Cedar Fair Racers - CoasterBuzz

RideMan said:
Actually, CoasterComet, on Colossus, the trackbed appears to me to be entirely conventional, but instead of having two pieces of 5" steel plate for the wheels to run on (one on top, one on the inboard side), they use a piece of steel plate that is about 18" wide and bent over the edge of the track to serve as both the running surface and the side friction surface. But it's wrapped around ordinary wood track. I wonder if I got any decent photos of that...
--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Hey RideMan, I know what you're talking about now. I have seen some pics somewhere of that. Hey man, whatever works right! YES, those big 70's-90's woodies are technically not all wood anymore, but they do it for me more than the plug n play coasters.

I always kinda thought Gemini was a 'smart' ride for having steel tubes. The other 2 biggies of that time had wood track - and were superior rides. But over the next few years, that changed dramatically. So I think it's cool (specially on Eagle) to put the metal tracks on.

They still feel much more like a woodie than the plug n play. Hell - Gemini, Mindbender, Shockwave all feel much more like woodies than El Toro, etc. (I ain't bashing them, just giving my personal opinion ;)

ALL WOOD COASTERS RUN ON STEEL RAILS!

Sheesh and as for American Eagle. When I rode it in 2003 the track apeared to be just plain worn out like a RR track that had not been ground regularly but apeared to be standard. The bracing for the track bed might be metal, Many coasters have not I Beam but Angle Iron bracing under the riser.

Chuck

According to a little birdie at one of the former Paramounts, insurance costs are indeed the reason for the switch.

Just wait until the insurance company finds out rides like Vertigo and Wicked Twister run backward half the time! ;)

^^Yes, thats one of the main differences, steel coaster run on tubular rails, wooden ones are flat.

The other is of course the endoskeleton of a wooden coaster's rails is wood (which has more give) and steel doesn't have an endoskeleton (its air or in the case of some B&Ms sand.)

2022 Trips: WDW, Sea World San Diego & Orlando, CP, KI, BGW, Bay Beach, Canobie Lake, Universal Orlando

The Insurance industry strikes again. :(

AV Matt
Long live the Big Bad Wolf

Acoustic Viscosity said:
The Insurance industry strikes again. :(

I blame Erin Esurance's haphazard lifestyle. :)

Yes OrientExpressKid this is a comment I have made before as well. I remember the Bat breaking down and then the Racer became Recar. I agree that it was then a change to distract people from the issues with the Bat. And then it turned into such a popular ride feature, they have kept it for all these years. I too prefer the backwards side vs forwards.

I can't speak for American Eagle but SFMM's Colossus definitely has the wide steel sections rolled over to create side rails as well.

*** Edited 3/10/2008 1:59:27 PM UTC by Rob Ascough***