Tall wooden roller coasters....when is another one

I was wondering why after SOB was built that not a single park has tried a woody that would surpass it. I mean the steel coasters just keep getting taller and taller. Is it because no one cares, what is the tallest wooden coaster. Also wooden roller coaster just aren't being made anymore. I would just like to know if any park is planning on building a 200+ wooden coaster. Please be nice if I'm wrong on this one.

It's because wooden coasters run more poorly the bigger they get. All wooden coasters over 125 feet that I can think of have either profuse trim brakes (Mean Streak, Hercules, the Beast, Texas Giant) or major modifications (Rattler). Son of Beast hasn't had modifications because of its size, but then again it's not as popular with the GP or enthusiasts as I'm sure PKI hoped it would be.

Steel is simply more popular, easier to maintain, has more variety, etc. etc.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

Yeah, I agree with Den, Steel have greater appeal to the GP, but they are like computers, they become obsolete a lot quicker than wood. One exception to the wood v steel debate on which is popular: Ghostrider at Knott's Berry Farm, when there is a crowd the line for Ghostrider is usually the longest line at the park, maybe because xlr8r is a little um, intimidating.

Actually Son of Beast was modified, shortly after which Paramount brought a lawsuit against the companies contracted to build it. The lawsuit aledged (if I recall correctly) inferior building materials and insufficient structure. I don't know exactly what the outcome of the lawsuit was.

My experience with SOB last year was extremely posisitve. I think it's one of the most thrilling coasters I've ever ridden. Just my opinion though.

Wooden coasters will get taller and faster if Intamin has anything to do with it. Their lam-track running surface provides a smoother ride at high speeds as witnessed on Colossos (Heide Park, Germany) and Balder (Liseberg Park, Sweeden).

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Kevin Stone
NoLimits Dev Team
http://www.nolimitscoaster.de

You're not going to see another 200-foot-tall wood coaster unless one of several things happens:

a) Someone builds a 200-foot-tall version of Shivering Timbers.

b) Kings Island replaces the trains on Son of Beast with fully-articulated cars that can handle the track without beating the living crap out of track, riders, and train.

I thought certain that Son of Beast was going to be the wood coaster that finally disproved the conventional wisdom myth about wood coasters getting worse as they get bigger. Then instead of doing what needed to be done to make it run right, they stuck with 70-year-old technology and ended up with...well...with a monstrosity.

I think tall, high-speed wood coasters can be built and can work great. And I don't think paralam track is the way to do it. But as long as the coasters are running PTC trains (and variations thereof), if the tall ride isn't an out and back, it's gonna be rough and nasty.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

EDIT: No need to sign it twice, that would be redundant!
*** This post was edited by RideMan 4/11/2003 11:24:50 PM ***

Funny you mention this Dave, cause I've thought the exact same thing awhile ago. I agree the way to go is a simple out and back, emphisizing airtime and speed, sort of a Shivering/Magnum mix. And I don't think Intamin is the only player here. If Timberhawk works out well for Six Flags, I could see S&S/Arrow pushing the limits as well.

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People complain about clones, yet can't even come up with original conversation, which is ten times worse.

Plug 'n play! Plug 'n play! Pink Floyd Fanatic! Plug 'n play! Islands of Adventure! Plug 'n play! Vallyfair! Plug 'n play! Yay Friday! Plug 'n play!

Lewis...LOL! Well, Timberhawk is looking up ladies and germs... :) Sweet sassy, that's looking like one fine ride. Drove by the other day. That pull out is just sick. :):)
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I have been arrested more than you.

Don't forget that monster woodie coming to Alton Towers come 2005.

OH Yea. They said its gonna be 200 ft. or over. But the good thing is it is a out and back *less pain*

I agree with PT300, CP needs to build a huge Intamin 200+ foot high 7500+ foot long plug N play giant. It would be GOOD FOR CAPACITY and tehy need a place to put it

--ryan

LOL, nice grammar Legend_N_Raven! ;)

I don't know... I liked the Beast better then SoB... SoB... was very cool... just not as good... less entertaining.

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God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts!

Why would a 7500+ foot long coaster be any better for capacity than any other sized wooden coaster? Capacity doesn't depend on how big the ride is, just how fast trains can be dispatched.

-Nate (SOB sucks)

Gosh Nate, try to enjoy something.

I enjoy plenty, just not 200' high, incredibly rough wooden coasters with no airtime. Honestly, the only decent part of that entire ride is the loop. It's pathetic.

But just because I don't like SOB (which wasn't even the focus of my post) doesn't mean I don't like any rides. Seriously, do you think I'd post here if I didn't like some coasters? Just because I like some doesn't mean I have to like them all (or even most of them!).

-Nate (Raven, Tibers, Phoenix, Zeus, Legend, Gwazi, Cyclops, Cornball, Viper, and DB Hurricane are all good...happy now??)

first of all nate, alot of time is wasted in the station. Capacity becomes more efficient when your course gets longer as more block systems are added.

any ways, yea they are still building higher. Colossus is 197 feet and the new AT woodie, if approved by the council, will have a drop of over 200 feet

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Colossus [1]
Nemesis: Inferno [6]

Size does not matter in terms of capacity. What matters is the efficancy of the ride op crew. All the blocking in the world is not going to help if a train sits in a station for several minutes while people are boarded and unboarded and restraints are checked. There are certain things parks can do to quickly, efficantly, and safely run their rides that they don't always do. And that is on top of the fact that when dealing with the general public things just happen that slow down operations.

Do I think wooden coasters need to be bigger, taller, faster, no. They need to be fun, something a medium size wooden coaster has proven to be.

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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone

Black 7 said:

Do I think wooden coasters need to be bigger, taller, faster, no. They need to be fun, something a medium size wooden coaster has proven to be.

Couldn't agree more. Just look at the coasters that make AT's top 20. On the whole, not overly tall coasters. CP's a good example that bigger is not better. The Blue Streak is by far the better wooden coaster at the Point, and it's nearly 40 years old. As for SOB, I'm still not sure why I go on it once a visit. I leave with a headache, it's painful to ride, and the cars are uncomfortable. I mean, any coaster that takes your picture BEFORE the lift, should tell you something about the coaster.

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Goccvp1

I sure do miss the Idora Wiildcat & Jackrabbit.

LOL!!!The pic before the lift really ticked me off....I would look at my pic and be like "why aren't my hands up, they were up the whole time" then I figured it like the last time I rode it, but buying a SOB on-ride photo isn't worth it. I say somebody needs to build another terrain woody, like The Beast.

coasterdude318 said:Seriously, do you think I'd post here if I didn't like some coasters?

I don't care at all if you don't like that many coasters, but just saying everything "sucks" gets kind of old (not that you really do that).