Hades @ Big Chiefs - CoasterBuzz

Sorry, but I've got to agree with Nate on this...

From this picture:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/133348116/133377564DfTFRi

You can clearly see that there are two sets of bolts running into the tunnel and that it could not fit a two more sets.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/133348116/133377638zvrgYD
It sort of looks like two tracks in this pic.
edit: these too:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/133348116/133377760dcWoLN
http://community.webshots.com/photo/133348116/133377725XxyqGP

*** Edited 6/7/2004 3:39:49 AM UTC by RavenTTD***

I was there when those pictures were taken. Once again, there simply isn't room for two tracks to run side-by-side. Additionally, while it might be advantageous for a new company to make a grand statement for their first ride, they really have no say over that.

-Nate

Actually, they do - they can cut the price of the coaster so the park can build a larger coaster for the price of one smaller in size.

See CCI and their business practices for the manual on that.

If I remember correctly, Megafobia was heavily discounted in order for CCI to get a foothold and many of the US built woodies had some discount or financing details that contained special discounts or rates. So that could be going on here as well.

Have Fun!

George

Not bloody likely George. Those "discounts" were one of the biggest reasons that CCI went under. I highly doubt that anyone at Gravity Group is interested in using the Denise Dinn business model ever again.

Rich G

Looking at the picture, you are right -- there are two sets of bolts. However, at the same time, you couldn't have a train that near the walls lest everyone with their hands out loses their arms.

Well I saw the tunnel myself this weekend. It's definitely wide enough for 2-way traffic and footers of the turnaround make it perfectly clear trains will travel that tunnel twice. I just posted a construction update.

Here are some new Hades pics. Some did not save the rotation in the upload process, but I included them anyway. Not the best shots, but there are several and should give you a good idea what is going on if you have not been there recently. Based on the estimate of about 6.5 feet per level of supports, I am putting the first drop at about 104 feet above ground on the front side, and about 110 on the back side (hill). Of course that does not include the drop into the tunnel and we have higher to go. It is interesting that from Avalanche's station you can see a lot of the Hades drop but none of Zeus. You can see both from the top of Avalanche's lift. Maybe these sections are larger than 6.5.

(I posted in another thread recently that the first drop should curve based on the footers. It now looks like those footers are for something else. The metal coming out of them looks like the two track supports in the tunnel and the formation is round like part of a helix.)

Insane :)

Chuck

Omg! I have to get back to Wisconsin in '05. When we were there back on June 21 this year, they were pretty far ahead. They are really building this thing fast. I agree Charles. Insane.

My Beautiful wife, Julia, is the best thing that has ever happened to me!

FYI, Mt Olympus is one of the host parks for ACE's Coaster Con next year.

They should make it Mt Olympus/Timber Falls. Avalanche blows away Mt Olympus' existing coasters by a long shot. I got wrist bands for both parks, and I went and took those pics, but after 1 ride on Cyclops, 2 on Zeus, and one on the new Dive to Atlantis, I was back on Avalanche. That thing is so awesome. I met Kick the Sky there and probably got another 30 rides on it. Usually you get 10-11 moments of airtime, and most of them are really good. They were installing the auto-spiel system and I got to hear the first time they played it. It opens by calling Avalanche the fastest coaster in WI, and having ridden both of them in the same hour, I believe it. The guy said that it does 60 and if he is exaggerating, it is not by much. I think the shorter train makes it go faster. The center of gravity goes over the apex quicker, errr something. It maintains high speed too. The entire ride is bunny hills at top speed. Hades might be better, but right now I'm spending my time at Timber Falls.

ACE Con typically gets 500-600 people. Avalanche's trains hold 12 people. Figure one dispatch every 4 mins, that's 180 people an hour. With 500 people they would need a 2 3/4-hr ERT session just so everyone could ride....ONCE! Avalanche may be great but I doubt Timber Falls will be an official part of Con.

Just one ride on Cyclops? Wow. Did you ride it in the back seat? I can't imagine not wanting to ride it again. The air is almost scary on THE Drop.

-Matt in Iowa

The key words there are "almost scary." I found it quite underwhelming myself when I visited in June. Perhaps people rave about the air on that drop because the rest of the coaster is so mediocre?

Yes, I rode the back seat of Cyclops and I have been there before and been on it several times. I even got some of the best rides I ever had on Zeus because there were enough people there to fill the train. There was a lot more airtime than normal and pretty big air on the double down. Cyclops & Zeus used to be in my top ten. I was not saying Zeus or Cyclops are bad by any means. I love them both. Avalanche is just that good. It is right up there with the best of them. I like it better than coasters like Phoenix and Cornball.

As for ACE Con, they should have both at the same time. The drive between the two parks takes 2-3 minutes. If I was at Mt Olympus, it would not be long till I wanted to take a break to go ride Avalanche. Even if it does not become officially involved, you should certainly go ride it if you go to the Dells.

Well Im butting my WI/MN trip up with Timbersfest next year.

Im sorry, I don't get the Cons, Im sure they are fun but the price of it is almost what I can do 8 parks and the fuel to get there, for.

I just got back from the Dells. Didn't do Mount Olympus this time, but I did do Timber Falls two seperate days. Met RavenTTD up there on Friday night. Avalanche is for real folks. This think is an airtime whore's wet dream. It is one of the "fastest" looking coasters I have seen. Sure, there are faster coasters out there, but none "look" this fast.

The nice thing about Avalanche is there isn't a bad seat on the ride. There are 12 seats on the ride and not one of them will give you a ride that is worse than another seat. The ride in certain seats may be slightly different, but each seat has it's merits.

Avalanche is all about airtime. I'm trying to mentally picture how many airtime hills there are and I can't even figure it out. The thing is that even the turns are airtime laden. You are honestly out of your seat more than you are in it.

On Friday night, it was all pretty much floater air and light ejector air. Real sweet ride and lots of fun. Saturday during the day it kept running faster and faster. One of the ops said they had just greased the track after close on Friday night. That, coupled with the fact that the trains were fuller on Saturday (did I mention that the coaster was a walk on Friday night and a near walk-on all day Saturday?). By Saturday night, every hill was giving massive ejector air, however the laterals were also getting a bit painful.

This is a great woodie to come out and check out. I looked at Hades construction before coming home and it looks like that coaster is gonna be fricken huge. I have a feeling that there will be a lot of coaster trips to the Dairy State next year with all of the great wood that is there, and yet to come.

Certain victory.

Well...so much for the cries of "with a short train like that there will be no airtime" we all heard during construction. Avalanche proves once again that it's best not to judge a ride until you've ridden it.

Raven - I'd bet Timber Falls offers Con attendees a special price even if not part of the official Con.

Man, they greased it just after I left. And I thought it could not get any better. As far as airtime hills go, I was counting 9-11 moments of air depending on the seat and run.