Does any Coaster Still Have those Infamous Coffin Cars.

Many of us remember when SFAW severely degraded the ride experience on the Texas Cyclone by putting in those infamous "coffin cars". During the last several years of the park's operation, thankfully, they replaced them with more typical stock again.

Do any other coasters currentlyl use this abomination from Morgan? Did any others use them in the past?

If I'm not mistaken Collosus @ SFMM & the two cali giant dippers,both @ SCBB & Belmont still have them,SFFT's Rattler has them as well unless they've been replaced recently.

Thos have Morgan trains but not the coffin type dealies.

The only difference between the two was a bolt-on removable headrest that was way too "overdone."

As of now, I do not recall any other coasters that currently run those "coffin" type Morgan trains.

Coffin cars have high headrests that surround the riders on 3 sides and obstruct the forward view completely except for the riders in the very front seat. Morgan does make other cars that don't have this feature.

I believe that SFAW used them because of liability concerns. Texas Cyclone had some close clearances that caused injuries to riders that stuck out their hands too far. Apparantly, warnings weren't enough to satisfy Six Flags or their insurers. But then again, they eventually went back again to cars that were not like this.

The "coffin cars" you speak of were just high backs added to a standard morgan train. As far as I know AstroWorld was the only park that did this. The high backs were removed in 2001 (if I remember correctly), and the ride improved dramatically. The rolling stock was not changed, those were the same morgan trains that were on that coaster since about 1987.

*** Edited 8/14/2006 2:31:21 AM UTC by Jeffrey Seifert***

2Hostyl and I saw the after effects of someone who would've strongly benefited from those coffin cars. This rabid enthusiast wound up messing up his arm badly on Texas Cyclone after hitting a post with his long arm and almost lost the rest of the season. Sadly in the stuff happens category, that was his first and only ride on the 02' Coaster Zombie Texas trip which was a week long. Thank goodness for the excellent medical center(s) in Houston.

We were very fortunate that AstroWorld did not reinstall those awful wrap-around extensions after that incident. Instead they added extensions to the sides of the car to help prevent riders who failed to head the warning signs, from extending their arm out of the side of the car. Fortunately those side extensions were much less obstrusive than the wrap around back extensions, and did not detract from the ride experience.

For those not familiar with the "coffin cars," here's a pretty good shot of them:

http://www.rcdb.com/ig54.htm?picture=4

and here is a shot with the side extensions:

http://www.acesouthcentral.org/Lost/Astroworld/images/TC-030604-4.JPG

While not Morgan trains, American Eagle @ SFGAm also has the side extensions to prevent anyone from putting their hands out to the sides of the train:

http://www.rcdb.com/ig9.htm?picture=4

Rattler runs PTCs now. Not sure why they switched from Morgan, but I'm glad they did.

Also, the PTCs are short trains, only holding about 20 people. Pretty small for a coaster of that size, but perhaps they were trying to help minimize the forces of the trains tearing the track apart.

I'm not sure that these are Morgan trains, but check out these bad boys. Yowza!

- Aaron K

^Yeah, those were the "other ones" I was thinking of.

I think steel force at dorney has the "coffin cars" as well.

Steel force at dorney does not have coffin cars. Click a link and see what a coffin car is. provided above.

Well how about those cage cars on Lost Coaster out at Indiana Beach?

http://www.rcdb.com/ig460.htm?picture=17