Steel Phantom to be removed after 2000 season

What is Kennywood thinking??? Why not give us another steel coaster to compliment the Steel Phantom? Why tear down this coaster that ranks in the top ten every year? Everyone should e-mail Kennywood to save the Steel Phantom especially those in the Pittsburgh Area!!!!!Come on Kennywood,what are you thinking??????

There are two big reasons as to why I think the Phantom is being removed:
1) It's roughness is leading to low ridership
2) High maintenance costs
When a ride causes a park to lose money, it's a good idea for a change. Isn't that what caused KW to replace the Laser Loop with Steel Phantom in the first place? I'm sure they're going to do next. Whatever it is, it sure has big shoes to fill.

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Scott W. Short
sshort@mediaone.net
http://welcome.to/midwestcoastercentral

It's a shame that they are ridding the park of Steel Phantom. What a bummer! Hopefully it is all for the best and who ever gets Steel Phantom restores it to it's origonal purpose.

I will be rather surprised if anyone can "get" the Steel Phantom -- its layout is rather unique and designed for the terrain it's on...

The Phantom is still a fairly popular ride, and I'm rather sorry to see it go, but it IS rough. I'm sure whatever they replace it with will be a worthy successor...

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Abandon all hope, all ye who...oops, too late. Bye!

I drove all the way to Kennywood last year (3.5 hours one way) JUST to ride Steel Phantom! What a bummer I adored this ride! Yes it was brutel but still loved it none the less!
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Welcome back Raptor riders-how was your flight?

Well, they COULD use the Phantom, but it may take a little reprofiling and a hill. You know what park would look good with it? Six Flags Saint Louis. Imagine that thing going under the Screamin Eagle... :)

Look on the bright side. They could replace the Phantom with an inverted that goes thru the Thunderbolt. At least the park is giving us warning of the Phantom leaving. We will all have to get to KW this season to bid farewell to this coaster.

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I can't wait for the 2000 season to start!!

the steel phantom..will be trun in to scrap at the end of this season.. it will reapear at any other park... they could have just got rid of the log jammer and build one a new coaster right by the new ride..

I rellay am sad to see what has been my favorite coaster since i was seven years old because i am from pittsburgh and the ride is the main reason i love the city, i have left numerous voice mails at kennywood office and am sending a bunch of e-mails too,but if we all cant stop it from going away i say fairwell to such a beautiful terrain coaster.

i might buy a part if the track if it is possible im totoaly serious it would look really cool in my house

Yes the phantom was my fav. ride too. Everyone complained about it being rough, but i never got banged around. They should take down the turnpike along with all the picnic tables behind it. But kennywood knows what they are doing. And another thing that sucks is that they are taking it down at the end of july. Being a Pittsburger i fill sad.

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Remember the Steel Phantom will always be with you.

Don't forget that Kennywood is NOT primarily in the business of being the biggest and the best. They're a great local park with a family appeal -- those pavillions, and the family rides like the Turnpike, are the bread-n-butter of that park.

The Phantom was getting rough, expensive to maintain, ridership was dropping, and it wasn't that expensive to build in the first place (due to using the terrain, the Steel Phantom cost a LOT less than the Magnum). Given that they think they can use the land better for other things, removing it for the space is perfectly understandable.

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Abandon all hope, all ye who...oops, too late. Bye!

I have heard rumors that some of the parts for Steel Phantom, such as bracks, loading station, etc. will be used in a new hyper coaster for Kennywood park. It will be a new record breaker at 323 ft.

The Steel Phantom is rough, indeed, but I've always taken that as part of the ride. I mean, just look at it. First off, the colors. Black and silver (grey). It just LOOKS mean. Also, the name. "Steel Phantom". That SOUNDS mean. I think it all comes together to make the ride great.

I highly doubt the Steel Phantom can or will be used at another park. It's not like the Laser Loop--can't be picked up and put in Mexico without any problems. If it does end up somewhere else, I'd like to see how it fits in the terrain.

I seriously think the Phantom's replacement will beat Millenium Force's record of longest drop. (Which I believe was then beat by Steel Dragon in Japan).

As for whoever said take out the Log Jammer... why? That ride's great! And like GregLeg said, that's a family ride, and family is what Kennywood is all about.

I'm jonesin' to hear the announcement of the new coaster, whatever it's going to be. I'm thinking either normal sit-down or floorless. (Inverted is a possibility, but I HIGHLY doubt suspended or stand up.) Lots of people don't like the other types of coasters, therefore I don't think KW's only steel coaster will be something like that.

P.S. - I'd but part of the track, too! How cool would that be?

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WHOO!