Saying goodbye to a roller coaster

Python was my first roller coaster, so no matter how run-down it was it will always be sentimental. Python was run a lot, and so are the other coasters. Busch Gardens takes very good care with its rides and coasters, and that is why Kumba runs beautifully as I type this comment. Honestly, Montu is the only coaster that is a bit rough in my opinion. Not too much to complain at all, but a bit noticeable. Scorpion feels like a B&M. Such a smooth and well-maintainenced ride for a coaster built in 1981. Gwazi has aged beautifully as well.

^ FWIW, Gwazi was running poorly, again. I guess this year there wasn't any "offseason rehab" like Gwazi normally gets. A couple sets of MFlyers would do that ride SO much good...it'd be virtually unrecognizable after a good serious rehab and some of them uber-sweet trains....as it is, I think Hershey's Wildcat was running better in October...

Also of note: Montu is going down for "a couple weeks". Doesn't SEEM like enough time to me, but its paint job has faded REALLY badly...

Floorless trains for SheiKra...the ride attendant on skyride, who was waiting for an E-stop to clear, talked to me for a few minutes...he also thought they'd wait for Griffon's grand opening to start any work on SheiKra. I still see virtually no benefit to going floorless, but it MIGHT be a relatively simple fix to the existing trains. That would be the ONLY way I'd consider doing that before getting new trains for the woodie(s)....

The walkways are, at least temporarily, re-routed around the skyride and the area around Python....the new section is going to be pretty big. They REALLY need a kiddie coaster...Sea World got one.

Car analogy: i had a 90 ford probe with v6. final mileage was 240,325 on the original Engine, Clutch and Tranning. Oil changes every 3k miles, (which may be why the engine lasted that long without incident. That's 80 oil changes.
The only things i had to fix on that car were Brakes and exhaust system.
There's no substitute for regular maintenance, both preventive and basic.

What finally killed the car was rock salt from NE Ohio winters. It ate the frame. *** Edited 1/16/2007 7:29:58 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER*** *** Edited 1/16/2007 7:31:03 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

^ Im proud of you, FLYINGSCOOTER.

Preventative Maintenence is the key to any car, ride, house or lawn tractor.

Kumba is my favorite B&M of all time, and IMO still ran like a new ride when I went on last summer (save for the fact it was much more forceful then any new B&M I've ridden ;) ). Gwazi wasn't bad in the morning, but later on in the day, it tossed me around a bit more then I liked.