Looking for 1992 Rattler Pictures

I'm hoping to find a few photos of SFFT's Rattler from 1992 or 1993. Thanks in advance.

Was this before the reprofiling? If so, I would be curious to see them as well.

There is one on RCDB here:

http://rcdb.com/ig56.htm?picture=1

Here's a video from '92:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNcMKjnZ-Cg

Best first drop ever.

Got to ride this in the first month that the park opened, and haven't been back since. Great coaster, greatly missed. I will never ride what it has become.

The video link is one I took in June 1992. Even with the great first drop, that coaster was poorly designed IMO. So much wasted wood in that triple helix.

http://members.aol.com/classicwoodies/Rattler.mov

Here are a couple great 1992 photos of the Rattler. I did not take these, they are just in my collection of photos I obtained way back.

http://members.aol.com/classicwoodies/rattler92.jpg

http://members.aol.com/classicwoodies/RATTLER92b.jpg

Some more pictures from RCCA's website:

http://www.rcca.com/RCCA/rattlerscrapbook.html

To me, this ride looks like it had soooo much potential. But due to poor design, it isn't much of anything. That triple helix looks terrible.. It went slow enough to begin with, but it looks like these days theres a trim right before and right after it. That original first drop and turn around and second drop looked amazing. The repofile seems to have killed the speed there too!

Not only that, the track just doesn't flow. It looks like it's constantly jerking side to side. Like I said, so much potential lost in what seems to be poor design of the ride, specifically the layout.

Take the trim out, or at least turn it way down, before the massive triple-helix. Remove one (or even two) of the 360s - not sure how bad the initial first drop was, since I never rode it in that condition, but now, that overblown meandering in a circle provides a real buzzkill effect.

The drop into the tunnel is VERY sweet, even after the block brake brings the train to a complete stop. The shame to me is SFFT will probably keep Rattler as is and build *another* coaster instead of doing the things that would make Rattler great (again?).

Some structural reinforcement on the big hill in the finale section might not be a bad idea either... ;)

Take that triple helix faster? My back is aching from here. That helix was an excruciating series of painful sharp stabbing pain again and again for me. Worst ride I have ever had on a wooden coaster, I cant imagine how much more it would hurt if you took that thing without the trims. Uhhhh....

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rollergator said:
Take the trim out, or at least turn it way down, before the massive triple-helix. Remove one (or even two) of the 360s

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Well if you remove both "360's" then you won't even have a helix, just a turnaround. I noticed that most people don't realize the "triple" helix is actually a double helix. :)

Does anyone still have copies of ACE News from fall 1991? Those issues have great photos of the first drop as well as the 1992 fall or winter issue of Rollercoaster. If I was still at my parents' home I could get a hold of them.

*** Edited 4/30/2008 7:17:07 PM UTC by SONiC Senshi***

Pre-reprofile, trimless POV here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4YGPKbKhq0&feature=related

^LOL, yes, I should have said "one or BOTH"...Rattler's helix did a 900* long before Tony Hawk considered it... ;)

Even before the reprofile, it was a bad layout. Even though it had its moments (guessing off the POV and opinions I've heard) it was completely void of pacing or inspiration. Who thought that helix would be a good idea???

I guess these are the same guys that designed SOB almost 10 years later, apparently they learned nothing.

It's still shocking to watch that early POV. You can clearly tell that many of the curves and banking are just...wrong. Like the sort of things that you would make on No Limits just starting out. It's especially noticeable on the first drop and swoopy double-down thing.

I guess it really makes you appreciate the sort of stuff CCI and GCI ended up doing.

SOB's and Rattler's helices are completely different. SOB (and Beast) start at a high point and turn into a low point, where Rattler's had bunny hops troughout the whole thing.

Personally, I think the only thing "wrong" with Rattler is that helix. I think the first and second drops are excellent, even with the reprofile, the 2nd drop is the same as it always was. (correct me if I'm wrong here) Although the first drop is "only" 124', thats still a big drop. The dive into the wall is awesome and it ends strong. If the helix was torn out and replaced with am out-and-back run, it would be really good. Rough yes, but still good.

I'd imagine Rollergator would replace that last ", but still good" with "; just the way I like it." ;)

Has anybody else seen the accident report on this thing, where they listed all of the injuries in its first year. It was crazy from broken noses, to cuts, and a lot of neck injuries.

Matt, you said it right, all I was wondering is whether or not the carpenters who worked on this thing drunk.

I remember seeing the full page ad that a certain lawyer took out in the San Antonio Express back in 1993 (I think, maybe '94) seeking injured Rattler riders. That's the reason it got re-profiled from what I was told.

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Soggy said:
SOB's and Rattler's helices are completely different. SOB (and Beast) start at a high point and turn into a low point, where Rattler's had bunny hops troughout the whole thing.

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I think the point is that they seem to rely on large, dull helices that seem to mainly serve to burn off speed.

See also

http://www.rcdb.com/ig1081.htm?picture=10
http://www.rcdb.com/ig1368.htm?picture=8