Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

Weird Coaster Facts


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 736
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

^ A big part of that is probably the track itself. Nylon/Poly-whatevertheyuse produces a lot more friction than metal against metal (as found on wood coasters).

 

I firmly believe that if you used the same dimensions found on Shivering Timbers and applied it to a steel coaster, that it would valley every time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just wondering if anyone knew any weird coaster facts? Example: like how California' Screamin and Ghostrider have drops that are the same hight yet GR's is much more intense (since CS is forceless) and it seems much longer.

 

I disagree with you saying that CS is forceless. I got plenty of airtime and the loop is pretty intense if you're in the front or back. But GR is obviosly more intense and keeps up speed the whole ride. I love both though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Here is a long and forgotten item that I have found and decided it was perfect to bring back once more.

 

"After a five year hiatus, this post is finally back up and running! Pass out the beers, everyone!"

 

As for any weird coaster facts (okay, they don't have to be weird, they can be the type that make you say "cool, man, I can dig that!"), there is the Vekoma Boomerang coaster which is the most duplicated coaster in the world. There are over 50 parks in the world that has this type of coaster and many of them have various names such as "Flashback", "Sea Serpert", "Cobra","The Sidewinder", "The Carolina Cobra", "Zoomerang", and (of course) "The Boomerang".

 

Okay, dear readers, what weird and wonderful coaster facts to you know?

 

"And here's a question I like to ask: when was the last time you laid your head on me?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rita Queen of Speed's Name

 

The ride was temporarily renamed to Camilla - Queen of Speed on 9 April 2005 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles. This simply involved banner signage to notify guests of the name change.

 

The reason for ride's name has never been explained by Alton Towers. However it has been suggested that 'Rita' stands for 'Alton Towers - Intamin Rocket' backwards.

 

And to think, I always thought Rita was just the local Crystal Meth Whore...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

- Dominator (a.k.a. Batman: Knight Flight) is mentioned in the song Chap-stick, Chapped lips, and things like Chemistry by Relient K.

 

- Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens Williamsburg was originally designed by Schwartzkopf thus explaining its awesomeness.

 

- Grizzly at Kings Dominion was modeled after the famous Coney Island Wildcat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Texas Cyclone, the first cyclone-clone, wasn't originally planned to be a clone.

Astroworld had just been taken over by Six Flags (in a lease agreement, not a purchase until several years later) and they wanted to introduce a big signature ride.

They re-themed a couple of areas - the County Fair section became King Arthur's Court (and the coaster Dexter Frebish's Electric Roller Ride became Excalibur) and they expanded "Mod Ville" and rethemed it "Coney Island."

Well, of course you can't have a Coney Island section without a Cyclone --- and they entered negotiations to move the Coney Island Cyclone to Houston. No, really. That was their intent.

Talks didn't get very far, however, since the Cyclone is such a landmark for Brooklyn, BUT they were actually considered briefly because the NY Aquarium was planning to expand and the Cyclone was in danger of being demolished (!) at that time. Once it was settled that the Cyclone was safe from demolition, any discussion of moving it to Houston ended.

Enter Bill Cobb. Astroworld hired Cobb to one-up the Cyclone with a "taller, longer, faster, meaner" version and he delivered. The Astroworld version is a mirror image so the first drop would face back into the park and the more visually interesting layered side would be showing inside the park as well, like at Coney.

The Texas Cyclone ran 4-bench PTC buzzbar trains with no headrests or seatbelts. It was the undisputed #1 coaster on earth until years of SF management, lawsuits, insurance regulations, etc etc etc tamed it down into a shadow of its former self.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of Dexter Frebish's Electric Roller Ride....

 

Dexter Frebish was the first man to ride down a ski slope in a covered wagon.

The band "Dexter Freebish" named itself after the coaster, which band members rode during their childhood, although they misspelled the name with an extra "e".

The cover of their first album shows the Zephyr from Ponchartrain Beach.

 

In nearly every article about the band that mentions the origins of its name, the coaster is misspelled with the extra "e". The pic below is one taken of the marquee in the opening season 1972 with me and my cousin Larry about to take a ride. It was my first-ever ride on any coaster, and the beginning of a lifelong obsession.

dfrollercoaster.jpg.e22b9a6d514e7d308168bc68aaafb337.jpg

Folks dressed up to go to the park back then. Note the long pants/sleeves in the hot Houston summer!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Not necessarily weird, but interesting.

 

Two coasters in Las Vegas had cars removed from their trains.

 

Canyon Blaster originally opened up with 7 Cars and at some point the last car was removed.

 

High Roller at Stratosphere originally opened with 9 cars and in the late 90's two cars were removed.

 

Premier Rides made two modifications to the Manhattan Express. First in 2004 magnetic braking was added and in 2006 all of the original trains were replaced with Premier Trains.

 

The last coaster built was in 2000 (Speed: The Ride) El Loco is our first new coaster in 13 years!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Verbolten runs on Windows. Last year the system that controlled the ride actually ran on WinXP. The park upgraded to Win7 not too long after though. Oh and the generators that power the launches can only kick on one at a time. It's impossible to have two trains in both launches a the same time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a strange, powered rollercoaster at one of the Israeli parks which is the only one in the entire country that isn't a clone, if I'm not mistaken. Nobody knows who built it. Not even the park itself (The park was bought out by another company, when I asked the new managment who built the coaster they said they don't know). I couldn't even find any signage or emblems on the ride itself saying what companymade it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

- Dominator (a.k.a. Batman: Knight Flight) is mentioned in the song Chap-stick, Chapped lips, and things like Chemistry by Relient K.

"'Cause theme parks are so much more fun when the sun's outside

And I lost my phone to the lake beneath the Batman ride"

 

Thanks to this post, now I'll remember which Batman that was. You know, after all those nights I spent wondering.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^ I hope the control system isn't on the internet, I would hate to think what would happen if a virus got on the control system and screwed everything up.

 

Another cool fact.

Actually the ride is connected to the internet. It's the main way Zierer can monitor the ride. If there's a major problem with the ride, Zierer can diagnose it all the way from Germany without having to travel here.

 

- Technology is pretty amazing sometimes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though I somehow have my doubts but then again since I have never been there I guess it "could" be true but over the years I have been told by many that Alaska is the only state in the US that has never seen a roller coaster, not even a kiddy coaster on the carnival circuit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/