What really happened to Drachen Fire?!

And, the nests were on the corkscrew, not the lift hill.

-----------------
How much more floorless can they get?

ther was one on the lift hill!!!!!! I SAW IT!

-----------------
I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it!

The nest was on the wrap-around corkscrew not the lift. The corkscrew element was located mid- way through the first drop. If u need a pic let me know I will try and find one.

-----------------
Fear The two Apollo’s Chariot,which boasts nine drops,totaling 825-feet!and Alpengeist,the world’s tallest at(195-feet!),fastest at(67 mph!)and most twisted inverted roller coaster.

Although B&M had nothing to do with the project, there is no doubt in my mind that a B&M was intended to go there.

Wrap around corkscrew----diving drop and big loop

zero-g-hill---------------zero-g-roll

corkscrew and cutback---------------interlocking corkscrews

Drachen Fire was so drastically different than anything Arrow ever did, it just seems very fishy to me. I am not claiming that I am right or know what was going on at BGW those years, these are just my petty thoughts.

I don't really see how you can compare any of those elements to each other and come to the conclusion that B&M was involved. Those elements are each so different that I can't really see the logic in the comparison. Sure, DF was unconventional for Arrow, but it wasn't much like a typical B&M sitdown.

-----------------
"Look, we all go way back, and uh, I owe you from the thing with the guy in the place and I'll never forget it." "That was our pleasure." "I'd never been to Belize."

*** This post was edited by bigboy on 7/14/2002. ***

They left the station and transfer track building in place.

On the America's Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills 1 video, a 3rd person view of rider's faces on Drachen Fire is shown, and it didn't look to me to be any rougher than any other Arrow looper. I just can't believe they tore down such a neat looking coaster unless it was breaking down too often or causing serious injuries. I think they should have just posted a sign saying it might be a little rough. ;) And signs w/ directions how to get to DF...

I don't know exactly what happened between B&M, Arrow, and BGW with this ride, but I can tell you that I have read that B&M was asked to construct a sit-down coaster with loop encompassing the lift hill...B&M said that they couldn't do it, so BGW moved on. BGW never passed on any designs to Arrow...Like I said, I don't know how much truth there is in that, so take it for what it's worth.

As far as the Eagles/Hawks nest....If they were in fact there and they couldn't run the coaster because of them, then why would they go through the expense of tearing the coaster down....Tearing the coaster down would disturb the nests, so that couldn't possibly be the reason the ride was torn down....If they didn't mind disturbing the nests, they would have just removed them. The ride was removed because it was too rough...simple as that. Arrow screwed up and BGW paid for it. The ride has since been melted down...the Transfer station and loading station buildings are all that remain.

I think they will put another ride in there before long, but look for them to create a better (read: more obvious) entry path.

Happy Coastering!

Sean

-----------------
"Have fun stormin' the castle!"

freakylick said:

I don't know exactly what happened between B&M, Arrow, and BGW with this ride, but I can tell you that I have read that B&M was asked to construct a sit-down coaster with loop encompassing the lift hill...B&M said that they couldn't do it, so BGW moved on. BGW never passed on any designs to Arrow...Like I said, I don't know how much truth there is in that, so take it for what it's worth.
-----------------
"Have fun stormin' the castle!"

I'm glad you mentioned this, so I'm going to put my two cents in. This is going to sound rude, but it's not directed toward anyone, just that statement about B&M not being about to build a loop around the lift hill. Here goes:
In my opinion, the whole debate that B&M didn't build Drachen Fire because they couldn't "figure out" how to put a loop around the lift hill is a pile of...well, you know. To me, that's kind of like telling a teacher that I couldn't do my math homework because it was dark and I couldn't "figure out" the light switch. B&M had plenty of experience before Drachen Fire in order to be able to build a ride with a loop going around the lift hill. There is a chance that B&M might have originally planned to build Drachen Fire, but I seriously, seriously doubt that they didn't becuase of the loop and lift hill.

-----------------
Intelligence is a God given gift: Know how to use it.

B&M never, EVER had anything to do with Drachen Fire. Some stupid enthusiast made it up folks, so let it rest.

-----------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"We used to hate people, now we just make fun of them. It's more effective that way." - KMFDM, "Dogma"

Okay- we know B&M had nothing to do with the ride. Do we know why BG ripped it down? And please don't say because of a birds nest!

Because no one rode it. People found it uncomfortable and rough. It's no bigger mystery than that.

-----------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"We used to hate people, now we just make fun of them. It's more effective that way." - KMFDM, "Dogma"

I just gotta add my (standard) Drachen Fire comment on this:

First, I never rode it. However, the consensus of the people who have is that it was a rough and / or painful ride.

That being said, my opinion is this...

Because it was SBNO for all of those years (and now removed) it attained a legendary status and every one is crying over its demise. Had it remained open, many of those same people would be crying "Its too rough... build something better in its place."

I will admit... when riding the train this past April and entering the clearing where Drachen Fire used to stand, it waskind of an erie sight to see; that vacant clear land with only the train shed (complete with the front of trains poking out of it) and the station standing there. Nothing nostalgic for the ride... just that same erie ghostlike feeling I get when ever I see something abandoned like that.

-----------------
Face it, call ourselves what we want, but to the parks we are all "GP".

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/15/2002. ***

Contrary to popular belief, Drachen Fire was not sinking. It was built on a minor faultline of the continental and atlantical plates, and the ground was in fact rising underneath it, threatening it's height records. This whole story about it being invaded by a flock of rough eagles was just cover.

Jeff said:

B&M never, EVER had anything to do with Drachen Fire. Some stupid enthusiast made it up folks, so let it rest.
-----------------

The King has spoken and it shall be so...*rolls eyes*

So should I believe some stupid enthusiast, or some stupid enthusiast with a website...decisions, decisions!

SLFake, I did ride it and didn't find it to be rough...although I rode it in it's opening year, so it may have roughened up over time. But I wholeheartedly agree with this quote from your post,

"Because it was SBNO for all of those years (and now removed) it attained a legendary status and every one is crying over its demise. Had it remained open, many of those same people would be crying 'Its too rough... build something better in its place.'"

Happy Coastering!

Sean

-----------------
"Have fun stormin' the castle!"

You can believe what you want... I flat out asked Arrow!

-----------------
Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"We used to hate people, now we just make fun of them. It's more effective that way." - KMFDM, "Dogma"

Raptor Pilot:

DF beat your head mercilessly. The Robin side of Batman and Robin: The Chiller (Before the train conversion) is the only coaster I have ridden that exceeded the head banging of DF, and I've ridden a lot on notorious head bangers.

I'm just surprised that in all the time the ride sat dormant, it never killed anybody. A couple of us were talking about this yesterday at Kings Island. Just about everybody in Cincinnati knows somebody who knows somebody who was in the park who talked to somebody who was watching when the Bat crashed into a tree/tossed riders/fell from the track/whatever it was and killed a whole bunch of people. (Which, of course never happened; there were NO accidents or serious injuries on The Bat). And that ride was only SBNO for one full season. Drachen Fire was SBNO for multiple seasons and yet I haven't heard any of the inevitable accident stories.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Jim Fisher,
I guess they cut out those parts of the video. ;)

So am I wrong to think if they'd changed to lap bar restraints, everything would have been fine?

No offense but this eagle stuff is really getting old. It was not an eagles nest and I had proven that from the park already. People get this idea in their heads and refuse to remove it. It is and was not an eagles nest at all and there never was. For info, email me and I will yet again prove it.