Posted
Members of the Green Bay council's Park Committee agreed Monday, voting 4-0 to endorse the mayor's plan to purchase the Zippin Pippin coaster from Memphis. City officials estimate that it would cost $3 million to acquire the Zippin Pippin rights and to re-create the coaster here, using largely new materials.
Read more from The Green Bay Press Gazette.
I'm pretty confused about this. The ride was demolished, so what are they buying for $3 million, and how does it save them from spending $5 million if they have to use mostly new material anyway?
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
Even if the ride had not been demolished it would require all/mostly new wood to rebuild. What they're getting, if I understand it correctly, is the salvageable working mechanisms (lift motor, lift chain, anti rollbacks, steel rails, etc) plus the blue prints.
EDIT - check the "comments" section of the newsstory linked above. Of the 18 posted none are in favor of getting Zippin Pippin.
My understanding is that they are purchasing the Plans & Salvageable Parts for $X. They should spell that out in these articles. The public doesn't understand that. Then they should spell out this is what we will be buying new at $X.
I think that would clear things up since the majority thinks they are actually going t o use the existing wood in Memphis to rebuild the ride.
I think it's awsome in this day in age that a city can take it upon themselves to build a roller coaster at at city park, especially when it's preserving a historic coaster. It still baffles me that here in Michigan, a wooden coaster hasn't been built at Greenfield Village or Crossroads Village. Both places have a historic carousel, trains and a boat ride. A wooden roller coaster just seems like a perfect fit.
If they're paying $3 million for plans and some old parts, I think they're getting ripped off.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
"City officials estimate that it would cost $3 million to acquire theZippin Pippin rights and to re-create the coaster here, using largelynew materials."
Sounds like they're saying $3 million and they'll have a fully operating coaster. However, I get a little nervous when I hear any government entity estimate how much something will cost.
$3,000,000 does sound to me like a legit estimate to "re-create" the Zippin Pippin, if it was being done by a private amusement park. As mentioned above, government projects don't have a great, uh, "track record" for staying on budget.
I did notice that the upcoming Gravity Group coaster at Quassy (1/2 the length of Zippin Pippin) is estimated at $1.5-2 million (says the park owner). If that is true, would $3 million buy a "Zippin Pippin" sized all new Gravity Group coaster?
In any case, I agree with CPCyclone: it is cool to see a small city build a wooden coaster. Who wouldn't love to see this becoming a trend across the country?
There are a lot more things besides size that determin the cost of a coaster.
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AJ's "estimation method" of wooden coasters means that $3M will buy you roughly 1500' of track for a *new* coaster, and 3000' of track for a relocated ride. Since rcdb lists ZP as 2865' long, that $3M would be a reasonable figure *IF* they were relocating the ride....they're not.
Whatever they're paying for the naming rights, etc., it seems to me they shouldn't pay more than 100K over and above the cost of the various parts being acquired (lift motor, chain, etc.).
You still have Zoidberg.... You ALL have Zoidberg! (V) (;,,;) (V)
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