Shane's Amusement Attic

[eblTPR's Olden Goldie]

^ Agreed. Ninja at SFMM is one of my very favorite coasters. I know they're a pain to engineer, but the whole suspended concept was one of the best in my opinion.

While B&M certainly gave us quite a gift with the inverted coaster, it would be interesting to see what they could do with a suspended coaster. They might even find a way to engineer a successful inversion for one, though I think the side-to-side swinging is plenty good.

Eric

[Guy T. KoeppNow with Extra Retarded Flavor]

I miss the trolls and the wizard so much.

Magic Mountain was so awesome. I have such fond memories of this place. It's the only reason I still love it. In my mind I can transport myself back to those days. I remember waiting 5 hours for my first ride on The Great American Revolution the second day it opened. Way back when the que went through Revolution Plaza, all the way down the hill and around the fountain. The whole back side of the mountain was bare then. And it ran 5 trains! Mmmmmmmmm 5 train operation and almost completely trimless. Good times! Good times!

[eblTPR's Olden Goldie]

^ Yes indeed. In those days, you never really stood in line for Revolution because the line moved so fast with five trains going that you really slooowwwllly walked.

I didn't ride Revolution on its first or second day, but I did ride in May 1976, not long after it opened.

Yeah, the trolls were way cool. More fitting to the park in that era than the Looney Tunes gang. However, during the park's first season, they did use the Warner Bros. characters. I vividly remember seeing signs that said, "You must be as tall as Sylvester to ride." After the park closed for a six-month upgrade and rehab, reopening Spring 1972, they had switched to the trolls and kept them till 1985---six years after Six Flags took over. [/history lesson]

Eric

[texcoasterBonafide Donkey Expert]

^ Agreed. Ninja at SFMM is one of my very favorite coasters. I know they're a pain to engineer, but the whole suspended concept was one of the best in my opinion.

While B&M certainly gave us quite a gift with the inverted coaster, it would be interesting to see what they could do with a suspended coaster. They might even find a way to engineer a successful inversion for one, though I think the side-to-side swinging is plenty good.

Eric

About the only way I can see a true suspended coaster inversion is to use the little trough that sits under the lift hill to keep the cars from swinging as they get pulled up the lift.

So you'd bang and bash into the little trough as you enter the lift. Up you go, swinging not allowed. The trough would continue up and over the lift, and the cars would STILL be in the trough on the way down the drop and all the way through the loop (or whatever inversion). After the inversion, you could end the trough and let the cars swing.

I think the idea is still corta crappy, though. Leave the inversions to the inverted.

[AllenA07My small thing speaks for itself]

Not sure why I'm thinking about this, but does anybody remember when SFMM used to have Vinny the Viper? It's the small things such as that, that I have really come to miss in that park.

[montezooma"Can I get clamshells out of this ATM?"]

I miss the trolls and the wizard so much.

You want the trolls? Here is Bloop on one of the vintage shopping bags.

[montezooma"Can I get clamshells out of this ATM?"]

And here are Bloop's friends, the Wizard, Bleep was the female troll and I can not remember the name of the King troll.

[eblTPR's Olden Goldie]

I believe the last troll was "Blop." Perhaps Blop was Bloop and Bleep's young 'un.

Eric

[eblTPR's Olden Goldie]

^ I agree with your last sentence. We are inverted to death in my opinion, and inversions really don't do much for me---especially when a ride has six or seven of them. A good suspended is a nice change of pace from the head over heels experience.

Eric

[steelElissa's Instincts Are Strong!]

^I had an idea once that someone could manufacture some sort of track that could stop and start the swinging (something like a 4D track, but with a totally different purpose). I'm sure that's incredibly far-fetched, but I was younger then.

It's such a shame that this ride was removed. Vortex is not a great ride and Top Gun could've been so much more than it is. It's really sad that that wonderful terrein was hardly used at all in the design of Vortex. So much pontential in both replacement rides. Very sad part of coaster history.