Bunny Hops on The Beast

Ever since they changed the mid-course skid brakes to magnetic brakes at the end of the shed, the long straight has really been just useless track. I absolutely love The Beast, but I'll admit that it could use some airtime. So, how about turning the long straight away section into a series of bunny hops and maybe even a little trick track? Not only would this add to the excitement, but it could trim a little more speed off the trains, thus getting rid of the need for the brakes. What do you think?

I think the Beast goes thru that shed way too fast for trick track. Some dips 'n stuff would be awesome, except we would have to hear from all the "traditionalists" about ruining a historical landmark blah blah blah...so I say no.

Funny, I think you gave the rebuttal to your suggestion in the first question in your response to RavenTTD. Just because you think it makes the ride better may not be the opinion shared by others.

Wouldn't putting magnetic brakes on The Beast also piss off the traditionalists?

If are worried about traditionalists, why not make that a 100% enclosed tunnel like the others? I know it won't do much, but the roar in the other tunnels is awesome.

Lots of things piss off the traditionalists...like seatbelts, headrests, seat dividers, and individual lap bars. I guess I am changing my mind. Puts some air, trick track, and more tunnels on that ride. If they need some more wood, there is some over by Top Gun not doing anything interesting.

Technically the ride's already been altered since it opened in 1979. The second tunnel was not a complete tunnel until they covered the right side. Also, the Beast's "lair" during the final helix was covered on top, but not completely covered on the sides allowing light to come in. That was also altered at some point in its history.

Someone please correct me if I am off with any of this information, seeing as how the ride is 3 years older than I am!

Dont forget if they had dips, that takes away more kinetic energy from the ride, maybe they could add dips and kill the breaks.

On second thought though, the Beast shouldnt need dips, it will take away from the spirt of the ride.

Is it really necessary to have air time on a coaster? The Beast never had any. If I want the air time, I can always ride the Racer backwards. "Traditionalists" or not, the Beast is the signature ride in the park. Unless there is a major problem with the ride, PKI is smart not to drastically alter the ride.

It seems that many people like MF and TTD without much airtime. Magnum has by far the most airtime out of any CP coasters.

At this point I see no reason for PKI to do anything at all to the Beast design wise... especially when there's that mass of wooden disaster over on the other side of the park that needs it so much more.

I tend to agree that if you're that worried about what's traditional or whatever that the new brakes pretty much throw that out the window. Although, no one seems to complain about them on Kennywood's Jack Rabbit.

Still... I've always wondered about that long shed and the skids. With that much room, wouldn't it have made more sense to use a couple of hills to bleed off speed? I don't know anything about the profile and speed at that particular point, so it's kind of a rhetorical question.

MF doesn't have much airtime? That is not the first time I've heard that, but it still baffles me every time.

Anyway, I don't think adding one or two bunny hops to an otherwise pointless section of the ride would be a "drastic" change. All I know is that the biggest complaint about The Beast usually is its lack of airtime, especially for a wooden coaster. Like I said, I love the ride as it is, but a few dips, a double up or double down, anything to replace the straight away would probably make the ride better.

Not only could the "mid-course brake run" use a few bunny hops, but the long stretch of track leading up to the station after the helix could use a little bit of tweaking too. Those magnetic brakes a perfectly capable of slowing those trains down after an airtime hill or two. Now if only they would bring back that last hill on Racer...

The Beast (especially the first half) is designed to feel like you are attached to a "beast" running in the woods, I think that adding airtime hills would ruin this feeling. Plus those long streches of straight track can only be found on this coaster, why not enjoy a unique feature instead of changing it so it is like every other woodie on the planet.

touchdown that is a very interesting point...

I was going to write pretty much what Touchdown said.

I love speed track, and it's rare that any coaster these days has a significant length of it. Phantom's Revenge and the Superman coasters are the only ones I can think of right now. I also love the flat track before the cobra roll on Raptor.

So I say, absolutely not on Beast modifications. It has nothing to do with tradition or preservation... that track is fine the way it is.

MF has two places where I get airtime. If you are near the back, there is one more. Some weightlessness on the first drop is due to gravity and inertia from 80 degree decent. This is a floater and not a "airtime" as people put it. One is the third hill after the first tunnel. This is a smooth and non-ejector unless you are in the back. Second is the hill before the second tunnel. This is the best ejector. Third can be felt mostly in the back next to the station.

Compared to Blue Streak, Gemini and Magnum, MF really does not have much airtime.

Back to the discussion:

I consider the Beast as the most unique wooden coaster. Touchdown, you really brought up a great point. Actually, I consider the Beast to have three distinct parts: first part is normal woody with two rather large drops followed by a brake shed, second part is mostly out of control runaway train feeling, third part is double helix. I think the terrain may prevent any altering of shed run anyway. The brake is there to reduce wear and tear on on banked turns. One thing I do hate is the brake on the second drop.

I woudn't consider a bunny hop in that area, However I would drop it to the ground and make a camelback about 60ft. If they are worried about needing a trim, it can be put on the downside.

Chuck, who thinks the only way to reduce wear on the turns of beast is to have fully articualated trains

Why modify a unique feature to be like nearly every other coaster? Because nearly every other coaster is better than the Beast?

Den,

I agree with you. I think The Beast is fine the way it is. What makes it so unique is that it isn't like any other wooden coaster. It wasn't designed to be an airtime machine.

We also think similar when it comes to straight track. I love it. Perhaps that is why I love The Beast so much. One of my favorite parts of Raptor is the flat track before the cobra roll as well.

Jeff,

The "shed" portion was used as a block brake if I remember correctly. The train could make it to the lift (or the anti-rollbacks before the lift)if a train was stopped in that area. I have heard two different views about what that whole area is. Some say it was used as a block. Others say it was nothing more than a trim section or both.

-Sean

Okay, so beasts don't "hop" through the woods....why then not another helix to bleed the speed? It would serve as a nice foreshadow for the finale. *** Edited 7/8/2004 3:18:44 PM UTC by janfrederick***