how big can the screamin serpent get?

I have 3 sets and have made a coaster about 6 feet tall. It goes out does an over bank and barly makes it back with little speed. I hear some people are buying more and more sets but how long or big can you make the ride? my coaster has a big drop and is reduced to haveing to have me lower hills to finish. how are people getting these huge sets to actually compleate the course?

I have two sets and sometimes have trouble with it completing the course with two three-car trains. I had to make a four-car train for it to get more inertia on the course I have now. I also greased my axels with Dif-Lube and that made a huge difference, although that was a hindrance at first. The grease had to work its way around the axel and that took a little time - all in good fun though. But I've wondered the same thing before.

What are you doing about excess rail tube when you combine sets?

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED!

Save it for later projects, Jeff.

I save my extra rails for future designs. After about 6 reencarnations so far my rail pieces are becoming shorter, so I'm having to create new connectors now that I have more rail pieces than connectors.

I really wish K'nex would allow customers to order all these badly needed parts A La Carte-style. I.e. middle cars of the train, rail connectors, etc.

How big can it get? Your wallet will probably limit that.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

I know you're saving them, but how can you justify hacking them up like that?

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
DELETED!

I can't speak for others, but the justification for me comes with the fun of creating, building and playing with a new design. One single design doesn't maintain my satisfaction. I'll keep one up for three or four months and get all the enjoyment out of it I can...but then I become not so much bored with it, but I feel like I need a new design or challenge. That's really the beauty of the set(s) - it offers so much flexibility it's hard not to take advantage and rebuild over and over.

edit: I guess it's like dating - when I find mr. right-rollercoaster, i'll let you know.

*** This post was edited by coasterfreaky on 12/16/2002. ***

My large (6+' designs) never drop to the ground early. The train loses way too much speed. Most of my early elements are very high (3' or 4') off the ground (making them very expensive in the supports department, see train selection below). Also, smoothing out transitions can make all the difference. Anytime the train quickly snaps in any direction (a g-spike, if you will), especially when it's entering or exiting a roll, you'll lose a LOT of energy.

Jeff: I always start laying track from the top of the lift hill and choose pieces of track that will end the design somewhere (anywhere) on the lift hill. I have a store of bits and pieces of track (from 10" to a few inches) that I use to fill in the rest of the lift hill. Because it's on the lift hill, it doesn't really matter that there are many small gaps. I've done about 7 or 8 completely different layouts since the last time I cut a piece of track. Basically, I took my third set, and cut the really long pieces of track into 1/3 and 2/3 pieces. Thus, I can make almost any design end somewhere on the lift hill.

Anyone tried lubing with WD-40? Will it work?

I'm running a 5 car w/ 18 passenger train, which runs quite a bit faster than the standard 3 car w/ 6 passenger train, IF you support the track more to compensate for the increased weight. Otherwise you'll lose a lot of speed as the track sways. Of course, this mean that if you have a tall design with a heavy train, and you're keeping your early elements high off the ground, you're going to spend a lot supporting the first few elements. I think I used almost an enitre set supporting my first turnaround before I even hit my main drop (like Twister at Knoebels).

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
You must be this dumb to ride Viper. -SFGAdv.

*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy on 12/16/2002. ***

*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy on 12/17/2002. ***

Meet the excess tubing just before the beginning of the rails & let it coil under the track. There'll be gaps, but it should work. No need to cut it. I'll try illustrate it;

|| || Beginning
//\\ Excess tubing met & brought down
|| || End

Only if Aussie would import 'em. K'nex has just about disappeared here. The cost & friction issues are why I haven't bought one.

Like AA said, the more rigid the track, the less energy it'll lose. Pity, as I have a scale inverted train with ball races instead of wheels that would rocket along the track.

Is that a ceomplete circuit or do you have to take the train off each time?

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
You must be this dumb to ride Viper. -SFGAdv.

Anyone have photos of thier coasters? Post them up!

Complete circuit. Sorry, it's hard to explain. You do know what I mean?

I'm in the process of making my first complete circtuit SS coaster with 1 set. It looks so sweet. The lift is as steep as Millennium Force's lift. Then goes down a 90 degree drop into and overbanked turn and then a camelback. That's how much I have built so far. I'm going to add another camelback hill and then a helix. It has been fun building it. I hope I can get some pictures of it.

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