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Silver Dollar City: General Discussion

Actually, I've read that SOB wasn't built very well to save money and it's entirely Paramount's fault (although RCA should have known better than to go ahead and not design a structurally sound ride for them just to save money on it). Had it been done properly, perhaps it would still be operating (loop and all) and perhaps woodies might not have such a bad image with some folks?

Also, there's a number of woodies built before 2000 such as the original Texas Giant and Rattler (TG having been recently replaced with NTG by Rocky Mountain Coasters and Rattler being replaced with another RMC for next year), Hercules and Mean Streak which weren't designed properly and it meant that shortly down the line these coasters had big problems with comfort. Designers apparently tried to create amazing looking elements (although I've yet to find one on Rattler at least :p ) without taking into account how the trains would react to them and the supports under the lengths of track, such as the big helices and over-banks, etc...

I've read about maintenance trying to slow them down or stiffen supports to stop bumps being so violent and workers not really understanding the structure of the rides when replacing supports which basically ended up making the rides worse than if they'd just left them to shake themselves to pieces.


So if all that is correct, the 90's didn't really give wooden coasters a good name.


However, these new hybrid woodies are completely different. Besides the fact that they have been designed properly to comply with newer regulations since the older woodies above, these have a lot more metal in them then older wooden coasters. Some might say that these aren't proper wooden coasters but if the ride experience is great and they're built well, who really gives a damn what they should be classified as? :p

As I've said, New Texas Giant is doing very well so my guess would be that this will do just as well, if not better.


:)
 
Beautiful trains.

0hYhY.jpg
 
It's all stunning! Those trains look lovely.

Why can't we have nice things like that! :(
 
Construction walk through!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL_HfGPXpZc&feature=plcp[/youtube]
 
Sam said:
This is the most technically impressive coaster to be built world-wide since Th13teen.
Click to expand...

Not really. The track type is pretty much just a re-imagining of traditional techniques. The only thing that's impressing me is that the designers have the bottle to really push the limits of design. Something not a lot of companies do any more, bar perhaps Intamin, but that's more intensity than pure design.
 
Pricey. said:
The UK really needs one of these!
Click to expand...

No one would ride them, the general public of england seem to have this thing in their heads that wooden coasters aren't safe, never mind inverting ones!

Would be good though!

:)
 
Put it this way, A few years ago at Lightwater, I overheard the following:

Chav 1: (Points at The Ultimate's lift hill) Oh my days man, is dat made of wood?!?
Chav 2: Don't be fick man. It's metal painted like wood. Dey can't make a ride outta wood. 'Elf an' safety, innit?

::)
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Put it this way, A few years ago at Lightwater, I overheard the following:

Chav 1: (Points at The Ultimate's lift hill) Oh my days man, is dat made of wood?!?
Chav 2: Don't be fick man. It's metal painted like wood. Dey can't make a ride outta wood. 'Elf an' safety, innit?

::)
Click to expand...

I fear for this generation, I really do.

:(
 
Merlin relies too much on market research.

If they built something like this I guaranty people would come to ride it.

Love what we’ve seen so far.
 
Woodies have recently become popular in China, precisely because people don't think they are safe.

Over there, they use bamboo for everything we would use wood for. Even scaffolding is made of bamboo. To them, wood is a flimsy material, not to be trusted.
Because of this, woodies are seen as something only the very brave ride, and teenage boys prove their worth by riding them :p
... But they are still popular.

I read in an old First Drop, that when GCI built their first coaster over there, they actually looked in to whether it was possible to use bamboo for the supports, just to relax the locals! Clearly it wasn't, or we would have a whole new catagory of coaster :p
 
Or maybe it costs too much to develop. I guess it's hard to stick a bolt through Bamboo. I guess they'ed need to completely re-think how a coaster works. Bamboo track maybe... we can hope at least.
 
I can't believe bamboo would be strong enough? Perhaps its just down to the fact that you only ever see those really thin sticks of it in this country, but it does come across as a very frail material.
 
See, I don't mind wooden coasters. The last two I've been on are massively contrasting examples of the type. One was Magnus Colossus at Terra Mítica near Benidorm, and no other rollercoaster before or since has caused me to have so much pain. It's just so unbelievably rough and uncomfortable. The other? Wodan at EP. Now, what a contrast! So much smoother (still slightly rough, but that's a given with woodies), so much more comfortable, and the trains! :D

Anyway, getting back on topic, yeah, this woodie may look a bit unsafe, but hey - a credit's a credit - and this coaster looks mental. I'd go on it! :p
 
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