Batman & Robin: The Chiller - SFGADv Deconstruction??

They should sell a package deal with HyperSonic. The deal would go to a small park, the deal would include a ride from every park. HyperSonic, and all the rest would be flats, to get rid of surplus rides and let a small park get a break with a deal on a bunch of rides, and a coaster.

Well since it's getting humped can they go ahead and make the spikes vertical. They need some redeeming factor after nuetering it?

Arson. How do you know all the coasters problems were caused by the park?

Dont bash the park unless you have proof.

From what i understand this coaster has been a lemon since its been installed.

IT constantly blows lims and the batman side has this habit of going to high up its spike.

Those problems are design problems. So dont bash the park on this coaster just because you want to.

Obviously premeir is paying for most of the cost of the change otherwise this new management would not be doing this.

If the coaster was designed poorly there is nothing maintanance can do.

*** Edited 2/5/2007 4:54:33 AM UTC by majortom1981*** *** Edited 2/5/2007 4:57:32 AM UTC by majortom1981***

Since SF rushed the installation of the ride requiring a third-party launch mechanism (thus unsupported by Premeire), SF is very much to blame.

How is adding a hump going to help anything that matters to the normal operation of the ride? A hump isn't going to make the line move faster, or allow everyone who wants to ride it be able to.

I agree with the idea of just removing the ride completely. The ride's line is always hours and hours long when I've been there, or it's simply been closed. It's fun but its rarely open. It's been there for many years and still isn't working properly.

If they can't get the capacity up, why don't they replace the ride with something that can get people on and off quickly...oh wait, this is SF we're talking about. Even their high capacity rides have low capacity (lol).

About the tight rolls, I thought that they added a lot to the experience. They where almost as fabulous as the last inversion on Storm Runner.

So are you blaming "Force Engineering" Acoustic Viscosity for the problems? They're listed as the ones providing the LIMs for The Chiller on RCDB. There is no mention of any kind of launch mechanism being the cause for the two Freezes and Chiller being closed-down promptly and not opening until the following year.

So where did you get this information? I've never heard this "fact" before, and I've visited plenty of sites besides this one that were overloaded with rumors. Surely, someone would've talked, or I would've heard from another seasonsed vetran like yourself, as Great Adventure comes up quite a bit in conversation for obvious reasons.

Or maybe Jim Seay talked to you personally? I just have a hard time believing that he would talk to a member of the GP about an embarassing and potentially libel business situation. I'm not saying you're wrong, as I don't know every little tidbit of information, but could you at least back it up somehow?

Track work is complete on Robin side and testing is expected to start soon as it will open on 4/2. Batman side will open at a later date.

^and what did they use for a replacement on Robin? a bunny hil? just a straight section of track? any pics?

and i'm used to hearing the news that the Batman side will open later...it always does ;)

Sorry Intamin Fan. I thought that was widely known in this circle. I remember hearing about it a while back and thought it was believed to be fact and not a rumor, but to specify what I remember...

The Freeze rides were done by Premeire, including the launches. However the Chiller was a different case. Allegedly the project was rushed and Premeire could not get the launch hardware "done" in time (or wouldn't commit to the deadline), but agreed to produce the rest of the ride, leaving the launch mechanism for a third-party to complete. Now I don't remember the rest of this story that again I thought was truth, but it's something like: because a third party was involved, that has complicated the situation in terms of getting everyone involved to work together and fix what needed fixing.

If all of the above is complete BS, I apologize. I honestly thought it was true and certainly not a widely reported "rumor".

I've been to SFGAd several times since The Chiller was installed, it was open during one of my visits. The Robin side anyway. Thankfully, after the harnesses were removed. There was no line and I thought the ride was incredible! Always a treat to ride any looper w/o pesky harnesses.

The rollover flip thing was particularly unique, wild, a little violent, all good. A super thrill.

It's too bad the ride has had so many problems. I rode like 15 times that day and loved it more and more.

So what did they do ??? Just a bunny hop now or what?

Sans OTSRs, I think I had two total laps on Batman, three on Robin. (About 4-5 visits total since the lapbar retrofit). I will always remeber those rides VERY fondly. Thank goodness the ride operated at least one side as frequently as it did, I guess...

The new track is supposed to reduce valleying (and thrills as an unpleasant side effect). But how is this going to help the problem of the thing eating LIMs like they were popcorn? Can't help but think that *somehow*, something is wrong that CAUSED the ride to burn out LIMs like that...seems like it's more a symptom than the underlying malady...

Maybe I just watch too much House? ;)

Personally, I think the Chiller coasters are 2 of the best shuttle coasters ever created. It's a shame that they have been plagued with so many problems.

As for the whole "Force Engineering" thing, I don't think that I've ever heard that whole deal, either. I've heard of them, but I may have just figured that Premier contracted to them to provide the LIMs for their rides. Could this be true? Certainly Premier doesn't produce their own LIMs--they probably contract that out, so why not Force Engineering?

Also, I still don't quite get why the coaster would valley in between the zero-G flip and the spike hill--more than once. From the last incident, it looked like one of the cars had either derailed or separated from the chassis. Enough friction could have been created to litterally slow the train to a stop in that position. But, aside from this "freak accident", why would it do that more than once? That valley there is so shallow. Even if the spike LIMs failed to fire, it would still have enough momentum to fall back through. Unless, of course, after it fell back through and couldn't make it through the cobra roll/tophat, it would roll back toward the zero-G roll. Perhaps at this point, it has just enough energy to make it back through the zero-G roll, but not back through again. Any ideas?

On another note, from what I've read and/or heard, Six Flags could have gotten the same duel loading system that the Frezze coasters have for the Chiller, as well. They opted not to--reason being that the Chiller is 2 coasters; therefore, this would increase capacity. While this is true, on days that they were only running one side, the duel loading station would have helped. Even when running 2 sides, the capacity is so poor that 2 trains on each side might have helped, especially on crowded days. Of course, they would have to step up the efficiency in order to increase capacity--but that holds true now, as well. At least they don't have to worry about people and their earrings now!

I would guess the valleying is a result of just the right combination of the height of the zero g roll, the shallow valley, the spikes and the other two elements. The train probably DID cycle back and forth a few times and finally wouldn't have enough energy to clear the hump of the roll one more time to valley on the "good" side. In the end it sounds like the bowling game to me--the one where you roll the ball just enough to go over the hump once, but soft enough so it doesn't have enough momentum to roll back over it.

Which we all know is freakin' hard. ;)

IggyAce is the master of that game.

Here is pics of the the park including Chillers new track.

http://www.flyinphilsphotos.com/amuse/nj/sfga/2007-03-25/album0

Wow. I can't figure out whether that will be really cool or really lame...

Is it just me or does it look like the track still banks a little and then re-rights itself in a trick-trackish move?

*** Edited 3/26/2007 4:38:54 AM UTC by ApolloAndy***

I like the little side-by-side action going up to the hump...should be a nice little sensation there. Plus hopefully that will be a nice little pop of air and speed onto the ride...we'll see come April!! (If the Robin side is open, that is)

In picture no.7, Phil asks us if we see anything new in the boneyard. I'm assuming he's referring to the red and yellow racked-up flat ride in the bottom of the picture. I don't know exactly what it could be, but it could potentially be a Zamperla Power Surge.

Isn't that Jumpin Jack or free fall? I don't remember the name but I did ride it once a few years ago.