First Drop and Double Up on New Texas Giant?

Searched for this topic and didn't see it on here, so apologies if it's old news.

Drove by the Giant today and WOW. The first drop is looking fantastic. Also noticed what looks to be a really intense double-up in the making. Saw this photo online that shows it off well: http://www.johnnyupsidedown.com/new/new11/gt3a.jpg

Getting pretty excited about this second incarnation.

I'm quite excited to see how this rides next year, you have to wonder how it could shape the future of several wood coasters if it succeeds.

AWESOME! Maybe I need to hitch a ride to Texas next year. :)

Well no wonder this rehab is so expensive... it looks like half of the ride has been completely removed compared to this photo.

At first I was upset they were messing with what was already a great ride under the poor construction and resulting roughness. But that ride is gone. Now, I look forward to each construction update I come across and seeing just how insane they can reshape the profile into as extreme of a ride as possible. I kind of hope they add a nice loop while they're at it. Why hold anything back at this point?

This is just as much a new ride as the Steel Phantom transformation into Phantom's Revenge IMO. Curtis Summers' Texas Giant is gone. This is Texas Giant 2.0 regardless if the name changes.

Will this be the first time in history a wood coaster changes to a steel coaster?

Rick, Bobsleds at Seabreeze was converted from wood to steel in 1968. Info and pics at http://www.rcdb.com/228.htm

:)

Seabreeze's Bobsleds is one oddly different, yet fun ride. Which will probably have nothing to do with the experience of the reconstituted TG.

There might be a few rides out there that this is a option for but I don't see a whole lot of retrofitting of existing coasters, Not at the cost of building new vs retro. Interesting to me is this might be interchangeable in having stress points like the Rosebowl of SOB in steel track while the rest remains wood.

If they can make a ride reliable fixing the bad spots (Mean Streak, SOB) for a couple million, Its almost as cheap as a demolition project so why not do it?

I've seen it in person a number of times and it does look pretty awesome. That said, there's no telling how it will ride yet, so I'm not getting too excited just yet.

New pics show the beginnings of an overbanked turn-1 and turn-2!
http://www.guidetosfot.com/features/giantreinvented/

I'll be honest, I'm looking forward to it next year more than any other coaster. As long as it isn't a rough ride, I think it could be potentially amazing. Must find a way to Tejas next summer.

What I dont get it the bolts and plates on top of the track. Why I dont get that is what happens is part of wheel assembly shears off the train. That and the looks of the supports behind the overbanked turn appear to be way to small for the forces that will be exerted. This could be a ride on the caliber of SOB if something catastrophic happens or it could be the best gamble in the rides history if nothing catastrophic happens.

Charles Nungester said:
If they can make a ride reliable fixing the bad spots (Mean Streak, SOB) for a couple million, Its almost as cheap as a demolition project so why not do it?

Because you can't polish a turd.

If a ride has a bad reputation, I think it would take a lot more than new track to make it a popular ride again. So why not just start over with a new fresh coaster for the same price. You can then market a "new" ride, rather than just a re-done ride.

Mean streak has a boring slow layout, and sob is the same.

I dunno, they just changed the restraints on the Premier coasters and they went from hated to loved...

Mean Streak COULD be a good ride with a major re-profile, re-track, etc. Sonny has *such* a poor layout that it really would require major demolition and re-engineering....although I still like the idea from Sonny's opening year...Rosebowl removal, out-n-back after 1st drop to block, re-install loop, etc.

Something tells me this TG project has a large "viewing audience", one that may have a major impact on some of the biggest coasters around....Rattler, I'm looking at you too! ;)

Mean Streak wasn't great when it opened, and its since been tamed from that. The two rides appear to be alike at first glance, but I can assure you that Cedar Point's order was for "one of those, but make it the world's tallest, please, ...and oh, it has to be much smoother too." and Mean Streak was what Mr. Summers delivered. I would only find it fitting if the ride should follow in it's big brother's footsteps with a similar renovation. It would bring the park's wooden coaster numbers down to a grand total of one, but oh well. Mean Streak is a beautiful ride in a great spot and deserves some love.

Provided that the Texas ride experience is good, and so far I can only imagine that it should be. I looked at those latest pics earlier in the day and about crapped! The first drop looks fantastic and that double up and the following curves seem downright scary.

What I'm curious about is how the i-beam style track will work, how smooth it is, and what kind of train is designed to grip onto it. Do we know anything about the rolling stock yet?

Mean Streak has always been boring, even when it was new.

Particularly given the (presumably) lower friction with the steel track on Giant, it will conserve energy. So what, then, do you do now that they've removed the big turns around the lift?

The trains are primaraly Wooden coaster trains, The track is designed to simulate this. Since a wood coaster runs on steel rails anyhow, I doubt reduced friction is even a issue. The big difference is I doubt there is any Flex with the track

crazy horse said:

Because you can't polish a turd.

Well yes you can http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJ9fy1qSFI