GCII updates their Thunderhead page

Holy crap. That's just insane. I love the coverage of the construction. This is probably going to soar high in coaster polls!

Too bad I've only ridden one (or two) GCII. It had to be Gwazi. Blah. It'd probably be better with Millennium Flyers since they can handle tight turns.

Too bad they haven't fixed the spelling of "double up" on the drawing of the layout! Arrrggg!

Would it be safe to say that this ride is the most-watched project this winter?

But then... what other watchable projects are there right now other than Silver Bullet?

LOL! Too bad I can't import the *drool* emoticom from Yahoo.

-Tina

I probably haven't been more excited about a coaster since Legend was being built. Wow, just wow.

Yeah, it's about time Dolly got with the times. :-)

Thunderhead looks like the best GCI yet, other than Lightning Racer of course...8-}

-Tina

I agree, I think that Thunderhead looks way better than Ozark Wildcat, and Ozark Wildcat is pure genius in my opinion. It is setting at the #5 position on my poll, and Thunderhead will probably steal it away, but it just doesn't look good enough to top Cornball Express!

This definitely looks like a good coaster. That first hill into the S-curve just looks amazing. We were already thinking of making an early season trip to Pigeon Forge...I think those pics sealed the deal for me.

Although I must admit, I am just as eagerly watching the progress of Storm Runner.

Sean

A good coaster? I think you mean a Great Coaster! ;) I can only imangine what GCII's coasters will be like in a few years. Each new coaster they push the Millennium Flyers a little more. Given Thunderhead is the fourth coaster to run the MFers. :) Imangine what they will do in 3 or 4 designs down the road, given the parks give them good areas to go play in.

I am a big GCI fan, and I must admit this by far looks to be their best coaster to date. We already have trip planned to Dollywood in the early spring. I still have yet to ride that smooth Arrow, and with the GCI it really makes it worth the trip.

I am really looking forward to this coaster season. I'll now have a rocket coaster(Storm Runner) 10 minutes from home. Of course a few trips back to CP. I am sure they'll have TTD running much better this year. It can't get much better. Now all we need on the east coast is a 4th Dimension. Too bad that isn't coming anytime soon.

Wooden inline twists perhaps Cpunk? ;) They're practically there already!

I'm not sure about inline twists but I wouldn't be suprised to see overbanked turns. I imangine it's possible somehow but that structure would probably be pretty crazy looking. I guess alot depends on how crazy of a ride a park wants and how much they are willing to pay for it. I know GCII wanted to do the station fly thru for a long time but no park wanted it until Dollywood.

Lets keep our fingers crossed they build another coaster for next year! I was a bit worried after Lightning Racer was built and didn't see a new one until the Ozark Wildcat 2 years later!

You know what? I really hope nobody gets a case of anticipointment with this thing. I mean, what if it blows? What if GCI made a few design miscalculations?

Oh wait: that's physically impossible.

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GCII shakin it off the dizz-fizzy yo.

Well, we should remind the parks that even your beautiful shiny new GCII coaster is going to require *maintenance* to keep it in top condition. ;)

It's been really nice to be able to show off Gwazi a few times these past couple weeks. :)

In the past, people have begged various builders to consider doing the Aeroplane or the Crystal Beach Cyclone. I don't think we need to ask for that anymore.

GCI is using similar techniques, but building them to today's codes, and using modern engineering techniques that won't require a hospital trip.

More power to 'em. :)

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rollergator said:
Well, we should remind the parks that even your beautiful shiny new GCII coaster is going to require *maintenance* to keep it in top condition.

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Gee, that kind of brings up the thought that Dollywood has absoulutly no expierience in maintaining a woodie. Hopefully they'll figure it out.

They keep up TT really good. You could not tell it was 5 years old, even if you wanted too. Their Maintenence Dept. will adapt-as they did with TT.

Yeah I think if Dollywood can keep up the excellent maintenance like they do on TT and their steam trains, then we have nothing to worry about with Thunderhead.

The trains are the key! For some reason the MFers don't beat the hell out of the track, maybe it's the way they lay the track, or the design of the structure.

Lightning Racer has had very little maintenance done to it since it's opening if any. It's all in the design. I'm sure if Dollywood wants to keep Thunderhead in tip top condition they will fix the little problems before they turn into big problems.

Dukeis- Do you really think the GCI guys will hand over the coaster until they've gotten the Dollywood people as well informed as possible? They treat those coasters as though they were their only children going off to college. Plus, the awesome design of the MFlyer trains will help to keep both preventative and interventional maintenance down.

Coasterpunk- each wheel on the MFlyer trains has its own little suspension. It's the trains that keeps the track in such good shape. Lightning Racer has, supposedly, never had a foot of track retracked since it opened.

I know all about the Millennium Flyers inside and out, Michael! Well at least maybe about 25% of them so far. ;) The suspension isn't much but enough to get rid of the vibration. Were actually starting the suspension Monday. They are amazing at what they can do compared to other rolling stock out there. No one else even comes close the articulation of the MFers.

They do keep their eye on their coasters after they get turned over to the park. At the end of the season GCII send Chris to the park to help with tearing down the trains for the end of the season. They try to help the park as much as possible with keeping the ride running perfect.