Riverside (SFNE) Cyclone: reprofile history?

I recently visited SFNE and rode the Riverside Cyclone and noticed some drastic changes had been made on the first drop. It obviously has been reprofiled since Six Flags took over the park a few years ago (you can actually see the original track below the new...many feet below I may add). The airtime before the changes was absolutely amazing. Does anyone have a history of the Cyclone? When these changes were made and why? Does it have new trains as well? It also looks like it hasn't been maintained well over the past few years either.

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It does have new trains (PTCs) and i rode it last june and it had sooo much airtime in the back seat... So if its this great now, i cant believe how crazy it must have been before SF changed it.

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Im the #1 Canobie Lake Park Fan!!!These are my top 3 coasters:
1. S:RoS @ SFNE 2. Yankee Cannonball 3. Cyclone

I love this coaster to death! Id wish they could leave it alone!

When i worked at Riverside in 99 Cyclone was great, I finally got to ride it again last week and now the ride kinda sucks. The first drop is horrible and is rougher then when it was in 99 before any of the track or train changes. The new trains are several tons heavier then the previous ones, I remember in 2000 when the park became SFNE they did the very first test run on Cyclone with the new trains and the train stalled on the anti-rollbacks on the second hill (the one that goes over the lift.) The train stalled and they had just finished lowering the height of the second hill. Since then they have been chopping that ride apart.

Here's the history as far as i know (i've been riding the cyclone for almost 8 years now). it used to have morgan trains, which are very light and also had no divider and one seatbelt for 2 people (much like on the Thunderbold today). plus, the old track was much more intense on the 1st drop (you can still see the old track under the new track). the ride was very intense, but extraordinarily fun. the trains were so light that if the train wasn't full of people, they wouldn't run it or else it would stall.

In 2000 they added the PTC trains, which were much more comfortable and had a padded divider between the seats on every car, as well as seperate restraints for each rider. I'm a rather large rider, and I remember riding with small riders on the old trains; they had to hold on for their lives so they wouldn't fall out.

2001 marked the reconstruction of the new 1st drop, along with the trims on the 2nd to last camelback. I didn't really notice a difference in the intensity, and actually appreciated the smoother ride. According to maintenence workers at the park, the ride was redisigned to reduce stress on the much heavier PTC trains, which in 2000 needed to be repaired on almost a daily basis.

This year, the ride is running fairly smooth, although if you ride in the back be prepared for jolts on the steep downhills. Try to place the lapbar as tight as possible to avoid it hitting you hard in the chest. I love this ride, although many feel it should be torn down due to its roughness and general unpopularity. As long as you ride it expecting a somewhat rough ride, you can get beyond the general complaints of roughness and appreciate the ride for the one-of-a-kind twister masterpiece that it is.

(if my facts are wrong, feel free to correct me. i'm just speaking from memory)