USF's Rocket Coaster

Could you imagine if all those breaks were air time hills instead. It would be really Assam then.

It would be even better if all those brakes were airtime hill ;)

I know that the trains aren't fully broken in yet, but it certainly does seem to just meander through the course lethargically.

But then it wouldn't be Assam, Moosh. Just awesome...?

HRRR roolz!!!!!!!@!!@!!!

This is pretty bad from Maurer that they can't get this ride open. This is not the first time they've done the vertical lift, so what gives?

The only other Maurer ride I know of that opened late were the Winjas spinning coasters at Phantasialand. They opened a year late, because Maurer just could not get the "special" track pieces to work.

Considering Magic Spring's X-Coaster hasn't run reliably since opening this isn't the first vertical lift they've had trouble with.

I find it funny when Chance has had a working vertical lift for decades.

So it's OK to judge a coaster before it's open now? The same things were said about the last two Six Flags B&M hyper coasters and they apparently pack quite a punch. I personally think it's going to be around the same "thrill" level of California Screamin, just a smooth, fun ride.

Whether or not I end up enjoying the ride, this series of setbacks certainly does call into question the choice of manufacturer. Could turn out to be my favorite ride on the planet....but at 3 months late, I expect parks in the future to consider HRRR's delays before signing on the dotted line with M-S...

Gator - same could be said about Intamin and Premier Rides.

I know at least one park got afterthroughs with going with Maurer-Sohne. The park in question was quoted a very nice Spinning Coaster, with an elevator lift, dropping track and tilting block brake. But, Maurer expected the park to pay over 10 millions US for it! Of course, the park wasn't that insane and is looking at other propositions.

In Europe, I didn't hear about any issues with the X coasters there. Abismo at Parque Attaccionnes Madrid is running perfect.

Does Abismo run more than one train? (asked without first checking rcdb.com)

Runs one train, using the vertical lift to stop the train, before pulling it back into the station. The layout itself starts like X-Coaster, but the park went with the "extended" layout, adding hills and turns after.

The only other X Coasters that run more than one are G Force at Drayton Manor (2 trains) and Formule X at Drievlet in the Netherlands (launched model, using 2 single cars). They've been running perfect.

Mamoosh said:Gator - same could be said about Intamin and Premier Rides.

Considering how they've done more recently, I think Premier has gotten some of the kinks worked out. Certainly the company had a very rocky beginning...but they seem to have figured out getting rides, even complicated ones, open to the public. Considering what goes on inside Mummy with the trains and such, I'm amazed they keep that thing functionally operational they way they do. The ride opened pretty much on time and is seemingly always in operation running alot of trains through its complex blocking/switching arrangement.

Agreed that Premier, deservedly, had a bad rap to start, but I think they've really got their junk together now. They converted me when they converted the Flight of Fear trains.

cough::cough::Maximum RPM::cough::cough

^Yes, kinda. I'd have to give them a BIT of a pass on that, it's not like any other lift/launch mechanism that's been tried before. Also, my recollection of S:TE and Chiller was that they had extensive downtime of about a season or more...MaxRPM by comparison was delayed about a month, IIRC?

Also want to comment to/on Jeff's mention of the lapbar retrofit...I remember saying then (ten years ago or more?) that a company looking to improve its product even when its selling is a company worth watching (and/or investing in). Premier scored HUGE points with that, even if PKI was the driving force. An American company building excellent high-end steelies, and improving their product...I was very high on Premier - and still am.

rollergator said:
I was very high on Premier - and still am.

So that's what they're calling it these days? ;)

^Higher than I'd get buying weed from security at SFDK, apparently... ;)