Mystery Mine Update

Not to mention if the park wished to keep this supposed "turntable" a secret I'm sure he would have also known this and not alluded to it.

That's interesting, I admit. I was not familiar with any type of swiveling wheel assembly. However, I just re-read Rideman's explanation of how they work and I stand corrected!

It's not the wheel assembly that swivels, it's the car itself.

Take a look at this on-ride photo from the Mummy: http://ohitsjustrob.gotdns.com:8080/Gallery/Rides/Mummy.jpg

Notice how the front two rows are twisted slightly to the left compared to the back two rows. The same principle is at work with the Mystery Mine cars.

Almost all wheel assemblies swivel (that's how cars go around curves in the track). What you're seeing with the Mystery Mine and the Mummy is actually two separate cars made to look like one.

-Nate

I had no idea! All along I thought they were one unit, a la CP's Wildcat.

You can see in this drawing pretty clear definition.

http://rcdb.com/ig2229.htm?picture=1

This one even more in this pic.

http://rcdb.com/ig2229.htm?picture=22

New photos from the Jan. 24 construction tour:

www.smugmug.com/gallery/2392284#125366268

I think describing these as a zero car and one car, rather two cars is more accurate. As with all the zero-cars (Intamin, B&M in particular), they only have freedom on the roll axis with respect to the other car.

Really, these cars are exactly like the first two rows on any B&M floorless (the first of which serves as the zero car but happens to carry passengers).

THey gave an awesome presentation yesterday at Eastcoaster. I was dying to get my hands on one of those DVD's. :(

The ride looks chaotic and an absolute BLAST! I am sure it's going to be a HUGE hit for the park!

Damn I am glad I decided to get that season pass. ;)

-Tina

Yeah, that guy did a great job presenting the ride. I'm not sure how I missed all those excellent renderings but they really got me excited about the ride. Now more than ever, I have to get myself to Dollywood!

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/2392284#P-1-9

^ Obviously the photographers were together on the same tour, but they both got totally different shots, and POV's in many cases.

mystery mine is testing now

http://www.dollywood.com/mmine/progress07.htm

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that they

<edit... oops>

They showed us a video of the testing last week at Eastcoaster.

*** Edited 2/11/2007 6:47:44 PM UTC by Jason Hammond***

That they.....what? Oh the suspense the suspense!

All better now. :)

Something new for DW 2007 that has been overlooked...

During Kid's Fest (June 15 - Aug 5), a new motion simulator program will debut. "Yogi's Wild Ride - a new fun-filled motion simulator. During his mission from Bedrock to Outer Space (Yogi will) rescue Elroy Jetson from Dastardly Dick and Muttley"

I guess the Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure will be on hiatus during this time. Frankly though, after riding SMWA, I felt as though I was a paint can being shaken to death in one of those machines. Most unpleasant experience. And being a product of the 70's, I think the Hanna-Barbera stuff is pretty cool.

Untamed Illusions looks pretty cool too. Lots of new entertainment for the whole year as well.

The 2007 Brochure...

http://hfeimages.aristotle.net/General/DW/DW_Broch07.pdf *** Edited 3/1/2007 3:40:24 PM UTC by coasterfreaky***

^This is of course the old "Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera" film that use to be at Universal Studios. They rotated SMWA out last season as well, except with the Spongebob film from the Paramount Parks.

RCDB says that MM will feature 3 inversions, when is the 3rd? It is not shown in the animation.............

There isn't a 3rd inversion. The only two inversions are the heartline roll and half roll/half loop after the big drop. I'm surprised the mistake hasn't been corrected yet on the RCDB.

Unless RCDB considers the 95* drop as being "upside-down"?

Nope, it says the inversion is a heartline-roll.

I hope it will have a soft opening on the 4th or 5th, I'm going up there on spring break one of those days.

The roll-over which is apparently the same as the first element on an SLC, is considered two inversions...

Research shows the only sitdown coasters featuring this element previously were RnRCs (and clones), and SFDK's medusa.