American Eagle (SFGAm) question

This is one for all those enthusiasts who get into the techical side of things...

I was reading my copy of Guide To Ride 2000 last night and noticed a comment regarding SFGAm's American Eagle.  The ride description made a note of the wooden track being replaced with steel beams at some point in time.  To me (the uninformed), this means that the wooden track layering was replaced with steel, perhaps I-Beams like those used in building a bridge construction.  Is this the case?  Is it possible to bend steel beams into curved hills and turns?  If this happened, what was the reasoning behind it?

I'm not sure what they are talking about. I've never noticed any "steel beams" anywhere. However, I've never looked for them either.

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Current favorite coasters:
Wooden: 1) Beast 2) Raven 3) Son of Beast 4) The Boss 5) Timber Wolf
Steel: 1) Raging Bull 2) Millennium Force 3) V2 4) Wild Thing 5) Mr. Freeze

I worked on the ride many years ago and visit the park many times. I never noticed nor heard of any steel supports. Sure there may be addition of steel bracketing on some of the supports, but they have nto replaced any wood with steel that I know of or heard of.

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Any resemblance to living or
dead people is purely coincidental.

*** This post was edited by skysox on 9/14/2001. ***

I think that some supports are steel and maybe some beams under the track at high stress areas, but as for the actual track, I don't think so. But, them being able to bend it, sure, why not? Rail-road tracks, building, and even some old steel coasters. I see you've riden HSThrill Coaster at Knoebel's. That uses that type of bended I-beams. Unless I'm understanding this wrong, I think I have made my point.

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Tim
AIM=MagnumRider7

Both the American Eagle and Texas Giant have steel "I beam" track midway down their first drops.  But the Eagle's steel track extends all the way to the top of the I-94 helix.  I'm pretty sure not only the track is steel, but the track ties are too.  You can not only see this on the ride, but it sounds and feels very "steel-rattly."

Coasterbill, why do they have that there?

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AIM=MagnumRider7

So that means that the trains are basically riding on steel I-beams from the first drop to the helix, instead of the usual layering of wood with strips of steel bolted on top?

Let me clear this up. The track is all wood. The ties (the boards between the rails) are steel from the first drop to the helx.

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Formerly known as 1nomed

Just thought I'd revive this old one, as no one has ever really explained why this is the case.

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-Rob (suffering from yet ANOTHER slow day at the office)
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Didn't Delayja vu clear it up?

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Buy "Stereotype Be" from Kevin Max at Amazon.com

No, because he never explained why.;)

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This space will forever be dedicated to Hercules-R.I.P. 1989-2003

Not really... the "why" part is what I'm having difficulty with. What would be the advantages of doing this, and if its such a good fix, then why don't more parks do it?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002