hehehe . I've been following that one, bemused and dismayed, but soooo glad to read and talk to others about one of my greatest loves. We did 7 months OS in 2004, husband (coaster heathen and theme park alien), daughter (15yo coaster enthusiast), son (12yo budding enthusiast but not so daring) and myself. If daughter and myself were travelling, we'd have clocked up 50 coasters, but as it was we had to manipulate and beg hubby to get to- Knott's, Universal Studios, Alton Towers, Disneyland Paris and Legoland Detschland. I may be the only one on this forum who has ridden Spinball Whizzer! Favourites of course Air, Oblivion, Xcelerator. Great to meet you. Caroline

Hi Fives a fellow member of the Xcel fan club!!

Sorry this is off-thread. I'll make it short. We went in December, and there was virtually no wait. We'd have to get off and run around back through that infernally long queue area to get straight back on. Rode 4 times (I think) in a row!! What a ride! Caroline

Lucky you, how is Spinball Wizzer? I was out there during its construction but was a season to early to have a 'spin'. Nice to have you aboard

Spinball Whizzer was fun, a good family ride which is different every time. Interesting concept, can be a bit wild depending on direction of your car in various parts. The sideways corner in my pic is the best part. Caroline

Lucky you too! You live on the Gold Coast. I'd have annual passes for every park! Caroline

Well this is probably the last off topic post before we all get hit by a bolt of lightning but I like to live on the edge That's weird to hear you had to keep running around for Xcel. I was there in October and hit the ride 42 times in my 5.5 hours at the park. We were welcome to re-ride all day long so I'm surprised to hear that you had to go around the extremely long que. What do you think of the Xcel ride crew? I recon they are some of the best ride Ops I've come across yet... See http://www.parkz.com.au/forums/sh...55&postcount=14

Wow! Did you ride anything else? What about Boomerang? It was closed when we were there- so annoyed. We rode Jaguar a fair few times, more my son's style, and Montezuma's though I didn't think much of that. We couldn't stay on as there were always enough people for the next ride or two. Can't really say about the crew, didn't notice, but we did like Americans in general, found them friendly and helpful. C'ya Caroline

Knott's would be in my top three parks, but Montezooma is one of my favourite rides... it was the first launched coaster I ever rode on... boy were we NOT expecting it to go forwards first... we'd come from riding the demon at wonderland, and expected it to lift us back and then drop us.... lol. it was a shock believe me... As far as boomerang... its identical to wonderland's demon... Boomerang was closed when we went there too, and we were surprised to see a clone of demon, because we weren't aware that the boomerang design was mass produced at the time...

Boomerang was closed when we went to Knotts, and Demon was closed when we went to Wonderland. Hmmpphh! :mad: I had planned to go back to Wonderland this year to go on Demon, till I heard it had closed. Now I'll just have to go back to Knott's!

Think that we could get this back on topic please people, and on that note, I have received several RUMORS that a welding company in NSW has started an order for some new coaster track. Hope it is for the Super Coaster! Any other thoughts?

(Hangs head in shame and slinks to a corner)...

Well done thunder,you dumb nuts should be discussing knotts elsewhere.

i was under the impression that coaster track fabrication was generally done by the company commissioned to provide the coaster (that being overseas)?

Not 100% sure about that, but I guess the company would employ a local firm to construct the ride due to the cost of shipping all the ride from overseas. If the ride was shipped from overseas, we would be lucky to see a new ride every 10yrs due to the cost, but this is only my opinion and the original post states that it is only a RUMOR at this stage.

Not really, they do that in europe, but many manufacturers fabricate the track in the countries that they will be built in, for example Bolliger and Mabillard do the track for their american rides in Ohio. I imagine that things like the seats and restraints are made in one place due to the complicated nature of them.

Think that we could get this back on topic please people, and on that note, I have received several RUMORS that a welding company in NSW has started an order for some new coaster track.  Hope it is for the Super Coaster! Any other thoughts?

Do you know where this company is located in NSW? Or the name of it? I work in the welding indursty and could get some info.

Dunno, yellow pages maybe? do you have access to any trade magazines, which could hold some info. Personally, i was hoping that if it was being made in Australia that it would be done at the foundry in my town, Furphys, i could have got some pics for everyone. Where did you get the rumours from thunder001?

an interesting thread showed up in my searches in regards to this Welding Company in NSW. the same rumor has been thrown up by the same user, two years running now - Original Thread Here: http://www.parkz.com.au/forums/sh...hread.php?t=550

On the rumor posted before, it appears that there is a new coaster for the 2005 season somewhere in Australia.

I know that is a bit broad to claim bragging rights, but not bad Wayne

^ The steel manufacture for the new coaster will be done in OZ but expect the train(s), PLC & other equipment to come from the manufacturer. Lethal Weapon's track was buit by a VIC based company called ABL Leisure

Indeed. Why was it built by them rather than BHP? Didn't BHP make the Cyclone or summat?

because maybe thats who they picked to build it.

Because with bigs jobs the the company that is outsourceing the job would go with the cheapest price and the company that seems best for that job.

Lethal Weapon's track was buit by a VIC based company called ABL Leisure

This is interesting, because Vekoma are notoriously in-house, and as far as I know always have been. Their track and support fabrication is done more or less exclusively in their own facilities around the world.