A Son of Beast Modification Possability

 
I was just thinking about how PKI could make this coaster better in ride quality. So that big and tall people, like me, can enjoy the ride more. I have heard that Colossus at Hiede Park in Germany rides almost like a steel coaster. I was wondering, if Intamin can make a 197ft tall woodie that smooth, can they retrack SOB with that new track engineering design ,that's on Colossus, and replace those crappy Premiere Rides trains with specialy designed trains like on Colossus. I heard that the trains' wheels have some type of spring system on them to prevent the trains from shifting from side to side on high banking curves.
Could a modification like this be done on the SOB? What are your thoughts on this?

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Bill Yost
http://www.small-business-webs.com/pkizone

That would involve huge, huge $$$.  Essentially, you are talking about completely rebuilding a huge part of the coaster itself.  The main problem isn't the track, its the trains.  I'm just not sure how practical getting new trains on SOB would be. 
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"When I come to a town I would love to see a children’s festival and children’s choirs singing my songs - maybe create a children’s day! A Holiday! With parades and songs - oh, I would love that!" - I swear to god its a Michael Jackson quote

IMO the "shuffling" is really a major problem on the top of the second hill, just as the train enters the first helix.  A little extra banking, or a little extra height (less speed), and the trains would run nicely through the (unimaginative) layout.  The trains are NOT the best, but I'm pretty sure they were specifically designed for SoB, meaning replacing them is unlikely...
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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

May not feasable to retrack SOB with the new Intamin track style but what about older coasters due for a retracking?  Guess it depends on how well the new track making technique holds up on Colossus. I know some parks shy away from getting woodies because of the maintanance issue and hopefully this will address that somewhat.

The trains were specifically designed for Son of Beast, but they weren't designed well enough. I'd like to know what person decided that the cars must seat six people, because that's half the problem right there. That loop is the critical factor in the whole design. The wheelbase is as short as it is because if it were any longer, the train couldn't make it through a loop of that size. The loop is as big as it is because that's as big as they could build it with the energy they have going into that part of the ride. That's where the trouble starts. The long car coupled with the short wheelbase takes any shuffling action that the train does and magnifies it for the passengers in rows 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 18...the distance amplifies the force in exactly the same way as a pipe slipped over the end of a wrench.

The reason it shuffles isn't because there is anything wrong with the track...it shuffles because the cars can't follow the curves...they must slide, and there isn't enough lateral force to hold the outside wheels against the outer rail...the train slides back and forth. Particularly at the top of the second hill.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I was just going to say that Rideman.  SOB's track is fine, it is the trains which make it rough.  Retracking wouldnt make it any better.

Anybody got a match? :)
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Don't.....look.....back! The Headless Horseman awaits you in 2002!
Model coasters and rides

Rideman, after reading your synopsis of this troubled ride, I can only say one thing.  Dude, you are too smart..............(scary;))
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One good thing about PKI, as shown with the lap bar fix on Flight of Fear, is that they will work on a ride until they get it right. They have constantly been working on Son of Beast to make it a better ride. I agree with Rideman that the main problem with the ride is the trains. However, the ride is a lot better than when I first rode it and the loop is my favorite on any coaster.

Barry Short

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(who wants a percentage of the gross not the net)