SOB Changes

I was at the park this past weekend and to my suprise SOB was up and running. I knew it had been down all season and that the cars weren't even on the track (at least on opening weekend) so I had no idea what was going on. Well, what did they do? They removed one of the cars and made the train shorter? Also when I was there they were only running 2 trains! It took 1 hour from the point right before the ramps up to the station! If this is their plan for the summer I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of problems. The RPH is really low and I felt no difference of speed/roughness at any part of the ride. In fact, the train now looks TOO short. I'm not the biggest fan of SOB but this just really bothers me. Anyone else???

FWIW, they have only ever run two trains on that ride. It was built for three, and in fact may have an extra blocking point for a fourth train, but it was built with the intention of only running three, and the park bought three trains. Once construction was "complete" [1], the ride opened with only two trains, and in fact has only ever operated with two trains.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

[1] Kings Island's long-time director of wood coaster maintenance, Ollie Lindon, is known for saying, "You never stop building a wood coaster." So presumably, the ride is never actually complete...

In reguards to your footnote.

Yeah, I kinda agree but more often than not, Wood maintainence and modifications do little to HELP a ride. You can count on your hands the coasters over 20 years old that operate and perform as they were designed too.

I wonder how long CF will keep throwing 500k a year to keep it running before they take a match to it and while their at it take a match to Mean Streak. They tore down Hercules and that was much better than SOB and MS

Has there been any substantial evidence to the rumor that Son of Beast only runs two trains because (other than low ridership) one of the original trains fell of the transfer track?

Count me in on "I cant wait to see what CF does to SOB."

Not that I know of, although at Beast Buzz a few years back Jeff Siebert told a group of us one of the early concepts of SoB that it would have two loops.

Two loops?

Two loops that were built side-by-side where the single loop is now. The only difference was that the loops were going to be built completely out of wood and would use the scaffold-like supports much like the rest of the ride structure. Each loop and surrounding structure would be on its own track and they would alternate which loop would be used on the ride while the other one would be maintenanced every other day.

It ended up being much cheaper just building the loop out of steel as we see it today.

To me it looked like they had space to either build an unload station (look at the extra footers under the transfer track) or they just skimped on building the transfer needed to accomodate a third train. With the way that ride has run in the past, it would be useless to run a third train as it would stack every time. The second train is already stopped at the final block by the time they send out a train from the station.

I don't think I'll be riding it this year though unless I find a way to KI this year.

~Rob Willi

Initially the platform was supposed to be where the transfer is but in later stages of design was moved to the side it's on now. Then, through some other design genius the platform was moved a little more down track. Why? Who knows?

I'm not sure why everyone says I can't wait to see what CF does to SOB. If they are willing to keep maintaining MS, then I would think that SOB's future is the same. Unless SOB's maintenance is far higher than MS.

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Ajrides said:
I wonder how long CF will keep throwing 500k a year to keep it running before they take a match to it and while their at it take a match to Mean Streak. They tore down Hercules and that was much better than SOB and MS

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I have to agree ajrides. Take a match to Son of Beast and let it burn to total ashes and then build a real coaster with real trains. My neck, back and tailbone will never be the same.

Alright, brass tacks here. Someone give it to me straight. What is the reason Kings Island can't rip up all the existing track and lay Intamin pre-fab track on the SOB supports instead? Probably already been answered but a buddy of mine who loves Colossos wants to know.

And if that's not possible, what are the comparitive expenditures of constantly doing track maitainence to this ride versus buying more comfortable trains... I mean by now they have to have been able to save money by doing this, right? *** Edited 6/12/2006 8:21:47 AM UTC by SnailSorrenson***

Money.

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DorneyDante said:
Count me in on "I cant wait to see what CF does to SOB."

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You got a thing for bulldozers? ;)

^^ Too much speed for the layout, they'd be replacing laminated beam running rails at the same rate they currently replace 2x6s...it's been a disaster from nception, at least (hopefully) CF will know it's time to give up and build something "maintainable"...

Like, say, an overbraked *Morgan hyper*...LOL! ;)

*** Edited 6/12/2006 4:37:05 PM UTC by rollergator***

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Ajrides said:
I wonder how long CF will keep throwing 500k a year......

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Is this a correct figure?

Also, regarding your assertion that Hercules was "much better" than MS or SOB.... I guess we're all entitled to what we believe, but that's a lot to swallow (MS and SOB are neither very good coasters though, I'll say that).

Using the data from the 2003 Mitch Hawker wood poll;

SOB - #148
Mean Streak - #167
Hercules - #171

for reference, the lowest rated woody that year was Grizzly at #172.

Looks like the community dislikes all three...

Later,
EV

Hercules was cake to demolish. I can't comprehend the expenditure for demoing something like SOB. I see it being removed unless someone comes up with a new track concept that can withstand these greater forces that come along with 150ft+ woodies. Obviously Intamin has developed something but if their concept could work with megawoodies that already stand (like rattler, ms, and sob), I think the parks that own these would have implemented the design (unless their just cheap sob's) These were all favorable woodies at one time but went downhill with their age due to wear and tear, so i would think some glory would like to be restored in them if possible. I don't know the concept that well of the Intamin's prefabs but I know we have discussed it before....I just dont think its practical to attempt using the prefab on an already built structure. Not only that I dont believe it would work. The park is better off tearing the ride down and starting from scratch. It all comes down to $$$$ though.

Yes gator, I love the wrecking ball! haha maybe not, its actually kinda disheartening for me to see a coaster go down. My therapist says I'm recovering quite well with the whole Hercules situation. haha

Dante, eagerly awaiting the end of the work day so he can head over to great adventure and give this new megawoodie a whirl! *** Edited 6/12/2006 5:55:57 PM UTC by DorneyDante***

I actually rode SoB on Friday, and happened to think it was much better, even better than Beast, and your talking to a kid that loved Beast more than Millenium Force until they braked it to hell.

opthodoc-

I believe that's the number somebody threw out at an event at PKI a few years ago. I'd call it about right... possibly a little high.

I rode it two weeks ago. Much better than the last two years when i got my first three rides on it. It still is gonna be viobrating like mad, but not much you can do, jackhammering is not as evident as it used to be. They should be able to run more trains on it, as i agree with most of you. I think stacking has alot to do with the employees more so. They were at a lack with two people checking a whole train, so maybe utilize more employees, but a third train is not seen anywhere near the ride. They can hit the intervals easily in my opinion with more employees opping the ride, because they have a long lift hill and a block or up on the hill before the drop into the loop, so its possibly but not probable.

Train 3 has been cannibalized for parts.