Psyclone trains

Anyone know why Psyclone at SFMM has trains that were produced by B&M? Also, how are the trains? Are they comparable in any way to PTCs, Morgans, G-trains, etc.? How do they track, how are the lapbars, how comfortable are they, etc.?

I bet Psyclone is the worst ride B&M were ever involved with. (O wait - there's still Flashback)
I'm not sure if the trains contribute to the roughness of Psyclone - but they sure do next to nothing to prevent it...

The trains themeselves are rather comfortable. More legroom than most similar rides and thick cushioned headrest. They also have high sides which decreases the feeling of speed.

As for how they track....I've read many places that they are simply too heavy. Yes they do give a rough ride, but I actually like Psyclone. I do wonder if they could even switch to a different train due to the track guage...im not sure if it was specifically designed for the B&M trains.

The trains also seem to do pretty well when they send two of them over to Colossus for Fright Fest to run it backwards. They sure are a lot more comfortable than those Morgans.

I wish they'd run Psyclone backwards again...I saw it once on TV and wish I could have experienced that level of pain. HAHA

So are they most comparable to 2-bench PTCs, like on HP's Wildcat and SFA's Roar? Also, why did SFMM go with B&M trains on this ride, and why is this the ONLY wood coaster with B&M trains? Did B&M offer them a deal, and did B&M want to get into the wood market, at least with trains?

As far as Colossus, can Morgan trains NOT be run backwards? And are there any modifications to the undersides of the trains in order for them to run backwards (B&M and PTC)?

I'd say they are comparable only in that they HAVE 2 benches so to speak. The B&M trains are pretty massive compared to the PTCs. According to RCDB they weigh like 5,000lbs each!

These trains have no seatbelts and the lap bar design is different than most PTCs out there as it doesnt have that extra handle on it and only the top portion has padding. There is also no real divider between seats as they are more like bucket seats.

As for running backwards, from what I understand its in the chain dogs and anti-rollbacks. They can be switched direction on the B&Ms but not on the Morgan's.

As for why? I 'm not totally sure, but Psyclone was built in 1991 which is before B&M really got into the coaster market as its own separate company.

I like riding Psyclone because the wait for the ride is never longer then 10 minutes. Every ime I go they only have 1 train runnig though. I like Psyclone's trains better then Colosus' trains.

When I rode the Psyclone back in 1991 I felt it's Trains were better than Morgan's but not as good as PTC's

Running the Morgan trains backward may be a problem because the Morgan cars are trailered. I have not seen the P-clone trains in person, but I think they have conventional 4-corner chassis construction.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Also, they wouldn't run the Morgan trains backward without headrest. Coming into brakes with nothing to support your neck when traveling in reverse is an accident waiting to happen.

Psyclones trains are not bad from the rider perspective IMO, but they seem to rip the track up horribly and because you sit up higher in them than most trains, it emphasizes the horrible track.

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Borntocoast said:
When I rode the Psyclone back in 1991 I felt it's Trains were better than Morgan's but not as good as PTC's

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Yeah, but the ride was brand new then and probably didn't suck nearly as much as it now does. Those B&M trains have taken a serious toll on that ride. Throw in SFMM wooden coaster maintainence and you've got a recipe for disaster!

Trust me, you do not want to ride Psyclone backwards. I did it when SFMM offered it one year during Frightfest.

There is a reason why they never done it again after that!