What is the problem with PKI?

I am just curious. How can Cedar Point build a coaster in 7 months without any trouble and PKI has two years to build SOB and it is going to be delayed? Is it because woodies take longer to build or is it just PKI is lazy? I understand that snow is bad there, but it has been bad at CP, too. Somebody please give me the logical reason for the slow down. (The 60ft. scaffold falling maybe?)

SOB hasn't been under construction for two years. It might have been in development for that long, but no way did they start building it that long ago.

When you build an expensive ride, you do everything in your power to open it on time. They're not slacking.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

I'm not saying that PKI slacks, but there seems to be a difference between the two parks in the way things are done. Maybe it's because of Paramount...

But the wheather down here has been ok for over a month now. There really hasn't been anything bad like ice or snow here since the accident a while back. I'd bet the biggest difference with these two projects would be the size of the wooden coaster.

The size of that first hill on SOB is massive. That is alot of wood to assemble. Wood coasters tend to take longer than steel coasters of the same size. I am sure SOB is no different. Usually winter weather would be a factor but this winter has been extremely mild. 60s and 70s in February. Speaking of massive I am curious has to how long it took to build the original Beast since it has over 7000 feet of track? *** This post was edited by Chitown on 3/19/00. ***

also remeber that the top of that first hill got tore off not too long ago by a storm

I tend to agree with opinions here-
remember a couple things
1- MF was techincally created and built elsewhere-the main requirement for the workers was putting it together like Legos if you will. It is steel tracks that just need to be attached once the footers were done. With steel there is very little likelyhood of "warped pieces" things in general that wood can suffer from.
2- SOB is the 1st woody of its type in 2 catagories-one the height of the 1st hill is enormous-think about all the wood JUST for THAT hill! Each piece has to be hammered in.Then we have the invert...again a first of its type-maybe what worked on the blueprint and computer enhancement isnt working in real life
I am not defending PKI-they just need some slack-
I highly recommend you download the SOB video to hold you over till SOB done-very time consuming to download but WELL with it!
I am only depressed since SOB was going to be my coaster fix til CP opens...
Guess I will just have to wait alittle longer...

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Welcome back Raptor riders-how was your flight?

i don't think the Beast took that long because most of the ride is close to the ground. There is really very little structure. When compared to the length of the ride.

Meangene, 7000ft of track is alot of wood so it has alot of structure. I am sure it took longer than most wood coasters took to assemble.

The SOB project was started towards the end of the 1998 season with some ground preperation. The plot of land it sets on was all hillside forest with a small creek running through. PKI had to level off the land somewhat and make a channel for the stream. Let's also not forget that SOB is longer than MF by about 500 feet and has a wider base, therefore requiring a lot more footers. Then there is the issue of the massive amount of wood. Then there is the issue of the problems encountered this winter. I say they're doing a bang up job if they're only going to be a few weeks behind.

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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral

Thank You. I still am alittle suspicous of Paramount Parks. Now I know though!

In defense of my comment i will stray off of the topic at hand. The point i was making was that the Beast had less structure relativley when compared to the SoB (or any other big woddie like Mean Streak ot Texas Giant).

A third of the ride is no more than twenty feet off the ground. Granted it's over 7000 ft, but there is a lot less structure in the Beast than in the Son who is a bit shorter in length.

Although the Beast was one massive project in '79; the use of the terrain helped in finishing the construction on time. After reading the comments made here i also am of the mind that PKI has done "a bang up job" with this monster.

#1 I never realized PKI had a problem.#2 If PKI is doing a "bang up job"on SOB wouldnt you think they would have it up and running on time?I for one dont think they are.I think their taking extra precautions on this baby(Hence the delayed opening)#3Ive also been hearing that the new opening date is scheduled for April 29th or 30th and was wondering if anyone out there on Guide to the Point sorry I meant CoasterBuzz ;) can verify this...

I don't think that they are doing a bang-up job on SOB. I think that they are putting in superb amounts of time. The thing that made me mad is that they had SO much time to build it and it is going to be delayed. How long are they testing it for? I thought it was 2 weeks and I know MF has 2 months. GEEZ..... I still think that the coaster is going to rock I am just a little angry that it is going to be delayed.

For the record, "bang up job" is a good thing.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

Whatever.

Also S.O.B. is a wooden coaster and it takes a little more time to build a wooden coaster.