State says Son of Beast accident was due to design flaw, loop will be removed

I've ridden it when it stopped on the block, The darn thing advances it, Both nothing like it's normal speed, The loop feels like it's gonna dump you out it goes so slow through it and barely makes it up the final hill into the final brakes.

I've also ridden it when the block was off for the Travel Channel shoot. The second half is much better at full speed but still a bit lacking compared to all before it.

Chuck

Why not tunnel the double helix on SOB and on other lacations thru-out the ride? It would make up for the removal of the loop! In other words, kind of make it like the Beast. It still is higher and faster!

If Cedar Fair wants to save money. They should tear SOB down and sell it as firewood. Then they would be making money off the firewood :)

You don't burn pressure treated wood. It's just not good for you.

I came to the realization the other day that I may have been the only person who rode the ride on it's first full day of operation (I was at the Media Day) and the last full day of operation (rode it Saturday, one day before the accident happened) while it still had it's loop....

Pretty nifty.

The loop wasn't the problem. The extremely long drops are and still will be a problem.

Excuse me? The extremely long drops work just fine on Son of Beast.

It's the lower-speed curves at the higher points on the ride, and the excessive movement at the bottom (=high speed, high force) parts of the helixen that are the problem. All the straight drops on the ride work just fine, and even the pull-outs at the bottoms of the long drops work just fine. The vertical hammering happens where the structure is not stiff enough perpendicular to the vehicle, and the horizontal hammering happens where the train fails to yaw through the turns because of the lower speed (at the high speed points where the train pitches through the curve, it works just fine).

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Excuse me, drops 1, 2 and 3 ride like an 70 mph jackhammer. There has been no wood coaster other than the Intamins with drops over 150 that are reported to ride well. Laminated wood coasters were not meant to drop 200 ft.

With proper structural integrity, trackwork, banking, and trains, there's really no reason Sonny can't run well....

RCCA? You have GOT to be kidding....maybe for a kiddie coaster.

I know of a wooden coaster that's above 150' that works just fine, and it's not an Intamin... :)

http://www.rcdb.com/qs.htm?quicksearch=voyage

-Josh

I'm with Dave on this one. I can't say I've had any real issue with the straight drops at all. It's just those ugly turns.

I really must be old school because I don't mind getting banged around a bit on a coaster;) What gets me is the old cliche that says about fixing things that aren't broken. The year will be 2007. With all the wonderful, spectacular and marvelous technology that's out there, I'm being lead to believe that because KI wants to use lighter trains that will give a smoother ride and also save wear and tear on the structure, they(the trains) won't be able to negotiate a loop. Are you kidding me?? I must be missing something then, because that is one of the most ridiculous and stupid things I've ever heard!*** This post was edited by Superstew 12/19/2006 4:45:26 PM ***

Agree with Dave and Jeff. The drops are just fine on the ride. As soon as you hit the helices, it's a "brace yourself or you are going to get beat up" experience. Being tall and riding SOB just don't mix either. Those metal grab bars are killer on the knees as soon as the train starts shaking violently.

Loop gone = better trains = I will ride it again.

can we get a better ride out of this oversized pile of stix!? I hope so but if not The Beast will be there!!!

I think hey should just take the entire rides down...I mean it uses a lot of space that could better be used for something else. They already have the beast and SOB was neat with the loop and all, but it just seems like now it is gonna be a punked out version of the original, so they should jsut take i out. I think in the future they will but for now they are just removing the loop to see what happens.

OMFG!!!111!!!!!!!

I just thought of something!

SOB had one car per train removed this past season.
The train, obviously being "lighter", was able to go through that loop without any problems.

Think about that!

I hate to be negative, but I have a new name for the ride. Instead of Son of Beast, or SOB..............Let's call it..............WOW, which stands for Waste of Wood........."just kidding"

But seriously, the only way this ride will regain popularity is if the new trains are truly more comfortable and airtime is created somehow. It helped the Legend at HW a few years back, so at least there is hope.