One last look at Phantom

What exactly are the "green phantom's revenge test sections?"

Yeah, that is a good question, Jacob. What are they? Anyway the steel phantom was a great steelie

The test sections are sections of track Kennywood painted green, to see if that is the color they like for Phantom's Revenge

see the website htpp://kpu.danimation.com for a picture of one of these track sections.

It's sad to see the Steel Phantom go. Too bad I never got a chance to get a ride on it. I was always told it was an Arrow worth the headbanging. Well, thats too bad.

-------------
Rollercoasters: They're not a hobby, they're not an interest, they're an ADDICTION!

**SNIFF** JUST RUB IT IN GUYS! **SNIFF** :(

-------------
www.angelfire.com/oh4/tk173

First rule of Stormtroopers:
Pee BEFORE you put on the uniform!

Great ride, would like to know how long the wait time was for it. They will probably enlarge the queue's next year. Does anyone remember how long the queue lines were when the steel phantom opened. The lines for pr will probably be just as long. Oh well, we'll have to see


-------------
Steel Phantom: A Decade of Thrills. (1991-2000)

It was quite a fun ride, indeed. The fabled headbanging is really on a personal level -- some people experienced it, some didn't. I didn't.

The green section of track (on the first drop, if you were wondering) was painted to see if they liked the color scheme. Apparently they did, as all the renderings I've seen have green track. (Note: The renderings on kpu.danimation.com, reportedly taken from TV, most likely were. I saw them a few times on the local news programs.)

Steel Phantom's a legend, whether you like it or not. Some say it's legendary for it's roughness, others say for it's intensity, others say it's legendary because it was just plain fun.

I'll miss it, but check the signature! :)

-------------
How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge.

Man those pictures looked sad! WHY ARE THEY GETTING RID OF IT! I know they need a new coaster, and getting rid of this ride and using parts of it cna be cost sufficent but two hypers could of been awesome! Why are they getting ride of the inversions? Too many g's?

Todd

RIDDLER'S REVENGE THE MOST UNDERRATED RIDE IN THE WORLD!

Why are they getting rid of it? All you had to do is look at the line (or lack thereof) on a busy day to understand that the ride's popularity was less than stellar.

-------------
Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

They are getting rid of the inversions for several reasons. One of which is too many complaints from the GP. They are the ones that pay the bills at any park. If they don't ride it then there is no reason for it being there. Then there is the ongoing maintainance headaches that have haunted it since the begining,many of which are directly related to the inversions.

It's O.K. that they rebuild the ride.But it's not O.K. that they remove the inversions

Lines were quite short indeed this year... in the beginning of the season. My first trip this year, I got on in maybe 5 or 10 minutes...

The 2nd trip, though, it took a little bit longer.

Then, as the season progressed, the lines got longer, and longer, and longer...

Until Labor Day. Kennywood, packed as any Labor Day was, had long lines for anything, including the fabled Steel Phantom. Longest lines I've seen since first going on it way back in '93.

Of course, the long lines weren't a sudden jump in popularity, no. Everybody was just coming to pay homage to the ride that thrilled Western Pennsylvanians for the past decade.

I'll miss it.

-------------
How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge.

When you put an inversion based coaster in, you lose 50% of your riding audience [quote taken out of context from Henry Henniger] Don't worry all inersion loving fans, inversions will return to KW in 2003 or 2004 in some shape or form..

-------------
Beeman65
Co-Webmaster
Kennywood Park Unlimited
http://kpu.danimation.com

I traveled to Kennywood to take my first and last rides on the Steel Phantom and the inversions are rough. But, it's no rougher than other Arrow megaloopers I've ridden including The Great American Scream Machine at SFGA and Anaconda at King's Dominion. The Phantom's high rate of speed made it harder for some riders to control their head though, especially through the boomerang.

I think the new layout is going to be pretty cool. I know a lot of people think it's a bad idea, but that's probably because the ride is one of their old favorites. I'd feel the same way if they changed the Loch Ness Monster at Busch. But at least you get to keep the ride in some form. The poor Drachen Fire is still sitting there, doing nothing. My point is, give the new layout a chance, it may be pretty cool. Also, does anyone know if they are going to change the trains since there won't be any inversions?

They're "going to try to change to a lap-bar restraint system instead of the current horsecollars".

It's not certain, but it's highly probably.

I'm telling you... I can't wait to fly down that ravine hitting 85 miles per hour only being held in the car by a puny little lap bar. Man, I'm psyched.

-------------
How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge.

I say bring on the new Phantom!!! Let's face it, some people like the ride the way it used to be and that's fine!!! Me personally, I hated it along with just about every other Arrow designed megalooping rollercoaster (except Nessie of course). They are just too rough on the loops and inversions. That doesn't necessarily mean that I wouldn't ride it if I had the chance, but I would think twice. I hope BGW will do the same with Drachenfire, even though I didn't feel that it was that rough. Then again, I haven't rode it in 4 yrs.

Hey not all Arrow Megaloopers weren't that bad. Viper at Six FLags magic Mt is pretty smooth. I don't really get banged up on that one.