Waldameer post major revision of Ravine flyer layout.

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millrace said:
I like and prefer the look of a ground-level station.

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Agreed. Not that I have any huge problems with coaster stations that are high up, but for some reason the look of those ones low to the ground strike me as kinda retro and traditional, in a cool way.

I don't have a huge problem with "tall" coaster stations, I just don't understand them. I can see logic with a coaster like the Dania Beach Hurricane where the lack of a maintenance facility forces the area beneath the station to serve as a work area, but why do coasters like Tsunami and Hades have stations built so high off the ground? It doesn't seem to make any sense, especially when coasters were once fine with stations that sat on ground level.

From a Wood coaster engineer. Tall stations give the coaster the ability to scrub off some energy, Thus serving two purposes. Slowing it down and saving brakes.

Chuck

I prefer low stations too! I think in some cases, the higher stations are good for maintenance, transfer, etc. But Hades station is crazy high. It works though b/c the ride has that awesome pre-lift track.

Some of the B&M's are just silly though. I mean Raging Bull is still like 20+ feet from the ground when it starts the lift. The reverse argument can be used for the latest Intamin hypers. They have nice low stations. As much as I love the Superman coasters, coming into a short brake run with that much energy - that was just an accident waiting to happen. And man did it happen!!!

Some CCI coasters and the GCI coasters seem to have smart endings. They have the stretch to stop the train, then a small 'drop' to get the train quickly in the station.

The ending on Rampage is silly. There's a brake run, a swooping 180-degree turn and a set of brakes on a downhill section. Well, kinda silly like those on some Intamin launched coasters ;)

The use of magnetic brakes kinda eliminates friction wear caused by speed :)

How about Mean Streak? When you hit the final brake run you are still 20 feet HIGHER than the station which is about 20 feet off the ground itself. I've been wondering about that one since 1991.

Tom

^I think the Mean Streak was originally supposed to be much wilder, like the Texas Giant. When TG opened, rumor was that CP wanted a ride like it, but bigger (of course....).

After the Giant was opened for a while, and started tearing itself and it's trains apart (literally) CP said 'uh oh! don't give us that!' So you got Mean Streak with roughly 1/2 the number of hills in the same amount of space as the Giant.

That third drop used to be great, but even that hit the chopping block. Geez!

Does anyone remember the West View Park Racing Whippet? This had one of the highest stations for a wooden coaster as far as I know. It was actually built on a bridge over the ravine that the coaster used.

Postcard photo of Racing Whippet station:

http://www.spdconline.org/history/Picnic/Picnic.html

Great pics Moosh! Weird u find that link!? I was always curious about the layout of the Racing Whippet.... anyone gotta pic or drawing?

I put "Racing Whippet" in a google search.

It was just anounced on the news tonight that peninsula drive(enterence to presque isle) will be shut down on wednesday jan 16th and thursday the 17th to start the bridge constuction.

Great News!!! I was getting a little worried with the lack of updates this past month. They are moving along pretty good. Can't wait til this opens!!!

5 new photos of progress and bridge sections...

http://picasaweb.google.com/Waldameer/RavineFlyerIIRollerCoaster

Argh!! Thanks for noticing that Shaun. I've checked 3 sites daily that post pictures, and I always look at the END of the photos to see if something is new. So I've been staring at the end of the computer renderings waiting for new pics and here they've been posted for 2 and 3 days now...mutter mumble..

;)

Tom

WOWWWWWWW

We've waited a long, long time for this, I can't believe I'm seeing the bridge go up.

Yeah, they added a sixth picture last night AFTER all the renderings. It shows the first part of the bridge being installed.

Tom

An article in the Erie Times-News today states that the bridge should be fully "up" as of Thursday morning, as all the road-closing work needed will be done through the night on Wednesday night through Thursday morning, via lights.

There is going to news crew there at 3am and they expect to post the video by 6am. I will post the link when it becomes availabe. I haven't added any new flikr pictures cause my nephew who visited over the holidays took my kodak patch cord. He thought it was for his phone.