I was looking at the new pictures of PowderKeg at www.midwestinfoguide.com and I have been trying to place my finger on the track style. Can anyone look at it and tell me who is building it? I know we have heard its S&S but we don't know for sure. Is that S&S track? I know though that this is looking amazing and I can't wait to ride this Bad Boy next season. Now only if SDC would make an official announcement. ;)
Well to me it dont look like Intamin. It looks more like a hybrid of the old Arrow track with some updates that might have been done since S&S bought them. It is the I-bar crossties that have me thinking it is not an Intamin design. But it sure would make one go hmmm....because even Arrow did not have track styles like that...at least not that I recall.
EDIT: Edited to add link to specific crosstie photos. Also a heads-up that several photos dont quite work right when enlarged. *** Edited 8/31/2004 6:35:50 PM UTC by beast7369***
We are working on getting pictures 9 & 10 working again. I guess they got gargled when we uploaded them. They will be working no later than 8pm tonight. Sorry about the inconvenience.
Look at those pictures, and you will see that Arrow has apparently used that style of track in the past. (Assuming that the building around the coaster wasn't removed, because there are two styles of track in those outdoor pictures; one which looks like Intamin, the other Arrow) While I can't find an entirely Arrow coaster that uses it, they must have had the capabilities to produce a track style with cross ties similar to the ones in the pictures from Midwestinfoguide. *** Edited 8/31/2004 9:02:01 PM UTC by CoasterKrazy***
Arrow had experimented with that track a long time ago, its shown in the suspended prototype video. In that video, they use their suspended track, along with the "intamin" style track (which is really schwarzy), and another type, I think. So this isn't 'new' for them, if it is Arrow S&S, just something we haven't seen in a while.
One thing I didn't see on that track is the strips Intamin uses on thier rails. I doubt it is a rocket, why would they use rocket tech. for such a slow coaster. Course I've been wrong before, but so far not about my new coasters;). *** Edited 9/1/2004 5:07:42 AM UTC by TeknoScorpion***
They are building it partly on the site vacated by Buzzsaw Falls. (apparently the liquid coaster wasn't such a hit for Premier - now the only one operating is here in Finland)
Drift it is being built completely on the site that BuzzsawFalls vacated. The parks says that the rest of BSF will come down when they bring in the big crane to help put in the larger supports and track -- that helps keep costs down. :)
I find it amazing that SDC still rents a big crane. With all the talented craftsmen and craftswomen around that park you'd think they would have a nice hand-crafted crane to use for such work.