Son of Beast closes

Probably, but rent on heavy equipment like that > gasoline.

As a Q-Bot fan, I'd counter that spending more usually equals a better experience. :)

I had my brief pyromaniacal phase when I was young, but am again rediscovering the joys of detroying things with brute force with my 3-year old son. He takes great pleasure in knocking down the tall building block towers I build for him.

Isn't there another option, just pay to tear it down? The company wins, writes it off, never thinks about it again.

[url][url]Vater: So you build them, and Kidzilla destroys them, eh?

I don't know costs either, but there is a careful calculus either way. We have a building on campus that just got all new doors and windows. When the construction fence went up, I immediately asked, "Where is the bulldozer?" as long ago I declared that any renovation on that particular building should involve either C-4 or a D9. But the bean counters decided to renovate...and now the roof leaks. 8-)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Jeff said: Isn't there another option, just pay to tear it down? The company wins, writes it off, never thinks about it again.

That's as likely to happen as Merlin buying Busch!

Mamoosh said:

It's obvious you want the ride to stay and be modified as your "option 1" costs are way too high and your "option 2" costs are way too low.

On the contrary, I'd love to see a shiny new Gravity Group or Intamin wooden coaster there. That would be more like $10-15 million. My $20 million estimate was for a big steel attraction, like Intimidator 305, Maverick, Griffon, etc. I should've been more clear with that one.

What part of option #2 looked low? I considered that Voyage cost $6-8.5 million for everything, so $6 million for 3k or so of new track (to replace the rose bowl) seems reasonable.

What do you think are more realistic estimates?

Mamoosh said:

Charles Nungester said: When the ride was built bids were accepted and I know one company purposfully way overbid the ride as NOT TO GET THE CONTRACT!

Exactly. There were some smart manufacturers who didn't want to touch this project no matter what the money. What makes you think they've changed their mind now?

Those manufacturers were smart not to touch this...in 1998.
Maybe they are smart not to touch it now. Legal liabilities may be a problem.

Some factors have changed though...

1. The 218 foot hill is already there and (from what I've read here) proven to work fine
2. The loop is history
3. The coaster companies in question may not be as busy now as they were back then (CCI built 14 new coasters from 98-00, currently only the Quassy coaster has been announced for The Gravity Group)
4. They have another decade of wooden coaster expertise

If we're gonna tear it down, and I'm gonna say it again because it bears repeating: LET MYTHBUSTERS DO IT!!!!!!

Hopman said:
If we're gonna tear it down, and I'm gonna say it again because it bears repeating: LET MYTHBUSTERS DO IT!!!!!!

What a great idea! That show is huge, it would generate money for CF, they could make a big deal out of it.

If they keep the ride, the lift could surely work for a new woodie. This was one of only a few rides I can think of where I thought I actually was seriously hurt. I only rode it 3 times (with the loop). The other ride was the mad mouse at Lake Winnie (that last curve before the brakes).

I hope they don't keep the lift. It's the only one that I would put my fingers in my ears because it was SO LOUD.

What about replacing the chain with cable, ala Melienium Force? The technology is there and has been used in elevatots for damn near 100 ye3ars now, and on MF with very few hiccups, since 2000.

What's the problem with a cable-lift woodie? Would the stresses be too much for the wood, or might be the lack of classic "charm?"

I think the "problem" with the cable-lift idea is that Sonny's lift was the best thing (i.e. least problematic aspect) after the loop. ;)

I agree with the "replace the loop, turn the rose-bowl to an out-n-back camp". Then again, I was in the out-n-back in place of the rosebowl shortly after my first horrific rides... whereas I've only been advocating for the return of the loop since the day they announced it would be leaving.

Apparently, Pagod DOES have an issue with the lift.

It's friggin' loud!

^No louder than S:TE....wait, you haven't been to SFMM this year *yet*, have you? :)

rollergator said:
^No louder than S:TE....wait, you haven't been to SFMM this year *yet*, have you? :)

The loud lift problem has been around forever on various coasters (Batman prototype at Great America, it was bad opening year). That is probably an easier problem to solve. They put some sort of pads in there, or change the springs or something.

I thought the lift was one of 3 'good' parts on SOB. It was creepy steep and tall. The other parts I liked were the loop and first drop.

Why not just leave it to rot and do nothing with it. That way they save money on tearing it down, and it could serve as a decoration of sorts.

I have an outside the box idea. How about they take it down and salvage the wood to build better housing for their seasonal employees?

ffej said:I have an outside the box idea. How about they take it down and salvage the wood to build better housing for their seasonal employees?

Wood cannot be used for housing or any housing structure. It is Acid washed. The guys who walk the coaster are basically dressed like firemen

Kings Island has employee housing? I wish I would have known that a decade ago. I may have chose to work at Kings Island instead of Cedar point.

It's funny how my hatred for SOB has me gleefully awaiting the day it is announced that the ride will be demolished.