First Drop and Double Up on New Texas Giant?

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

I don't think it is. Magic Mountain's Colossus completed a retrofit of an I-beam rail system a few years back and is technically a "steel coaster" (no laminate steel track on wood beams).

But doesn't Colossus have a few layers of wood track stacked on top of the I-beams? I thought that's why it is still considered a wooden coaster...

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

Rick, is THIS what you mean? Originally a junior woodie.

That is a surprisingly enjoyable ride!

D_vo said:
assuming Mean Streak isn't burned to the ground by then. ;)

Got plans???

Valleyfair Enthusiast said:
That is a surprisingly enjoyable ride!

TWSS. :)

Assuming that TG will be as awesome as it's looking to be upon seeing the new photos, I really want SOB to get this treatment, especially if they bring back the loop. I'm sure they still have the design plans for that loop somewhere.

Wasn't the loop on SOB pretty much the same kind of track that they are building on TG?

That would be awesome! I'm with Gator on the layout. Remove rose-bowl #1 and add some gnarly hills and junk. Leave everything the same after the loop, and we have a winner.

Other than Mean Streak, what other giant woodies would do well with this treatment? MegaZeph? American Eagle?

MegaZeph would need to be operating first ;).

I figure if this goes well, Maybe Rattler, since that's in the chain already.

LostKause,

Son of Beast's loop track had a steel spine, but the structure on which the wheels ran was layered wood with steel running plates, as far as I can remember.

delan said:
Leave everything the same after the loop, and we have a winner.

Everything after the loop on SOB was about the most boring layout they possibly could have made. The first helix was at least interesting and impossible to ignore, regardless of how rough it got.

Anyone who needs a riding partner when they come out is welcome to PM me! With a little non-riding kiddo, it will be hard for my wife and I to go together.

Acoustic Viscosity said:

Everything after the loop on SOB was about the most boring layout they possibly could have made. The first helix was at least interesting and impossible to ignore, regardless of how rough it got.

Oh word? I have never ridden it so the heck do I know. :-)

And to add to AV's post...

Ironically, I found everything from the loop to the end of the ride the most tolerable. Out of the dozins of times I have been to the park while SOB was in operation, I've rode it exactly twice, one near the beginning of it's lifetime and once near the end. With each ride, after the first drop, I couldn't wait to get to the loop and experience everything after, because of the pain. That may have been considered (by some people) the most boring part of the ride, but at least it wasn't the part of the ride that in notorious for sending people to the hospital.

I mean... I'd rather ride Lakemont's Toboggan over and over. :)

Likewise. Toboggans actually have a more interesting layout. :)

Acoustic Viscosity said:
Everything after the loop on SOB was about the most boring layout they possibly could have made. The first helix was at least interesting and impossible to ignore, regardless of how rough it got.

I think the first helix was rough/exciting because wooden coasters should really only go up and down at that insane speed. Turning at ridiculous speed is best left to steelies (and Toro). The only problem I had with the second helix on Sonny was that it didn't feature Papa's elevation change during the helix (a la KG's Twister). I was also at considerable speed, so what you're calling "boring" is to me just a limitation put on the ride by the *stupid* stats...a more interesting layout post-loop would have required another thousand feet of trackage minimum...and PKI was probably already in sticker-shock hell, LOL.

Travis, everything after the loop may have been more tolerable (I won't deny that), but it was still just plain boring. It just meandered around with no airtime or powerful G's of any other kind. Gator, the exact same layout could have been profiled differently to make it interesting. The elements are too drawn out to deliver the goods. Smaller hills and sharper turns in between the massive drops would have made for a much more exciting ride just like Texas Giant is looking to be, and for the same reason why a Chance Toboggan is more interesting (although way more painful to me).

Has anybody seen the new pics of this ride at screamscape? I must admit the ride is looking more and more interesting to me.

Wow! I'm seriously wanting to ride this coaster. I never go any further then 6 hours away from my home for a park, but this might be the first exception. Those 90 degree banks are crazy.

I hope this ride works as planned. I would love to see SOB and Mean Streak get this treatment if it makes for an enjoyable ride.

I agree...there've been a few coasters where I'm like OMG, I have to ride this now!! (El Toro, Maverick, The Voyage were all included) This would be another!! As soon as it's open this is a must-ride!