The "Remember when..." Coasters.

I know some of you guys are like what is he talking about. But everyone has experienced the "remember when....." coaster. Basically its a coaster that in its prime it had some awsome effects and/or scenery and it ran a particular way. One that comes to mind is Thunder Road. Remember when it was almost custom to have the trains race..........well thats a rare occasion these days. The racing and far and in between and it kinda seems as if the operators dont care about it racing anymore.

Another that comes to mind is Super Saturator. In its opening years you got extremely soaked, but now the cannons aren't in sync with the trains passing by and the water hoses (the ones on the supports that are suppose to spray the riders) seem to just trickle down the spout. Not to mention that the once blue ground is now plain grey concrete................

What are some of your "remember when.........." coasters!!

Obviously coming from someone who has never ridden an Invertigo (super or standard), a rollerskater, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Space Mountain, aVekoma mine train, etc, etc, etc

-Nate

I remember when SFMM's Colossus was a wooden coaster.

LOL Moosh.

Same can be said for Viper at SFGAm. That thing now has alot of steel support beams in its structure. *** Edited 5/26/2004 12:35:02 AM UTC by Chitown***

Anyone remember when PGA's Demon had theming and airtime?

Since KECO and Paramount have gotten ahold of it, it's not nearly as fun as it was when it first opened. The fog and sound effects in the first tunnel are long gone. The ejector air first drop had been castrated/replaced back in the 80's by KECO with the current boring airless standard 45 degree drop to eliminate any airtime. Paramount then removed the cool headchopper rock formations around the verticle loops for no apparent reason. The spiral light effects in the "tunnel to hell" hasn't worked in years, and the foot paths that you used to be able to walk under the corkscrew have been fenced off for eons. Now the paths are just all overgrown with weeds.

But just this year, PGA made a small attempt to bring back some of the theming by adding pink water to the waterfall/corkscrew entrance. Not nearly as cool as the blood red waterfall it originally had. Sad compare to how great of a ride it used to be.

Goldrusher at Carowinds comes to mind. I remember when it ran three trains simultaneously, red, green, and blue. There were no time consuming seatbelts. The trains also came into the station much faster than what they do now. It used to have the rusty look of an old mine railway. There used to be a bell that could be heard alerting you that the next train was approaching the station.

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jomo said:
Anyone remember when PGA's Demon had theming and airtime?

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That is sad. While SFGAm removed some of the theming from their Demon, they didn't castrate it like Paramount did.

It still has the sound effects in the first tunnel, the steep first drop for airtime, the rock formation in the second loop, and the lighting and sound in the long tunnel after the second loop.

I remember when Magnum didn't move my brain two inches to either side when I rode it. Oh, and I remember people actually knowing what I'm talking about when I refer to the Blue Streak at good old Conneaut Lake.

MindBender at Six Flags over Georgia. No Batman, nice rust color, three trains.

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One that comes to mind is Thunder Road. Remember when it was almost custom to have the trains race

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Never been to Carowinds, but I do remember seeing pix of the original trains and thought these were the coolest coaster trains, with the racing aspect as part of the theming too:

http://members.aol.com/k9660r/thunder2.html

http://members.aol.com/k9660r/thunder1.html

At least we got Xcelerator out here in Cali with the "Outlaw" themed trains!

*** Edited 5/26/2004 1:38:30 AM UTC by jomo***

SFOGswim-I have been riding the Mindbender sice it opened and I remember all the different colors of track--especially the rust. I don't ever remember them running 3 trains. Back in 1978, we waited over 4 hours to ride w/ only a 2 train operation. When did they run 3?

I believe they never ran three, but just had three, so that two would always be ready to run...

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Chitown said:
LOL Moosh.

Same can be said for Viper at SFGAm. That thing now has alot of steel support beams in its structure.

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No, no. 99% of Colossus' support structure still consists of wood. It's the actual track that Moosh is talking about. Over time, the wood track was replaced with steel I-beams in different high-wear and tear sections of the coaster, in hopes of reducing maintenance time and costs.

Remember when no one complained about Vekoma Boomerangs, SLCs, and virtually every Arrow Multilooper ever created? Remember when the Corkscrew @ Myrtle Beach had a long line every nite because it was the best they had?;)

I remember when Vortex @ PCar was new, it was so smooth and fun....but now it makes me puke(literally), even though I still ride when I'm there, usually.

-Revolution was an AWESOME ride, and could be viewed from the skytower or the patio by the loop.

-The only 'real' coasters in FL were Python and Scorpion.

-Knott's had an awesome racing coaster called the Sop Box Derby Racers, and there was always a line of families waiting to board.

-Any log flume actually floated in the water instead of rolling through the course - do these count as coasters now?

Remember when....

The Beast at PKI ran fast and furious?

I don't care what anyone says, back in the day, there wasn't a coaster on the planet that could even come close to touching it.

Good times.

Remember when...

- Gurnee's Great America's Demon still had it's original theming and played the corny music in the queue?

- American Eagle had two hour lines every day and was the most intimidating drop on the planet?

- The coolest flat ride to go on at Great America was the Hay Bailer?

- Yukon Yahoo, Bottoms Up, Industrial Revolution, Davie Jones Dingies, Hay Bailer, and Le Traffique Jam all ran at Great America?

- Going back further... the Turn of the Century?

General remember when:

- A new roller coaster every 10 years was a good average for a park.

Hersheypark Remember Whens:

- Hersheypark was named Hershey Park

- The Comet was the ONLY coaster there and it was a dark green color

- You had the option of buying a POP wrist band if you wanted to ride, or none if you didn't

- You could tour the actual Hershey's Chocolate factory and Chocolate World did not exist

- Hershey had two dark rides, the Lost River and the Gold Nugget.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Remember Whens:

- The name was Busch Gardens The Olde Country

- Glissade and Die Wildkatz were the only two coasters there

Six Flags Great Adventure Remember Whens:

- It was simply called Great Adventure, pre Six Flags days

- people would stampede to the Log Flume because it was the best ride in the park

- the only coasters were Runaway Mine Train, Big Fury, and Alpenblitz

- "Chariot Races" were held in the Big Arena

Dorney Park Remember Whens:

- Thunderhawk was simply Coaster

- Flying Dutchman was considered a "Huge Steel Coaster"

You have really dated yourself their slfake ;)

To continue:

More Hersheypark Remember Whens:

- The Coaster line up included two Chance Toboggans, billed as "Twin Toboggans" in Carousel Circle

- The Carousel was in that old building down by the creek

- The only "car" ride was the old Turnpike down along the creek

- Trail Blazer was the NEW coaster

- the "I survived the sooperdooperlooper" advertising campaign (not the current throw back style T-shirts)

- the park boundary used to end not far beyond the Dry Gulch Rail Road