Cypress Gardens - Starliner: The Lift Hill Has Risen

Well, let't not forget that the Knoebels crew is working with an awful lot of Cypress! He could think he's in Elysburg! ;)

What a difference a week makes on the construction of the Starliner. In the station area of the ride it looks like they have installed all the support frames from the brake run around the station and up part of the lift hill. Around where the station is going it looks as if they have begun the first basic layers of the track itself. Now for the big surprise of today, looks as though some tweaking of the ride is going to happen in the back section turn around area. The last drop before the turn around and the drop leading around and out of the turn around are both going to have higher drops. Deep holes have been dug for footers, so it looks like those sections are going to go below ground level or a partial tunnel, more soon.
Enjoy!!!
http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/starliner.html

Hope everybody enjoys the Starliner coverage, I see a freind has been adding links to the updates. More to come as work continues. *** Edited 4/22/2007 6:18:17 PM UTC by Johnny Upsidedown***

Hey Johnny, it's good to see ya!

New Photo Update, it appears that some of the supports will go UNDER the Triple Hurricane. Alot of work has been going on at the turn around and it appears that the drops will be lower than usual according to the lowness of some of the footers. Overall, construction appers to be going steadily and opening date is still set for June 11th.

http://cypressgardens.homeip.net/gallery.php?Section=Starliner&Sort=Newest

News Update April 29th, 2007!
Lets see what has changed this week with the Starliner construction. In the station area of the ride there has been a lot of work with track walkways and the beginnings of track layers. Some railings along the top of the supports have gone up. The main work is in the far end turn around of the Starliner. The last hill before the turn around has been built as the supports are from the tunnel area up the last hill and cresting toward the turn around. Most of the footers for the turn around area have been poured and looks like most supports will go up this week on the far end. Looks like some footers have been installed along the middle section of the ride. Lots of photos this week of the guys working, the new hill and the typical full job photos.
Enjoy!!!
http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/starliner.html

Would be kinda amusing if this got finishied before Boardwalk Bullet. ;)

Nice to see such progress. Looks as though all the bents are original while the ribbon boards are new? That seems to happen a lot when wood coasters are relocated... except for Meteor, which seems to be all new wood!

Opening is still set for June 11th, but I think this will open around late May! The fact that there is work on that last hill before the turn around is amazing.

http://cypressgardens.homeip.net/search.php?SearchTerms=Starliner%20Construction

New Update for May. Alot of work has been done on the turn around area and some railing has been added to the station. As you can see, many Starliner parts have been scattered across the area so be ready for alot more construction over the next few days.

Construction Update May 6th, 2007!
Here we go again, what is new at the site today. In the front station area lots of work happening with track layers as they were working on the brake run area. It looks like around 90 percent of the footers have been poured for the ride. Most of the work is happening in the far end turn around area. Lots of new supports have gone up and lots more ready to go. Another small hill has been added and most of the far end turn supports have gone up. Some beginnings of track work and walkways is happening in the far end. Looks like the ride will have a bit more banking in the far end turn and the dip into the ground should have a nice little pop coming out and over the next hill.

There are links in this tread to the photos Enjoy.

Looks like a first part of July opening most likely. *** Edited 5/6/2007 6:59:28 PM UTC by Johnny Upsidedown***

http://cypressgardens.homeip.net/search.php?SearchTerms=Starliner%20Construction

New Update, First Hill after the turn around has been erected, but other than that, nothing else. But I predict that they will finish one bunny hop hill every two days at this rate. Starliner really looks like a roller coaster now. By the next week we'll probably see some more lift hill work with all those supports laying around near the lift hill.

Wow, this might be the fastest woodie build since the golden age.

Is the only thing original about this the trains and the layout?

...a lot of the wood supports and bents are original to the ride, execept in those instances where the wood needed to be replaced. The track bed will be new. I would assume they are having new steel road rails manufactered for the ride as well.

I believe the original trains will not be used.

^Probably not...IIRC, the old trains had those modifications for rides that load/unload on the same side....

Think we were discussing those weird (old-fashioned) set-ups only recently....now we can add SCBB's Dipper to that list... ;)

*** Edited 5/9/2007 3:11:40 AM UTC by rollergator***

From what I've been told, the trains are new.

^Am I making an *assumption* in guessing they'll be PTCs just like the "test car" they have out in front of the park? My feeling is PTCs would do just FINE on the ride....

*** Edited 5/9/2007 8:02:11 PM UTC by rollergator***

They will be PTCs. As far as I know, they're going to be just like the ones that operated on the ride when it lived at Miracle Strip, except they'll be new. At least I hope that's going to be the case!