.

[JeromyL]

Ah here is a neat fact, Sierra Sidewinder at Knott's Berry Farm has two trains, the station is actually the transfer track to the maintenance shed. The shed is under the station.

 

The station track lifts up and a train can be parked on the track below. The track drops back down and the train goes under the station. I think it is a very clever use of space!

 

That would be cool to see. Anyone have any pictures?

[DBru]

In 2004, Intamin debuted their new style of thin-strapped shoulder restraints on Storm Runner at Hersheypark, making Top Thrill Dragster the last Intamin still coaster in the Western Hemisphere to feature a T-bar restraint. Every North American Intamin steel coaster has featured this style of restraint up until last year, when Intamin debuted a new type of over-the-shoulder lap bar on Hersheypark's Skyrush.

[KingRCT3]

The station track lifts up and a train can be parked on the track below. The track drops back down and the train goes under the station. I think it is a very clever use of space!

 

That would be cool to see. Anyone have any pictures?

 

From RCDB:

 

I know that it is at least featured on Sierra Sidewinder, Pegasus and it's clones, Twist and Dwervelwind.

[SFOGdude25]

Banshee at Kings Island is the first brand new B&M invert to be built in the US in 8 years. The last new invert was Patriot at Worlds of Fun which opened in 2006.

[GwaziBSRider1]

When Kennywood built the Jack Rabbit in 1920, they actually destroyed a historical site. There was a spring on the side of the hill that George Washington supposedly drank from. It was a very popular place for people to get a free drink in the park.

[rctneil]

The station track lifts up and a train can be parked on the track below. The track drops back down and the train goes under the station. I think it is a very clever use of space!

 

That would be cool to see. Anyone have any pictures?

 

From RCDB:

 

I know that it is at least featured on Sierra Sidewinder, Pegasus and it's clones, Twist and Dwervelwind.

 

 

A similar system to this is also used on Pepsi Max Big One in Blackpool. The train in the station can be lowered into the maintenance bay underneath or (I think, can be raised up to store another train above but not 100% sure on this second one)

[A.J.]

In 2004, Intamin debuted their new style of thin-strapped shoulder restraints on Storm Runner at Hersheypark, making Top Thrill Dragster the last Intamin still coaster in the Western Hemisphere to feature a T-bar restraint. Every North American Intamin steel coaster has featured this style of restraint up until last year, when Intamin debuted a new type of over-the-shoulder lap bar on Hersheypark's Skyrush.

Not a T-bar, but the new trains put on Bizarro in 2008 didn't have shoulder harnesses.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I believe that Nitro's computer sensors say Superman Krypton Coaster.

[Seddy]

I believe that Nitro's computer sensors say Superman Krypton Coaster.

 

Wow. I would love to see evidence of that. Im wondering if they were gonna theme it behind Superman and then decided to scrap that name and go with Nitro instead.

[mike541x]

^Speaking of scraped theming, Afterburner at Carowinds was originally gonna be a Godzilla themed ride. Xpress at Walibi Holland was also supposed to be themed after the Riddler. You can see some of the green paint on the rails.

 

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I believe that Nitro's computer sensors say Superman Krypton Coaster.

 

Wow. I would love to see evidence of that. Im wondering if they were gonna theme it behind Superman and then decided to scrap that name and go with Nitro instead.

 

 

Most likely after hearing about B&M's flying coasters, They probably thought those would be better Superman themed attractions.

 

 

Anyway...

When it starts in the morning, It still says "Superman Krypton Coaster"

It also says that on the error screen "There are no errors on Superman: Krypton Coaster"

 

Check that out next time.

[netdvn]

Verbolten's fire alarm spiel is really carried over from Darkastle. It will tell you theres a fire alarm in Darkastle's building and to exit your sleigh quickly and carefully.

 

CGA's Stealth was originally gonna be Mission Impossible themed, but Paramount wanted too much money for licensing.

 

Paramount purchased three Flying Dutchman coasters that were supposed to go to KI and KD. After all the problems Stealth faced, they decided to back out of the contract. SF ended up with the remaining two. One of those two ended up in ots intended home, Firehawk. The other sits about an hour north of where it was supposed to go, Batwing.

[Seddy]

Most likely after hearing about B&M's flying coasters, They probably thought those would be better Superman themed attractions.

 

 

Anyway...

When it starts in the morning, It still says "Superman Krypton Coaster"

It also says that on the error screen "There are no errors on Superman: Krypton Coaster"

 

Check that out next time.

 

Thats odd though because Nitro opened in 2001 and SFOG opened Superman Ultimate Flight in 2002. Maybe Six Flags had debates about the names during the time they were consulting with B&M.

 

I know the touch screen on the panel at SMUF shows the Logo for the ride on the maintenance screen. I would love to see Nitro's panel and screen to see if its the same but that would be impossible unless a Nitro ride op snaps a pic and uploads it.

 

Another wierd fact about SMUF at SFOG is that an E-Stop can be reset without maintenance. I was swatting a bee out of my face in 2005 while I was verifying (manning the secondary panel that controls the air gates and latches/locks the restraints) and my hand came down right onto the E-Stop button. I thought I was gonna get a write up but then the Foreman was like 'dont worry about it' and he pressed a few buttons and the lift restarted. I'll never forget that. Lol

[Wes]

Big Thunder Mountain was the first coaster to use LIMs.

[Mr Stratosphere]

Expedition Everest was listed in the 2011 issue of the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive roller coaster ever with a price tag (not just the ride but everything included) over $100 Million USD.