How Long Can Coasters Sit

How long can coasters sit in a field before they are no good? Old Indiana Fun Park has been closed since 1997 and Six Flags owns the place now, so I was just wondering how long they can wait before they do anything?
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"We're not done yet, don't take it to seriously, its just life will win in the end" -superchick[k]

Wood would begin to rot after awhile, but can always be rebuilt ala "Leap The Dips" and still retain its original charm.

Steel, of course would have a much longer SBNO shelf life. I imagine it could last indefinitely.

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How long did teh Rocket sit before Knoebels bought it and Turned it into The Phoenix? That was a very ong time was it not?
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The Phoenix ran from '48 til '80 at Playland, then sat for 5 years before opening at Knoebels in June of '85. God I miss her!

Great Escape's Comet also sat for that amount of time, though I believe it has steel supports.
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On the Rocket-now-Phoenix, I believe I heard that much of the wood was replaced when it was replaced when it was moved rebuilt at Knoebels, though much of the mechanical parts are original.

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That makes sense! :)
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the comet at lincoln park in dartmouth,ma has been closed since 1988 and is rotting away. the thunderbolt at coney island was still standing from 1985 until last year when it was demolished.

How Long did the Belmont Giant Dipper sit?
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Aughhh look out there are Mice all around

ARROW GUY said:

Great Escape's Comet also sat for that amount of time, though I believe it has steel supports.

No the Comet does not have stell supports its a true woodie. Although I don't see how a wood coaster can sit for so long and not rot.
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Whizzer Boi said:
How Long did the Belmont Giant Dipper sit?
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Aughhh look out there are Mice all around

14 years from 1976 to 1990

Brendan w said:
"No the Comet does not have stell supports its a true woodie."

INCORRECT!
http://www.rcdb.com/installationdetail262.htm
GCComet DOES have steel supports, but that doesn't make it any less a *true* woodie (see Coney Island Cyclone)
jeremy

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virginiareelfan said:
"...the thunderbolt at coney island was still standing from 1985 until last year when it was demolished."

Speaking of the Coney Island Thunderbolt, today is the 1 year anniversary of it's demolition...**sniffsniff**

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just commenting on the Pheonix:

almost all the parts are original, and they tried to reuse as much wood as possible to retain originality + cheaper. But a lot of the wood used is new. I am not sure if they got new trains or not, I sure hope they did because those old trains were mighty old!

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CPGenius, I too feel bad over the demolition as the T-Bolt haad significant historical valuie. But when I saw it last year, the ride was beyond repair.

As to why wood can sit and not rot, it's called pressure-treating, and controls insects too.

And steel supports do not mean the ride is any less a woodie!!!

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Well, I know that maintenance usually takes place in a park which prolongs the life of a ride, but all roller coaster are meant to sit out in the weather for long periods of time. I don't think that the wood or steal would rot away any faster just because coaster cars aren't running on that track any more.

Rides are built to withstand a cold offseason with maintenance, not a decade of complete withdrawl.

So now we know coasters can sit for long periods of time, does that mean the Old Indiana Fun Park could come alive sometime?
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"We're not done yet, don't take it to seriously, its just life will win in the end" -superchick[k]