Knoebels website

Just saw that Knoebels has updates their website. Under the "whats new" section a picture of Black Diamond and they updated the 2011 prices for rides and POP.

What I found to be MOST interesting is I can't find Flying Turns anywhere. The pictures are gone, the old post saying it might open in 2009 is gone and it's not listed this year on the price sheet or the height guide. Maybe what the Mayans saw in 2012 wasn't the end of the world....just the opening of Flying Turns?

Last time I looked at their website was before the changes you mentioned. I saw the flying turns down at the bottom and it said they were testing a train/train cars weather depending. Good old wiki said that they were awaiting the final two train cars for the ride. The track has been completed for a long time seems like the problem is the trains? I hope it all works out in the end. Although they could sell it to cedar fair and it might end up at Dorney Park since thats where all the used and abused rides go =)

The problem IS the trains. Knoebels is still awaiting the revised train from Larson in Texas. The re-design was delayed by several months due to a long list of unfortunate events happening to Mike Boodley (family illness, moving from California to New Jersey, earthquake back in California, California apartment condemned, stuff put into storage, stuff stolen from storage... Dick Knoebel said at Eastcoaster that the redesign was finally submitted in November and he's still waiting for the train to arrive. He made it clear they aren't giving up and will get the ride open as soon as they can.

Kozmo is not your friend.

At least not anymore.

Hater

No. Remember, Kozmo has been known to unfriend people for lesser offenses.

Kozmo wouldn't accept my request...

^I think Kozmo is stuck at a 5K limit...

Could this be the only (or one of the possible few) coasters to ever need retracked because of effects of weather before it even opens?

They should change the name from Flying Turns to Orphan Rocker II.

I don't think it will need re-tracked anytime soon. Part of the reason it's been delayed is because they were trying to tame the train dynamics a bit to keep the trains from beating up the trough. On top of that, they basically doubled the amount of wood in the trough over the original rides in order to extend the lifetime of the ride.

That's the trouble with the internet... you can never tell the inflection of a comment.

I doubt it will need retracked as well... I was just being facitious and alluding to the fact that it has been sitting there idle (without even opening) for how many years now?

Well they started construction five years ago (winter of 2006), so parts of the trough have been done for about 4.5 years. I think most of the ride was done by 2008.

Does anyone really think they are just going to give up? Just turn it into a Zorb ride!

Not sure about the Zorb part... but I do wonder when it is time to admit that they've made a miscalculation and just give up on the whole project. However, with all the time and (especially) money poured into it, is giveing up really much of an option?

It's not really a miscalculation so much as an R&D project. They have to find trains that work 5 out of 5 times and meet today's standards. They really can't use what was used in the past.

They knew that it might take a long time. I don't think that they will be giving up any time soon.

The only difference with this and any other coaster prototype is that the others are done in a factory out of sight of enthusiasts.

"We're still in the R&D phase" is something that Dick has mentioned a few times, quoting Mike Boodley.

And if there wasn't a huge delay between making design changes, sending them to Larson and then getting a new train to test, this whole process would take several years less. They are literally making a small change about once every six months (or longer in the case of this last year due to all of the unfortunate events that hit Mike Boodley) as they try an idea and discover what it fixes and what it throws out of whack.

It took Dick over a decade to acquire the Golden Nugget, because it was the bees knees or something like that...

He doesnt seem like a man that lacks patience, so when he says the Flying Turns will be ready when it's ready, I take it at face value.