Stratosphere removing High Roller

I see no more in common with say - Nitro, Magnum and Hulk than I do with pretty much any three Allen, Miller or Schmeck coasters you feel like adding to this side of the equation.

As I said earlier, there's no reason any of those designer's coasters couldn't be in my backyard running in equal or superior fashion. Then again, if I were to build a woodie I'd want someting like a CCI or GG coaster, so I guess the point is moot. :)

*** This post was edited by Lord Gonchar 12/28/2005 11:51:40 PM ***

Age has a way of increasing the value of many things, if not in a financial sense then at least in a nostalgic sense. While plenty of older things can rightfully be labeled as crap, there is something to be said for the majority of things that defy time and so-called progress. That's pretty much how it's always going to be.

Look at the current state of baseball stadiums. The Boston Red Sox have been talking about replacing Fenway Park for years and fans have been jumping up and down in protest ever since. Sure, Fenway has those obstructive suppor beams, crowded concourses and limited restroom facilities, but people love the way it puts you right in the middle of the action just like it did before the Yankees won their first World Series. But go down to St. Louis where Busch Stadium was just demolished and people are ecstatic! Those concrete bowls (like the defunct Three Rivers Stadium and The Vet) are becoming more and more scarce but no one cares- they worked for neither baseball or football and because they lacked character, they were often miserable places to watch a game. It's like your comment about Miller coasters versus Summers coasters- never again will we see examples of either built, but while one group has withstood the test of time, the other is already showing that it will never withstand the test of time.

Quality is subjective, but sometimes it cannot be disputed. John Miller coasters are generally ranked as great rides, ditto for Herb Schmeck coasters. When was the last time you heard anyone say a nice thing about a Summers coaster, save for maybe the Georgia Cyclone and Texas Giant? Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder but when pretty much everyone feels the same way, there is something to be said for that. Look at Schwarzkopf coasters- at one point they were a dime a dozen, but now that parks are removing those rides in record numbers, there is suddenly a push to preserve the remaining examples. Why? Because Schwarzakopf coasters are generally regarded as good rides. There are Pinfari Zyklons that are as old as Schwarzkopf Wildcats but you don't see people clamoring to save them for reasons that are fairly obvious.

I can tell we come from completely different sides here- you see no use for the old farmhouse but that's something I would push to save over a 7-Eleven box. If a 7-Eleven was demolished, another one could be built down the block that looks and feels just like the old one. An old farmouse, on the other hand, is something that cannot be replaced- once it's gone, it's gone for good. Maybe it serves no logical purpose but I like the idea of a community having both a 7-Eleven AND an old farmhouse- that's a community that knows where it's been and knows where it's going. As for the questionable build of the farmhouse, how do you explain the fact that it stood solid for a hundred or so years?