SFMM Metro

I just wondered if anyone knows when this ride last operated?

I noticed that it was not listed in the 2004 park guide/map - although it was drawn on the map, but it wasn't listed in the rides and attractions. It was listed in 2002, I don't know about 2003.

The Sky Tower is listed in the park guide/map, but neither Metro or Sky Tower are listed on the website.

Sky TOwer hasn't opened since before X opened I believe. Sad, huh? :(

And that tower is visibly deteriorating.

Does anyone know why it just sits there and doesn't open? Problems with the elevators or something?

I would have loved to have gotten some nice aerial shots of the park and mountains from up there. :(

You're not the only one. I went in 99 with my parents. My mom is about 60 and can't ride much, so she was looking forward to it most, then the monorail, and the incline up the mountain. All three were closed (Late May 99) so she got to ride a grand total of ZERO rides :(

I know both operated in 2000, maybe not all the time though, but I was in the park about 4 times and I remember them being open.
The Skytower has no outside platform which is a little sad, but you can see almost all coasters from up there.
They should re-open it.

I recall hearing that Sky Tower is gonna be painted this year. So either they're trying to make it look good, or they're planning a reopening.

Yah, it's too bad. And they used to have a car ride and a train that took you past buffalo! Same kinda stuff happened with PGA. I love coasters, but I also love mellow stuff too.

I know a little about each rides situation:

Metro: Very unlikely it will ever open again, unless they get new trains and all the stations and track are refurbished, and add to the fact that it took a lot of staff and maintenance. It needs parts that are not made anymore and the ride had low ridership. So it really comes down to Staffing, Maintenence, and low ridership. It is now considered a removed ride, even though it's still there, and the last time it operated was 2001. The rides stations are now boarded up, so it probably isn't going to ever make a comeback.

Sky Tower: From what ive heard, is that they try to get funding to open it every year but never can get it. It also had low ridership and the elevators need major refurbishments to be able to pass an inspection. I have given up waiting for it to re-open though, it has been 4 years now. *** Edited 2/17/2005 12:26:01 AM UTC by black sabbath***

Im drawing a blank, but what the heck was "Metro"?

Metro is that monorail system they have where the front entrance to it is right next door to Flashback.

That's all I know since it was closed when I went last week.

It a monorail with stations in High Sierra Territory, Collossus County Fair, and Samauri Summit. It hasn't operated since 2001 due to lack of parts since the manufacturer went out of business.

I could have SWORN Intamin made it. Intamin contracted/built most of SFMM's rides in the 70s. The Skytower, Orient Express, Revolution, and the Monorail. Also didn't they contract some of the flats too?

Intamin contracted and built alot of rides in the 70's to alot of parks.

Who contracted and built the Eiffel Tower at PKI? Aren't they the same tower only with different theming? *** Edited 2/17/2005 5:02:00 AM UTC by Chitown***

Yeah the PKI and PKD towers are Intamin, as well as the one at SFOT.

Intamin made the Sky Whirl at SFGAm and part of the reason they removed it (for a less than stellar ride) was due to the lack of available parts. It doesn't sound like Intamin supports their rides for the long haul with parts.

Is everyone sure Intamin was the manufacturer of those rides? Or were they simply the ride broker? There is a difference.

My thoughts exactly mOOSH, Intamin was *brokering* rides for virtually every manufacturer out there....if THOSE mfrs. went out of business in the meantime, that leaves Intamin (and the parks) unable to get parts...

Moosh, you hit the nail on the head. During that time period Intamin was purely a broker. They represented Schwarzkopf, Zier, Brio, Von Roll, Vekoma, Crown Metal Products, and several more manufacturers. In some cases when a builder folded they were able to obtain the parts supply, or deal directly with the suppliers and subcontractors. In some cases when the builder folded, it created a domino effect causing the subcontractors to go under as well, leaving the owners of these rides to fend for themselves.

I know that Sky Tower was open in early 2001 during X and Deja Vu construction. This picture was obviously taken from Sky Tower at that time... http://www.rcdb.com/ig748.htm?picture=1
I was there at this time and did ride Sky Tower the day I was there. Sadly, my pix were destroyed in a hard drive crash. That's the last time it operated that I know of.

Metro was a big help as is the Orient Express in getting up that hill...especially that one next to Spin Out!