Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread

Here's hopping that they don't add any trims to that ride.

^ I'm HOPPING the exact same thing!

Guy "The Devil made me do it! " Koepp

Well I was back at the park today and it was PACKED. Busiest day yet this season. If the park is this busy now then what does the summer have in store? Ouch. Anyways BIG NEWS! The first substantial amount of new track has been put in place on the first turn and the lift track has been extended nearly all the way down on the left. Oddly, they actually took the rail off the right side of the lift that had been up there for about the last month.

Pictures you say? Of course! Plenty! Forgive the quality though. They are cell phone pics. I am without a good camera for the time being. :o(

Here is the lift progress thus far.

the left rail is nearly to the bottom.

Shiny red track curving its way to the lift.

notice the catwalk is only on the right hand side (from the direction the ride travels). It will be interesting to see if the entire ride turns out this way.

Notice also that the steel is not bolted to the ledgers or the ledgers to the structure yet. Looks like they are putting the track together and then making everything else adjust to fit later.

Here is a close up of what I mean. Notice the bolt holes for the ledger to attach to the wooden supports are not yet being used, and the track is not yet bolted to the ledger either. The actual track pieces are bolted to each other though.

They had about 6 or 7 guys there working today. First I've seen them work on a Saturday.

Now for today's progress report layout graphic:

April 3rd

I did add another piece to the key to illustrate the handrails being removed because they have cut off a significant amount of them on the final leg of the ride towards the brakes. This area of the ride seems to be getting some very random attention for this project.

Here is a pic to show what I mean.

On anther note Shockwave is now a complete circuit!

That's all till next week.

This is one of my most favorite projects done by SF ever, I absolutely cannot wait for this.

There's no doubt there's a ton of buzz about this project - if it suceeds (and I'm thinking we're all for that) this could be one of those watershed moments in the industry, similar to Millennium Flyer trains allowing for tighter radii turns or Intamin's "Plug and Play" construction efficiency.

You know the haters are just waiting to bash it come opening day though..."IT'S NOT A REAL WOODIE!" Who cares if it is anymore - it's a fun ride with a unique layout.

In a weird way, the red track actually makes TG look pretty good. It certainly stands out on the wood/metal hybrid structure...Cant wait to see how this continues to develop!

This ride is looking pretty good. I can't wait to see the renderings for the new trains for this baby.

http://www.amusementtoday.com/

Just before Easter, the NRCMA loaded up six PTC-built vehicles from the famed Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas. The Texas Giant is undergoing a massive $10 million makeover that will include a new track design and new vehicles. Other artifacts from the Texas Giant are still forthcoming to the NRCMA from the park.

 

"We are extremely thrilled to have received these great vehicles and artifacts from these two great theme parks," said NRCMA's Chairman Gary Slade. "These deliveries will help us to continue to keep our industry history alive and will give us the necessary hardware to display in a museum setting sometime in our future. We can't thank Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Six Flags Over Texas enough for these outstanding donations."

 

The NRCMA is based in Arlington, Texas. In its multiple storage facilities in Plainview, the museum now houses 82 vehicles of which 69 are roller coaster related. The NRCMA also houses signs, models, prints, photos and other unique and rare historical archives ranging in everything from roller coasters to waterslides.

I really wonder if they are going to put a couple layers of wooden track on top of the I-beams, kinda like what was done with Colossus. I mean they made a point to still call it a wooden coaster, so maybe they really are going to layer the track with wood?? Should be really interesting to see how this shakes out.

I doubt it; I think it's just marketing. If they referred to it as steel, I don't think they could call it a record-breaker. It would still be the first to use the new technology, but that's a given.

Besides, it's still more 'wooden' than coasters that contain no wood! They're just playing off of that.

I guess I missed the part about new trains. Any idea what they'll be? PTC steel trains? Those are roomier than the wooden trains.

Gerstlauer trains. Similar to those found on Mammut (Tripsdrill).

Went out to the park today to check out the progress, since some of the pictures I've been seeing kinda puzzled me. My questions weren't answered by visiting, but I did take a few pictures of the progress. I didn't take my camera with me, because I rarely take pictures, so all I have are crappy camera phone pictures.

Work seems to be progressing on the ride, but there seems to be something missing?

Ah, yes, that would be the entire left side of both helices. Completely gone.

Looks like they're wiping out track there, too?

Yep, clearing out all of the track down in that area.

That's all the pictures I managed to get, might go back out tomorrow with my camera to take more pictures.

interesting. I wonder if this will be worth the money six flags has put into it

interesting. I wonder if this will be worth the money six flags has put into it

Yeah, no kidding. Didn't they say this project was going to cost around like $10 million? If it were me, I would have used that money to build an entirely new GCI or Gravity Group wooden coaster. You would think that adding a completely new coaster would have more value from a marketing and advertising standpoint, too. But knowing Six Flags, they will probably try to market it as a brand new coaster, anyways.

You know what's funny? I never expected a thread like this to be really big--and yet, this is coming from a guy who shares a user name with the topic of this thread!

I remember the first time riding this legendary woodie back in 1995 for one reason: my stepsister dragged me on it kicking and screaming when I was growing up. When I was regularly going to SFoT thanks to a season pass, Texas Giant used to be my favorite coaster of the bunch. I will miss the roughness, but I can't wait until it opens back up--you'll know I'm gonna put myself up to riding it and Titan for sure.

(and yes, I've never rode Titan)

OMG! Dude! You took a picture of my arm! The first picture you took on the train you can see my arm holding my camera on the right hand side. This has me cracking up. Way to beat me to the punch on today's update. Didn't anyone tell you I now own this thread?

I've got some shots from the Oil Derrick to add to this though.

MAN I need a better camera. This just isn't cutting it.

I really do want this job

Half the "helix" still intact

Today's major focus

The whole area

Still standing proud

Here is this week's progress graphic

Great stuff! Thank you everyone for contributing photos and keeping us up to date!

--Robb

speaking of GCI and Gravity Group, how come it seems that Gravity group doesn't get much work, yet there coasters are considered some of the best in the world?

I'm so confused. I see very large bolt heads sticking up from the topsides of these red metal *tracks*. There has got to be something else getting placed on top of that big red rail.

^^ Besides this year Gravity Group has made at least one major wooden coaster each year. Hades in 05, Voyage in 06, Bullet in 07, RF2 in 08, and Fireball in 2009. Also they are developing new wooden coaster trains, and it has been announced they are working on a family coaster next year. Most parks arent getting major attractions this year though.

This is going to be GOOD...I am talking El Toro good!

ShowMeGuy, the bolts do look pretty strange sticking up the way they do but I'm pretty sure the wheels will just run between them. There is a wide space down the center of the rail. Flying at full speed with those bolts sticking up will be a sight I'm sure. haha. Looking at the track they have placed on so far there is nothing to indicate that they can or will attach anything to it. I saying all the wear and tear will be designed for the wheels. Think of it like this.

Wooden coasters use steel on the wood because the steel wheels would ruin the wood. Really a wooden coaster is steel running on steel. They have to replace that steel over time. This new track system, unless they do add a layer of something to the top, will not allow the steel on steel set up because steel wheels would eventually wear down the track, meaning they can't just replace a strip of steel like on traditional wood coasters but they would replace the actual track segment entirely. That just isn't a practical way to do things. All this leads me to believe that they will have nylon or urithane on the wheels like you see on rides like El Toro, or Balder. Hopefully the wheels they get from Gerstlauer will outlast those of the Intamin variety that seem to live less than 48 hours *cough cough* Maverick.

In all fairness the plug n play coasters don't seem to have wheel issues I just really wanted to take a stab at Intamin's cruddy wheels. haha

speaking of GCI and Gravity Group, how come it seems that Gravity group doesn't get much work, yet there coasters are considered some of the beast in the world?

Quantity does not always equal quality. Just look at what happend to CCI.

And oh, yeah, the word is "best" not "beast."

--Robb

I like to think of Gravity Group as the wood coaster equivalent of Intamin. They put out rides that nobody else will attempt, and while they are amazing, I don't think they will have a longevity of a GCI. Like Rob said, it's about quality. I'm not saying anything against Gravity Group, but they are really pushing limits. I think their new trains will help with this a lot though. PTCs are just not built to keep a track in good shape on rides like Voyage and Hades. Ravine Flyer seems to be holding up incredibly well however. It ran last season as if it was opening day 2008. Very impressive.

I think PTC is going to have to wake up soon a realize that their trains have been surpassed. Designs on wood coasters have exceeded their trains capabilities. Prior and Church figured things out before PTC for goodness sakes with their single bench designs. They were who inspired GCI's Millennium Flyers.

To tie all that back in to the Giant, I'm nervous to see what Gerslauer has in store with their trains. They better be like nothing they have made in the past.