Golden Nugget coming together at Knoebels as Black Diamond

The old Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland.... "Loved" the part where the tour group is standing in one of the tunnels of the mine and the guide points to the "roof" and the newer looking supports and tells how "a few years ago" this entire section caved in and was re-dug. (of course that was a few decades ago considering I was there sometime back in the 1970's and when I was a kid I was totally freaked out by it).

As for Black Diamond... even if it is only the blue prints, 5 feet of track, and one wheel from an old coaser train this seems like it is much closer to being complete than Flying Turns.

Picture of BD from their Facebook page

Looks like the entire thing is going to be dark, and not have those turnarounds that stick out the side of the building like the Golden Nugget did.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150355679005551&set=a.1015...7828210550

The outside turnaround is still there, but it is on the right side of the building (not visible in this picture). The upper deck which was originally open air will be enclosed though.

Rick Knoebel was at ACE's No Coaster Con on Saturday and said the rest may be enclosed as well. They havent decided yet.

But was he wearing shorts and sandals? :)

?

Kosmo put a picture of a new Black Diamond mine car on Facebook today.. it looks great. Just like the originals

There's now a picture of 2 miner manequin props on Kosmo's page if you havent looked lately

There are a bunch of new photos on the DAFE site

Thanks for the link, guys.

I'll be back in a little while. I have to go look for something. :p

...

I'm back. Here is the link.

...

And I'm back again. That looks interesting.

Look at their un-detailed faces. I wonder if it is common a common design technique, since it is going to be dark in there. I've never noticed that anywhere before.

I will travel far to ride this. Aren't they working on another new coaster as well? I thought that I heard something about that. ;)

Wow.. thanks for the link dude. That looks awesome.

Very cool that it looks like Jim Melonic is involved. That gives you a direct lineage right back to Bill Tracy, who themed the original Golden Nugget. I had heard that Jim and Eric Princz did a storyboard for Knoebels, theming the Black Diamond, but I never got word whether they were the winning proposal.

You sure you're willing to travel far to ride it? There's no hotel on site : )

But there are still accommodations there, at the campground. There are also plenty of hotels nearby.

There are plenty of motels 15 miles away...... just like GA

And there are plenty of cabins at Knoebels. I know cause I stayed in one in October...

So apparently they thought that adding in accomodations was a good thing. Oh, and they're even seasonal.

Now if they were only nicer/cleaner.

A couple things I forgot to mention. Rick regretfully told us that the Black Diamond cars would need to have seatbelts. Everything else will remain the same. They felt it was to easy for people to stand up and possibly fall out of the cars.

Also, they have begun utilizing the accommodations they bought from the Geauga Lake campgrounds.

I figured they would need seat belts.. those 1960 restraints, or lack thereof wouldn't be grandfathered in.

Kozmo put another pic up on FB today... the interior lighting looks cool

This may surpass the Nugget

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs302.snc6/181046_10150376105695551_207828210550_17044601_8029514_n.jpg

Looks sweet. Gonna have to get me some Knoebels again this year, with or without FT.

^Me too - but man I wish they had an on-site hotel! ;)