Terrain Woodies

My girlfriend found a "Home & Away (AAA Ohio)" magazine the other night that had good photos of various coasters. The cover of the mag offered the Boss, which started the wheels turning in my head concerning coaster layout photos, that I simply adore.

The reason I bring this topic is two fold: (1) The Terrain woodies that I just happened to ride are Raven, Legend, and The Beast. These are difficult to describe without riding them or finding the layout at the CCI website. The layouts of Boulder Dash and The Boss intrigue me to no end, since I have neither ridden nor seen a great photo to visually lay out the course in my brain. (2) Does anyone else know of a terrain woodie that causes these same problems? And, how many total "Terrain Woodies" have been created in the US?

Look forward to your reactions.

-----------------
There's nothing like a woodie...

Woodies like Medusa and Lakeside Cyclone really confused me while riding them. They'll start as a twister with many cross overs and right when you think you know them they change the key int oa terrain. Medusa make two twisted laps and and then hops up through the structure, you think you're turning around, but know you're heading down a 55 foot plunge into the forest. From there it's a intense course through the forest before heading up a sidewinder that leads you back into the twisted part of the ride, then a few hop back toward the turnround area where you'll take an unexpected 50 foot curving drop in the opposite direction which lifts you back up into the final brakes.

Terrain woodies I've been on:

Excalibur at Funtown

Sebago Rapids

Boulder Dash

Medusa

Thunderbolt

Jack Rabbit

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Lakeside Cyclone and Excalibur aren't terrain woodies. They are both built on flat land. Does Comet at Hersheypark follow any terrain? I can't remember.
-------------
TOGO!

*** This post was edited by PT300 on 7/4/2002. ***

I have never been on a Terrain Woodie but they sounds awsome. The Kennywood Thunderbolt confuses me when I try to figure out its course, especially since I have never been to Kennywood.

The Lakeside Cyclone is built on completly flat land, so it is not a terrain woodie. But it does mix togther being a Twister and Out and Back.

Cyclops!
-------------
-Matt in Iowa
Just 15 miles from 2 CCI's.
193 coasters ridden -- #1 Shivering Timbers

Rubber Ducky

The Tbolt drop out of a station down a ravine then up the other side to a turnaround followed by another drop to another uphill to the lift. after the lift you go thru a double helix then drop down that ravine again followed by another turnaround higher than the first followed by the biggest drop on the ride then an uphill climb to the brakes.

Phantoms Revenge uses the same ravine as the Tbolt.

Hey Woody your forgetting the Kennywood coasters.

-----------------
Knoebels visits in 2002. 4

Obviously I wasn't present so I cannot verify this from personal experience, but my research strongly suggests John Miller and others invented the concept of the terrain coaster at Kennywood with the Racer, Jackrabbit and Pippin, which is now the Thunderbolt. As best I can determine, Waldameer commissioned Miller and associates to design one for them which resulted in the Ravine Flyer, which dipped, looped and circled on the station side, crossed the highway ravine on a steel girder bridge, dipped and looped through the woods on the far side, crossed back over the bridge, and finished up with some bunny hills before returning to the station. It was a great coaster before a drunk stood up on it and fell to his death on the highway below. The park then closed the bridge crossing and dismantled the far side trackage, leaving what is now the Comet. I was never able to ride the Ravine Flyer, but from old photos and interviews with people who did ride it, if it were still operating, it would rank up there with the best woodies anywhere. Now they're beginning to talk about recreating it.

The Boss is just plain insane it is so great but I can't figure out the layout

I've got the Boss layout nailed in my own head, but as far as explaining it.... no way.

I forgot to mention that my in-laws gave me a copy of the same magazine. A nice little read-out on the major parks in the midwest. But why no IB? I guess because no AAA discounts with the park, but I'm not sure on that one.

Anyway I did like the picture of the Boss on the cover. The picture is showing the Boss climbing the second hill after the drop from the lift. It's coming from the lower right in the corner. It then proceeds to do aan elevated fan turn and then drops down straight at the camera on the track next to the one the trains on. It does two other similar drops with elevated turnarounds. It then goes over some small hops into a double helix followed by a few hops into the station. So I lied, I tried to explain it, but it still won't help you figure out the layout.

*** This post was edited by Incidentalist on 7/5/2002. ***

Dang I saw that picture on the front and I couldn't figure out what ride that was, I was ashamed of myself. Oh well I'll get over it. Yeah the Boss really does look huge and massive and awesome, I really got to get to SFSTl. I was wondering, in the case of like Boulder Dash for example, the ride uses the natural hill to it's full advantage minimizing the amount of supports right? So wouldn't it be a more affordable ride? It makes sense doesn't it? But still Boulder Dash cost a mind blowing $6,000,000, for CCI that's an insane amount, do they charge more for the layout in those tough areas?

I have a recent interest in Lake Compounce and I'm DYING to get there!

-----------------
Tuesday's Gone With The Wind.
Elijah Rock.
Is it written in the stars?
La Vie Boheme!!!

I am assuming it was pretty tough to build Boulder Dash Because ot the terrain.

Does the Racer at KW use the terrain at all? Maybe in the drop out of te station but anywhere else.

Jackrabbits layout is wonderful. You gotta love the double dip.

-----------------
The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

---

PT300 said:
Lakeside Cyclone and Excalibur aren't terrain woodies. They are both built on flat land. Does Comet at Hersheypark follow any terrain? I can't remember.
-------------
TOGO!

*** This post was edited by PT300 on 7/4/2002. ***

---

I know the foothill of the Appalachins in Maine when I see them. Excalibur at Funtown Splashtown is not on completely flat land.

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

One thing that cost a lot on Boulder Dash is that parts of the mountain had to be sculpted to fit Boulder Dash in there. You think that that trick track fit naturally between the rocks and those double dip went perfectly through the trees. Actually, almost all of the greenery on Boulder Dash was taken out and put back in after Boulder Dash was there. A lot of those trees weren't really there before but were added to hide the coaster on the side of the mountain. If you look at some of the construction pictures of Boulder Dash you'll see how bare that part of the mountain used to look before the trees were replanted.

-----------------
Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

No, the Racer at Kennywood doesn't use any of the natural terrain like 3 of Kennywood's other coasters do. The Racer, since it doesn't use the terrain, seems larger than all of their other wooden coasters, when in reality, it is the one with the smallest drops.

I have never seen GOOD pictures of Boulder Dash nor have I ridden it.

-----------------
Tuesday's Gone With The Wind.
Elijah Rock.
Is it written in the stars?
La Vie Boheme!!!

I think the Boss is the only reason I would even go near SFSTL.

Well at least you now seem somewhat interested in going to SFStL, but there is more to it than the Boss. Sure it doesn't have many rides and most aren't stellar, but the Screamin' Eagle is a great ride IMO. John Allen classic where the third drop is the biggest, and when it debuted I believe it was the longest coaster in the world. Besides that you have the newly re-vamped Mr. Freeze. I think it's a great coaster, even with the old OTSR's. It's got to be better now. Sure there are several Batman's, but how many Namtab's are there? Only a couple and either way it's a great ride. The mine train is pretty week IMO, but the last hill is decent. And finally, it is possible to get a good ride on Ninja. And it actually has some decent airtime on it's first drop. Not to mention one of the best and most unique headchoppers ever created.

FYI Kennywood's Racer, while not being a terrain coaster like Boulderdash or Raven, *does* use the terrain under it to its advantage, especially on the last drop before the final brakes, where it dives into a natural ravine.

Coasters which make good use of the terrain they sit on, off the top of my head:

Gold Rusher, Revolution, and Ninja [SFMM]

Raven & Legend [HW]

Boulderdash [LC]

Rollo Coaster [Idlewild]

Jack Rabbit, Thunderbolt, Phantom's Revenge, and Racer [all four Kennywood, of course]

Beast, Adventure Express, & Top Gun [PKI]

Screaming Eagle [SFStL]

Lockness Monster, Apollo's Charriot, Big Bad Wolf, and Alpengeist [BGW]

Wildfire and Thunderation [SDC]

Big Bad John [Magic Springs]

Medusa [SFM]

OK...I have a headache...someone else continue the list ;-)

-----------------
N.U.T.S. - National Union of Thrill Seekers! Be a member and tell everyone you're NUTS! [Brought to you by the maker of LoCoSuMo! NOTE: NUTS is not a real club; void where prohibited; your mileage may vary; where's the beef?]

Both of the big woodies at Big Chief use the terrain well - Zeus and Cyclops.

-Nate

I will have to add Tenn. Tornado at Dollywood to Mamoosh's list.

-------------
CBCon Quote "We didn't even get wet"......30 seconds later you hear plop, then splash!!!!