Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point "Closing"

[Dean Barnett]

I feel like the speed when it goes down is slower than when it's going up - but I could be wrong. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

26 minutes ago, Dean Barnett said:

I could be wrong.

Understatement of the year.

[Naazon]

1 hour ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

Understatement of the year.

Ironically, I think this time there could be some truth to it. I can see where he is coming from

[Dean Barnett]

Petition to rename the thread "Project High Point"

Edited July 12, 2023 by Dean Barnett

[Dean Barnett]

Food for thought 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

18 hours ago, Dean Barnett said:

Petition to rename the thread "Project High Point"

So just to be clear, they're not reversing the direction of travel, so the heartline roll is not in issue?

[Baconjack]

9 hours ago, Dean Barnett said:

Food for thought 

Fitting those on superman would be physically impossible when concerning clearance envelopes etc.

[Tricoart]

8 minutes ago, Baconjack said:

Fitting those on superman would be physically impossible when concerning clearance envelopes etc.

Likely true, but wrong thread. Unless I’m missing extra context, this was about TTD. Assuming I’m not missing context and it was about TTD, though, I don’t think it’d fit the existing track gauge, would it?

Edited July 13, 2023 by Tricoart

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I think the discussion has been that most accelerators (like superman) are going to need some sort of new launch system in the near future, so there's a lot of people watching TTD to see what comes out of it and considering what, if anything, is transferrable... 

I don't think Dean was suggesting it was a suitable option for SE, though.

[Rivals]

Im pretty sure these will be the trains dragster will reopen with along with any other accelerator coaster that get this type of launch refurb (if anymore get it from Zamperla and not Intamin).

 

[TBoy]

7 minutes ago, Rivals said:

with along with any other accelerator coaster that get this type of launch refurb

That makes me wonder...

What will happen to Superman once it is time to replace the launch? I have 2 ideas on what could possibly happen:

1. LSM Launch by Intamin or Zamperla without layout changes

2. Ride removed, but replaced by a similar launch coaster still themed to Superman (Intamin next-gen multi-launch etc.)

 

[Baconjack]

I took the “food for thought” as implying “hey let’s get these trains on superman” but i suppose that’s not the case here.

LSM’s will be difficult to fit onto the existing track with the space available. That said as the technology of magnetic launches continues to improve it can be done and I think it’s plausible if I were village I would be looking at the Canadian install that’s near opening very closely. Superman is far too popular to straight up kill (as opposed to let’s say doomsday or green lantern) and would it make sense to invest the money into renovating for that reason given the popularity of the ride, but that popularity variable hasn’t stopped dreamworld from getting rid of tower as an example. Nevertheless village have recognised the value of renovating old but popular attractions in the past with Scooby so maybe that example is followed with superman in the future. Of course it can change in a few years. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Baconjack

[Tricoart]

3 hours ago, TBoy said:

That makes me wonder...

What will happen to Superman once it is time to replace the launch? I have 2 ideas on what could possibly happen:

1. LSM Launch by Intamin or Zamperla without layout changes

2. Ride removed, but replaced by a similar launch coaster still themed to Superman (Intamin next-gen multi-launch etc.)

 

Reckon the (only/main) reason that they’d ever replace more hardware than just the launch system (and other smaller, associated things) is if/when either the track or the supports are fatigued enough to warrant their removal/refabrication, and even then I doubt they’d do any layout changes. ‘Cause the existing layout is pretty heavily built into the park, so there’s not really anything extra that a layout change/next-gen remake could utilise, and there’d be a very noticeable void if the ride is just removed entirely come time. Both factors are only made more prevalent with Flash’s existence.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Tricoart

[REGIE]

4 hours ago, Baconjack said:

but that popularity variable hasn’t stopped dreamworld from getting rid of tower as an example

Only variable stronger than popularity is money.  As long as Village don’t go broke like DW was when they had to pretty much choose between shutting tot, or shutting DW, I can’t see superman going away, completely for a long long time.  Superman is also not a prototype. TOT being 1 of 2 in the world didn’t help.  There is still many hydraulic launch’s around. I wouldn’t be surprised if superman ends up being one of the last coasters with that launch. Counting on village not going broke.   One question though what was the train diagram for? Why did @dean post it. And what’s “food for thought” mean in this context.

Edited July 13, 2023 by REGIE

[Tricoart]

33 minutes ago, REGIE said:

One question though what was the train diagram for? Why did @dean post it. And what’s “food for thought” mean in this context.

It’s the diagram for their 4-across variant of their ‘Lightning’ train…

…the one intended for their SRII competitor, the Double Heart.
 

As for “Food for thought”, I believe he’s suggesting the use of the 4-across variant over the 2-across one that was unveiled alongside the first known accelerator conversion (the train posted by Rivals, black & pink on yellow track) to boost TTD’s capacity.

 

If that was the intention, then entertaining the idea (and disregarding that it’s very unlikely for the track gauges to match), having 120+mph in your face with no zero car sounds like torture for the front row.

Edited July 13, 2023 by Tricoart

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

14 hours ago, Baconjack said:

would it make sense to invest the money into renovating for that reason given the popularity of the ride, but that popularity variable hasn’t stopped dreamworld from getting rid of tower as an example.

There is a very big difference between an accelerator rollercoaster model that is largely a traditional style coaster that has 17 current installations including one that opened last year, and one under construction (according to RCDB) showing the ride type still in production, and a reverse freefall model which is completely un-traditional, had only two installs in the world, with the most recent construction dating back 26 years, with the manufacturer withdrawing both maintenance and parts support, and both models suffering terribly from a reliability standpoint as they aged with no realistic prospects for retrofitting, and only one other park to potentially share the costs with.

Popularity variable plays a big part where something is possible. But it can't overcome the impossible.

10 hours ago, REGIE said:

Only variable stronger than popularity is money.  As long as Village don’t go broke like DW was when they had to pretty much choose between shutting tot, or shutting DW

You were so close. But not really. There seriously wasn't a viable path for any park to keep a reverse freefall operating - the only reason SFMM's version continues to remain on life support (and thats a stretch given its current operations) is because TOT became an organ donor.

Technically yes the park would have closed - because if they'd tried to keep TOT alive, it would have involved commissioning the construction of custom designed replacement parts from a new supplier, along with all the testing if they had to reverse engineer (assuming Intamin didn't hand over their intellectual property) so yes, they'd have gone broke trying to keep it alive, but for all the same reasons Qantas would go broke if they had to hire someone to design and build replacement jet engines from scratch for their planes once Rolls Royce \ P&W \ whoever else supplies their jets discontinued them. (And for all those reasons, it's why they didn't do it - which is why the ride closed).

 

[Naazon]

I don't think retrofitting it for modern launches would have been overly difficult, I just think the park recognised the money better spent elsewhere on rides with better returns/throughput/new rides to bring new and old rather than reviving an old ride.

[REGIE]

56 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

There is a very big difference between an accelerator rollercoaster model that is largely a traditional style coaster that has 17 current installations including one that opened last year, and one under construction (according to RCDB) showing the ride type still in production, and a reverse freefall model which is completely un-traditional, had only two installs in the world, with the most recent construction dating back 26 years, with the manufacturer withdrawing both maintenance and parts support, and both models suffering terribly from a reliability standpoint as they aged with no realistic prospects for retrofitting, and only one other park to potentially share the costs with.

Popularity variable plays a big part where something is possible. But it can't overcome the impossible.

This is what I was trying to say . I just can’t get what I am thinking to paper sometimes.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

2 hours ago, Naazon said:

I don't think retrofitting it for modern launches would have been overly difficult, I just think the park recognised the money better spent elsewhere on rides with better returns/throughput/new rides to bring new and old rather than reviving an old ride.

If a retrofit isn't difficult, why did SFMM come to Australia to pillage the TOT carcass, instead of just buying a new launch system? 

While not financially viable for Dreamworld, SFMM could easily have afforded to retrofit S-EFK if it were that easy.

[Naazon]

6 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

If a retrofit isn't difficult, why did SFMM come to Australia to pillage the TOT carcass, instead of just buying a new launch system? 

While not financially viable for Dreamworld, SFMM could easily have afforded to retrofit S-EFK if it were that easy.

Why make big expensive change when you can do small cheaper (quicker?) maintenance.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

22 minutes ago, Naazon said:

Why make big expensive change when you can do small cheaper (quicker?) maintenance.

Because big expensive change is not (apparently) 

2 hours ago, Naazon said:

overly difficult

...and would have delivered upwards of 20 years further operation, whereas the small cheaper (band-aid?) maintenance is only going to give you another season or two max, based on the failure rate of the drives.

Given it wasn't operating during the peak Spring Break season (and i'm not sure whether it's operating during this summer season) it may not have long left... if at all.

 

 

[TBoy]

46 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

and i'm not sure whether it's operating during this summer season

According to the website it is:

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Yeah, it said that in March and April too. Still didn't operate the entire time we were there.

[Dean Barnett]

13 hours ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

Yeah, it said that in March and April too. Still didn't operate the entire time we were there.

Apparently it’s open right now.

 

 

source

On 13/7/2023 at 9:54 PM, Tricoart said:

If that was the intention, then entertaining the idea (and disregarding that it’s very unlikely for the track gauges to match), having 120+mph in your face with no zero car sounds like torture for the front row.

What’s the difference?

 

[Tricoart]

4 hours ago, Dean Barnett said:

What’s the difference?

To clarify, by ‘zero car’ I meant a front end that (partially) shields riders & destabilises wind before it hits them. Just seems like it’d be pretty unpleasant to not have that. But the main reason/s it wouldn’t fit’d be track gauges & clearance issues w/ the tophat supports (namely, the downward twist), the ‘zero car’ thing was just a nitpick.