Hypercoaster Killed the Arrow Mine Train

Arrow has built their share of intense, fun, and rerideable mine trains such as Gemini, but after magnum was built, there have been very few mine trains built in the U.S. There also are few suspended coasters too. I would rather ride Excalibur than Wild Thing anyday, but what do you think?

We can't rewind we've gone too far, in my head and in my car, the hypercoaster killed the arrow mine train cars.

Yeah new suspended coasters only lasted from about '86 to '90? Except BAT.

ZEPPELIN RULES

Well, by 1990 a good portion of the parks already HAD mine trains, but few had hypercoasters. Why would you expect a bunch of new ones?

I know Fiesta Texas got a new Arrow mine train in the 1990s, and Bonfante Gardens got one this year. Still, a mine train isn't really a spectacular ride that parks can advertise and draw big crowds with, so there's little incentive to build more of these.

The suspended coaster craze was killed by the invention of B&M and Vekoma loopers. A B&M inverted coaster hangs below the track just like the suspended, but it's much more versatile and popular. Even so, in the past few years we've seen a resurgance of suspendeds as junior coasters, like the one at Islands of Adventure and the Setpoint water coasters. *** This post was edited by Fierce Pancake on 6/11/2001. ***

So what you are saying is because of hypercoasters, nobody wants steel coasters with wooden structures?

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WARNING: THIS POST MAY ACTUALLY INCLUDE SARCASM AND OR HUMOR. PLEASE CONSIDER BEFORE RESPONDING.

A good mine train is a nice break from the more intense coasters. I am still trying the find the ultimate mine train.....3 lift hills, lots of helixes (at least a triple in the mix) and tunnels.....

The mine train at SFoG is pretty good, nice back seat sleeper:). I'd like to see something like the Ultimate. The Mine Trains are good rides.......

Well, if you wanted to get really technical, the trains on, say Adventure Express, are mechanically nearly identical to, say, Magnum. RideMan could likely verify that better than I could. The only difference I can think of is that perhaps Magnum has larger wheels.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

Actually, Jeff, Adventure Express (and presumably Road Runner Express at Fiesta Texas) also has the larger road wheels. In fact, someone (I forget who) pointed out to me that the upstop wheels on Adventure Express may actually be larger than the ones on Magnum XL-200 because they were part of the design from the beginning, not added on as the ones on Magnum were. I'm not sure if that part is true or not.

But you're right...mechanically, all the Arrow 2-axle Runaway Train cars are pretty much the same, from the Matterhorn Bobsleds to Road Runner Express, including Magnum XL-200, Desperado, and Pepsi Max: The Big One.

I have been led to believe that the mine train that went up at Bonfante Gardens (Hecker's Pass) is in fact Morgan's first coaster, actually predating Valleyfair!'s Wild Thing. I'm not certain whether that is true or not.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

As far as new suspendeds and mine trains built, PKI has built 2 suspendeds and 1 mine trains in the 90s. And just a bit of trivia, there are the same amount of suspended coasters in the US as there are stand-ups-10.

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Danny

Quicksilver Express Opens Friday @ Bonafante Gardens in Gilroy, CA. They are still being made. Just not a lot.

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"There's no air in space."
"There's an Air & Space Museum."

Wasn't this a song from the 80's!!

Hah

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BMCOASTER

bmcoaster@wi.rr.com

Adventure Express I think is the best mine train ride. Irs pretty long good head choppers over all its a good coaster

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Koaster King said:
"...there are the same amount of suspended coasters in the US as there are stand-ups-10."

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Are you talking about the Arrow suspended? If you are, there only five in the U.S. -- Top Gun, XLR-8, Ninja, Iron Dragon, and Big Bad Wolf.

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RideMan said:
"I have been led to believe that the mine train that went up at Bonfante Gardens (Hecker's Pass) is in fact Morgan's first coaster, actually predating Valleyfair!'s Wild Thing.

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Could you explain that a little more, Dave? I was under the impression that Bonfante Gardens was a brand new park, and that Quicksilver Express is a brand new coaster. I haven't seen anything that says it was relocated from somewhere else.

Not relocated; built for Hecker's Pass (=Bonfante Gardens) and it's just taken that long to get the park open!

Again, I'm not positive about that. But I thought the ride was built and stored a long time ago...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Yeah, Quicksilver Express is a brand new Morgan-Mine Train roller coaster. Anybody know where I can find some pictures and maybe the layout of Morgan's newest coaster. I'm sure it will be a good one and I know it has 2 lift hills and the steel is painted white.

KPGuy

Who cares that Hypercoasters killed mine trains.. Seriously, what is a better ride, a mine train or a hyper. I'd take a hyper any day of the week. I see mine trains as cheap coasters without a good drop, without good g's and all together crappy.

Hypers on the other hand, are awesome rides that are always fun.


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PCW needs something taller than a boomerang

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RagingBull said:
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Koaster King said:
"...there are the same amount of suspended coasters in the US as there are stand-ups-10."

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Are you talking about the Arrow suspended? If you are, there only five in the U.S. -- Top Gun, XLR-8, Ninja, Iron Dragon, and Big Bad Wolf.

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Well no he's not talking about JUST Arrow suspendeds, you are forgetting all of the Jr. Suspendeds-
Flying Super Saturator - Carowinds, Setpoint
P. Flyers - Islands of Adventure, Setpoint
Reptar - Kings Island, Vekoma
Ghoster Coaster - Kings Island, Caripro
Spellbreaker - Legoland, Caripro
and soon to be 11 with the one at Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, NC which will be much like FSS an hour or two away.

*** This post was edited by Jammin J on 6/11/2001. ***

Reptar is a junior inverted coaster, it doesn't swing side to side and rider's legs dangle like the B&M inverteds. So it technically isn't a first generation suspended coaster like Top Gun, Iron Dragon, Big Bad Wolf, etc.

Lol no1, I was just about to make that post. Long live the Buggles!

Ah, but the Mine Trains are such great beginner coasters!
The Buggles are Awesome!!!!