Crystal Beach Comet Original Trains

I was looking through RCDB and came across 3 pictures of the Comets Original trains rotting away in an area a ways back from the ride at Great Escape. I was wondering if anybody who works there or just knows if they are still resting back there?? Its a shame that Great Escape would do such a bad thing to these trains.

1.

2.[url="http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery262.htm?Picture=12"]http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery262.htm?Picture=12

3.[url="http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery262.htm?Picture=13" target="_blank">http://www.rcdb.com/installationgallery262.htm?Picture=13

Someone should do something to restore these if they are still there. As a coaster lover I hate to see things like this. Please Respond.

Those trains are no good. Where's the seat divider? Ratcheting lapbar? And look - the Crystal Beach logo is still there. Certainly can't use those trains anymore.

Yea, those trains are wrecked, it would cost more to refurbish them then buy new trains...which they dont even need in the first place.

What do you mean you can't use those trains? Taken those pictures are probably 10 years old and the trains are probably long gone by now.

"Where's the seat divider? Ratcheting lapbar?"

Millrace, you say that like it's a bad thing.

Two Words: ACE CLASSIC

About the only thing I'd change out of the original set up are foam padded buzz bars.

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Coasterfreak2 said:
Its a shame that Great Escape would do such a bad thing to these trains.

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What would you expect TGE to do with them? They serve no purpose for the park anymore, so.....???

-Nate

I have a feeling millrace was being sarcastic...at least I hope so.

I took similar pictures of the origianl Comet trains at Great Escape in 1994 when the ride opened. It's obvious the pictures are at least 9 years old from the view of the Comet in the background. It's been built up quite a bit since then. I was there last in 2001 and don't remember seeing the old trains but they could have been moved.

Despite my penchant for uncomfortable coaster trains, I was indeed being sarcastic. Thank you for noticing.

the trains are still there. ive got a picture somewhere. ill put it online when i get home from work. they use them during fright fest as some additional theming.

Those trains look bad enough for the fright fest, i can understand that.

One of the cars is being stored at PTC for the NRCMA. It's not in perfect condition but much better that the status of those cars in figure 1-3...ahhh I mean photos... This is want happens after your've been working a Engineering Project  for the past 10 hours....Ahhh and Chem Exam tomorrow. see ya

*** Edited 12/11/2003 6:22:35 PM UTC by Alex Nagel***

Alex: Edit your text & take it off of Courier!!!!

They are not that bad stripping the old paint, a new coat of paint, new seat cushions, and some new metal pipes for lapbars is all. You guys are disrespecting your elders, those trains are twice as old a some of you maybe even triple the age of you. These trains put in a good 41 years of service, they deserve a better retirment than Fright Fest scenery.

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the trains are still there. ive got a picture somewhere. ill put it online when i get home from work. they use them during fright fest as some additional theming.

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Thank You CalvinJ23 I am looking foward to seeing those pictures, do you maybe have one of them at Fright Fest time if so please put that on too

Kurt

Hey guys, sorry about the delay i just got home from work. very long day. anyways here's the pic of the old comet trains. there used for theming during fright fest.

http://albanyentertainment.com/images/CometTrains.JPG

enjoy

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Coasterfreak2 said:
They are not that bad stripping the old paint, a new coat of paint, new seat cushions, and some new metal pipes for lapbars is all.

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How do you know that? Do you work at the park? Have you talked to TGE about the trains? Obviously, there's a good reason the Comet got new (practically identical) trains when it was rebuilt in New York. Why? Because new trains were cheaper than refurbishing the old rotting ones! So why would the park suddenly want to save them now, ten years later?

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You guys are disrespecting your elders, those trains are twice as old a some of you maybe even triple the age of you. These trains put in a good 41 years of service, they deserve a better retirment than Fright Fest scenery.

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Those trains are also the exact same trains the majority of coasters out there use (and the exact same trains the Comet is still using). There's nothing special or historical about them. They're just old, standard PTCs in poor condition.

-Nate

You know when the Comet was first taken down in 1989, the trains were in pretty good conition. How long did it take to get the coaster to the Great Escape? If they are still there now, what's the use of even keeping the trains there? I have a question, I have not been to the Great Escape, so do the trains still go forwards and backwards? Like they did at the Crystal Beach Amusement Park?

Answers:

1) It took them about 5 years to get the coaster to The Great Escape. It sat in storage mainly for that amount of time... it wasn't bought until I think 1993 when it was bought by Charlie Wood. The coaster was going to go up at one of his 2 parks... either The Great Escape, or Fantasy Island (which was near-by the defunct Crystal Beach). It was installed & opened in May of 1994. I think just the main structure was the only thing brought thru.

2) The use of the old trains is nastaglia! And as CalvinJ23 has said... it's also used for Fright Fest theming... but personally, I think it should be restored & put on display.

3) The trains are all front facing. Your entrance to the ride has to sections... one for the front half, the other for the back half. I'm wondering if it's intended that they would eventually put half the train backwards because of the way it's setup...
...but currently in its 10yr history at Great Escape, it's always been forward.

I'm pretty sure that the park decided to buy new trains when they found that the cost of rebuilding the old ones was absurd.

For the record, they're not identical trains- the new ones have individual lap bars while the old ones had PTC's standard-issue single lap bars. A small difference that makes a very big difference.

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DawgByte II said:
Answers:

1) It took them about 5 years to get the coaster to The Great Escape. It sat in storage mainly for that amount of time... it wasn't bought until I think 1993 when it was bought by Charlie Wood. The coaster was going to go up at one of his 2 parks... either The Great Escape, or Fantasy Island (which was near-by the defunct Crystal Beach). It was installed & opened in May of 1994. I think just the main structure was the only thing brought thru.

3) The trains are all front facing. Your entrance to the ride has to sections... one for the front half, the other for the back half. I'm wondering if it's intended that they would eventually put half the train backwards because of the way it's setup...
...but currently in its 10yr history at Great Escape, it's always been forward.

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Corrections:

Charley Wood purchased the Comet after the ride closed at the end of the 1989 season at Crystal Beach. The ride was never intended to be constructed at Fantasy Island. He simply stored it there until he was ready to build it at The Great Escape. As soon as he purchased the ride in 1989 he announced it would be built at The Great Escape. Also, the ride didn't open until late June of 1994.

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Rob Ascough said:
For the record, they're not identical trains- the new ones have individual lap bars while the old ones had PTC's standard-issue single lap bars. A small difference that makes a very big difference.

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The trains themselves are identical. It's just a minor difference in hardware you're speaking of (lapbar, seatbelt, seat divider, etc). But the model of the trains are exactly same as the old ones.

-Nate