Goliath question

[Nebuchanezzar]

sorry if this is a bit late and such, but when you went on Goliath, was the helix at the end really that bad, and is SFMM as bad as everyone says it is, Ive heard its messy, horribly set out and junky...is it all of that?

[Richard]

What do you mean by "messy, horribly set out and junky", you'll have to elaborate a little more I think, because those words don't mean much in describing a coaster. Personally, I found the helix on both Goliath and Titan to be perhaps the most intense experience I've ever had on a coaster. I've split this off into its own new topic. If you've got something like this you wish to start discussing (which clearly had little to do with the thread it was in, and was some time after), don't hesitate to create a new thread in the appropriate forum.

[Nebuchanezzar]

okey dokey, thats cool, and I was talking about the layout and condition of the SFMM park, not the coaster, I meant as in it was poorly looked after, garbage everywhere, no themeing (actually I know theres little themeing, so dont bother with that one), you know?

[Daniel]

Use fullstops brother. They work wonders for someone reading. Welcome nevertheless old son.

[rappa]

Oh yeah that helix rocks! Its the only time I've ever come close to blacking out on a ride, well anywhere actually. And I tell you I was pretty damn close, the world got very dark! The park itself wasn't dirty, it was more depressing than anything else. Had no life force. I mean it was dead so I won't hold the emptiness against it because that was great but many things were closed or not working. Also the staff weren't anything to write home about. Nothing like the staff at Knott's, however I see over on WC they are getting a bit of a beating now... I also have been reading on WC that the park has been getting a lot better of late. When I was there Superman was running though and most rides had a least 2 trains...

[Nebuchanezzar]

lol, was Deja Vu running, how about Riddlers, they are the rides Im most interested in at SFMM, and X, but everyone knows everything about X already I guess. and did you get a chance to go to Cedar Point?

[Gazza]

Well, I personally wouldnt be too worried about missing superman, its bad and all that they havent bothered to fix it, but at least we can ride one here. BTW, what sort of Gs do you pull in that infamous helix, I wonder if it is as intense as the helix on nemesis, apparently that one pulls 4gs.

[Nebuchanezzar]

No idea, but if you really wanna find out, you can go to www.howstuffworks.com and look in the how roller coasters work section, and in there, there should be a G-Force formula. Enter in all the variables, and theres your answer!

[Richard]

To do that you'd need a very simple helix and even then a lot of specific information about that exact section of track. I don't know what forumulas HowStuffWorks has listed, but I can assure you that they don't take into account changing speed, banking (which also varies throughout the helix), non-circular shape and a host of other variables that are working. Good luck even finding rough approximations any of it either. Ultimate Rollercoaster suggests it's 4.5Gs sustained for six seconds. They're a reasonably reputable source, and I'd certainly agree with it. I'd say yes, with near certainty that it beats out Nemesis. It'd probably be the most highly regarded helix in terms of intensity of any coaster.

[joz]

Nemesis's helix is intense, but quick. It barley lasts for a couple of seconds, and is made too feel intense because of how close it comes to the pathway near the ride.

[Nebuchanezzar]

Well, I say that the helix should be taken out, if its too intense, is it more intense then, um, say, the gravitron, cause for some reason this year at the Easter show, that ride was very very intense...

[rappa]

Umm and I would say how about you just don't ride it if you don't like the idea of it? Why on earth would they do something as stupid as removing one of the signature elements of what IMO is a great coaster??

[Nebuchanezzar]

well I actually got the idea from when I was a member of that theme park insider thingo, they had a biggish forum idea about it and the majority of people seemed to look as if they beleived it should have been removed (this was staright after that woman died, it might be of interest to know). and hey, if I went to USA, I would pass up the opportunity to ride such a great ride, I was just asking some people that have ridden it what their opinions were, so easy you go there tiger, easy buddy.

[Richard]

Nebuchanezzar,take a read of the Community Guidelines. In short, capital letters are your friends at the start of sentences. There was no corrolation between the woman dying on Goliath and the high G-forces. The woman had a brain aneurysm which can burst at any time. Scientific studies, even those funded by the infamous US Senator Ed Markey have shown this to be the case.

[Gazza]

Well, I say that the helix should be taken out, if its too intense

I beg to differ and I think more coasters with insane helixes should be built, they are a good way to boost the intensity and it would be easier than say an inversion due to the closeness to the ground.

[mikrowave]

I think it would be a silly idea to remove the Helix on Goliath. Yes it is intense, but thats the whole point, that's what adds to the fun. It's the only helix I've ever suffered 'tunnel-vision' on, so yes it is quite intense, but its a vital ingredient of the ride. The helix was also when our car (back row car) suffered a loose wheel (we are pretty sure thats what it was, they were looking closely at our cars wheels just before sending us out). Anyway it resulted in an insane vibrating noise consequently scaring the crap out of us. They took our train off circuit once we returned so something was definitely quite wrong with it. I have it all on film, a friend was filming the whole time & you can hear when the vibrating starts. (but please leave discussions of filming on rides to that other thread, & I'd like to remind you it wasnt me filming)

[T-bone]

Do you have that video on you computer to upload somewhere?

[Bussy]

The helix was also when our car (back row car) suffered a loose wheel (we are pretty sure thats what it was, they were looking closely at our cars wheels just before sending us out). Anyway it resulted in an insane vibrating noise consequently scaring the crap out of us. They took our train off circuit once we returned so something was definitely quite wrong with it. I have it all on film, a friend was filming the whole time & you can hear when the vibrating starts. (but please leave discussions of filming on rides to that other thread, & I'd like to remind you it wasnt me filming)

If the wheels are anything like the ones that are on Demon then all it would of been was the rubber (it's not rubber but I can't remember the name of what it is) had peeled off partially or completely. This happened fairly often on Demon it just made it sound like thunder and depending on what type of wheel it was (running, guide or the other one which I can't remember the name of). It would take about 30 minutes or longer, depending on the location of the wheel, to replace it. "The Bus is now leaving for Rubberoid Well, Western Australia"

[Gazza]

I think the wheels are made of nylon. BTW, what is with that nova wheelie bin thing in your sig?

[Bussy]

I think the wheels are made of nylon. BTW, what is with that nova wheelie bin thing in your sig?

Thanks for that. As for the wheelie bin thing, up here in Sydney on the radio station Nova they have a competition where you have to guess what’s in the wheelie bin of fortune from the clues they give you. What’s in my signature is what someone guessed. By the way the bin went off today it was a "wooden key rack in the shape of a guitar with a thermometer on it and a picture of a bullfighter" "The Bus is now leaving for Bull Knob Subsidiary Trig, South Australia"

[mikrowave]

Do you have that video on you computer to upload somewhere?

Nah I don't sorry, I wish I did.

If the wheels are anything like the ones that are on Demon then all it would of been was the rubber (it's not rubber but I can't remember the name of what it is) had peeled off partially or completely.  This happened fairly often on Demon it just made it sound like thunder and depending on what type of wheel it was (running, guide or the other one which I can't remember the name of).  It would take about 30 minutes or longer, depending on the location of the wheel, to replace it. "The Bus is now leaving for Rubberoid Well, Western Australia"

That definitely sounds like the culprit to me

[T-bone]

Visit here.http://travel.discovery.com/guides/video/c...peedvision.html

[Nebuchanezzar]

that was a mediocre video, but the main problem was that it was a streaming video, adn I couldnt be bothered to do it the other way.