Custom Coaster Trains

RavenTTD.

A girlfriend of mines son was five years old the last time I took him to PKI. Racer was his first BIG coaster. Sitting next to him I litterally was riding with my arm across his shoulders and forced him back down as he was a good foot off his seat. Thats with the ratchets and I made sure it was in his lap.

The biggest airtime coaster I've ridden lately that has the Screechin Eagle with Single Possition. Yes Jumping the divider was possible from the airtime. I actually forced myself to do it once from fear of landing on the divider. Of course the sidewalls and backs of that train are higher than standard PTC's are now as it was non articulated and used NAD running gear.

Im not sure about latteral air. I do believe the ratchet with the divider prevents some of it compared to a single possition non divider. However Im talking straight linnear airtime. On Shivering Timbers I litterally straightened to a standing possition from the airtime and the seatbelts would just slide down my thighs if not pulled very tight.

Thats without doing something stupid and trying to get more than the ride was capable of giving. Im not stupid. Im not getting killed on one of these things, nor do I want anyone else too. Been there, Done that.

Chuck

I actually thought J2 was a big pile of crap. The first drop was nice, but the rest of it was just rough and boring. Not intense, rough.

^ I haven't been back since it opened. I remember my initial comment clearly: "This thing is going to eat up LOADS of maintenance time, or become extremely rough."

Don't listen to Andy. He doesn't "get" Texas Giant. ;) J2 is a bucking bronco. It's not smooth by any means, but it's my number 2 favorite with #1 Voyage and and #3 Avalanche.

Chuck, any more info on the three unused CCI trains? If not, any photos of your prototype? I'm interested...

^Yes, I would like to see the trains too!

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Charles Nungester said:
The outlaw I believe is based on Schmeck Jr Wooden technology I own the prototype car they made in house for it which was basically a two bench PTC made of metal. What eventually ended up on the ride is much different for the rider.

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I'm guessing you mean The Underground, right? Outlaw has a "standard" 6-car 2-bench PTC with buzzbars no less. :)

I heard Pegasus originally had a custom CCI train.

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BBSpeed26 said:
Chuck, any more info on the three unused CCI trains? If not, any photos of your prototype? I'm interested...

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Well Denise Dinn Showed up at the CCI auction and bought the two Rollers. The S&S people (Not Stan) were with her and bought em for her. They were the floor display models they used at IAAPA so theyre may be some pics. One didn't have any restraints, The other one did but both had running gear. Mine is a tub with everything cut out for restraints. padding ect but no rolling chassis under it.

They were going to get the two cars no matter what so everyone just quit bidding after a grand each.

Chuck, who may someday order parts and weld up a chassis for it. I don't know. Might make a nice yard corner flower planter :(

Pegusus used to have the original train from Screechin Eagle which was a NAD. The cars were damaged in a lifthill fire on the Eagle in the early 80s but the running gear was salvaged and new bodies were made. That train was rougher than hell on Screechin Eagle and broke my tail bone not once but twice. Last time I rode on it was somewhere around 1995 as I remember driving a forklift at work all day and cursing it. OUCH.

Joe someone has pictures of that train, it was burgundy colored. I forget the name of his site. Ill poste it if I find it.

Didn't CCI build a train for the Dells at one point? I know it is a PTC now, but I seem to recall reading that at one point it was a CCI train.

It was a NAD train but the body on it was CCI.

It came from Lesourdsville Lake after the owner of Lesourdsville failed to pay for rehab work. They took the train.

Chuck

I had heard...other things...about that train. I'd heard that it wasn't a rehabbed NAD, but a brand-new CCI train based on the NAD chassis...and when the Eagle got the old trains from the Elitch Gardens Wildcat, the PTC car bodies were married to the NAD rolling chassis, which is why nothing ever quite fit right on that train. But that's the train that was running the last time the park was open.

My understanding was that it was the CCI train that ended up for a while on Pegasus. That train was garbage on the Screechin' Eagle (lousy lap bar mechanism, sloppy body work, ran rougher than hell, seat pads too thin) and I heard a RUMOR that one of the main timbers under one of the cars...the big 4x4 or 6x6 timber that runs the length of the car, two of which make up the bulk of the chassis...was split down the middle for nearly its full length.

Again, that is a rumor, heard from an unreliable source many years ago. In any case, Americana opted to go with the 'mutt' train from then on out.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

The Mutt is far superior in ride quality. I can tell you that. I still could do without the Divider.

Just hope the Eagle soars again someday. He's got Fantasy farm completely gutted except for a few buildings including the Whip Pavilion. As for the Americana Side, it don't look like much has been touched except the rides he has sold.

Chuck