Whats the skinny on Drachen Fire?

WHen I was there tehy said it was closed and a deal was nearly finished with a contracter who remained nameless and will take it where ever and work on it and sell it to some other park.

-------------
Cedar Point, it doesn't get any better then that:)

Does Big Bad Wolf take your photo and is it running most of the time.

I rode Drachen Fire in 1997. I didn't think that it was rough at all, plus, the loop midway through the first drop is awesome. A coaster layout is dependant on terrain, so no other park would probably buy it. Just an opinion. All rumors I hear point to a 2002 re-opening. Of course, in 2000, all rumors pointed to 2001, so make of it what you will.
-------------
Ticket price: $39.00, Wait Time: 2 hours, ride at night on Millenium Force: Priceless

No BBW picture, and every time I've been, going all the way before DF, the ride was down part of the day, but it didn't interfere, it's a good ride and it always runs otherwise. You can do what I did, keep a camera in your (zipped)pocket, and as you leave the station, just point it at yourself from your lap and click! Then put it away, I've gotten good at taking pics of myself with the wife, I rarely, rarely botch 'em.

Sinking? I thought that was Magnum:). Anyways, the eagle, ostrich, emyu, whatever nest it is, forget about it. They've been talking about that too long, the park should be responsible for making some kind of something to do with DF, nests or not. I have a feeling if something doesn't happen soon, DF will be a wildlife preserve. Birds, living on a coaster(?), wouldn't they get cold? Anyways, why haven't they given official word, or maybe the official word WAS low ridership(?).

hey, i live about 45 min away from BGW...i have heard both rumours, about selling off DF or getting new trains...i hope they get new trains!! DF rocked!! it really was one of arrows best. you know, arrow has gotten a bad rap lately. im gettin kinda tired of it, cause they built some rides that started the revolution of modernday loopers...Scream Machine at SFGAdv is awesome!!! and of course you have Viper at SFMM and Shockwave at SFGAm..ive never ridden them, but if they are like GASM, then they must rock. save the Arrow's guys!! they really are awesome coasters!! BGW would be stupid to get rid of DF for good...everytime i ride the train around the park, i look up at DF and i almost get teary eyed....i say bring back the DF :)

-------------
ROLLERCOASTERS....BETTER THAN OXYGEN BABY!!!!!!

---

RailsBum said:
"A coaster layout is dependant on terrain, so no other park would probably buy it"

---

Unlike most of the BGW coasters, Drachen Fire sits on a nearly flat piece of land and it would not be too difficult to move it to any park with a reasonably flat piece of land.

As a BGW regular I feel somewhat hopeful of Drachen Fire's fate. Today I rode FoF and H:XLC at PKD. The lap bars on these coasters were so secure I feel as if any sitdown coaster could be fitted with these restraints. Restraints like this surely would bring Drachen Fire back to life.

At this point regarding Drachen Fire, believe none of what you hear and half of what you see...or vice versa..whatever the saying is.

Until BGW makes an official announcement, everything out there is pure speculation and there is really no telling which way this story will end. There are so many rumors flying around. Some are credible, others are incredible. It is entertaining, but if you are truly interested in the fate of DF, that fate is entirely up to BGW, and they aren't saying much.

My only hope can be that they find it in their "hearts" to retrack, and perhaps configure the coaster back to its original design. Throw in lapbars, and viola! A potential monster of a coaster. I miss the old days. Drachen Fire was my favorite upon my first 5 rides.

-------------
;)Rollercoasters are like parrots...if you take care of them, they should outlive you;)

I have hope for DF. I think that Busch Gardens is closely watching Flight of Fear's ridership at nearby PKD which is currently rising due to the newly installed lap bar restraints and think that the same will be made to DF. This is of course just what I think and nothing more.

---

vacoasterfreak said:
"hey, i live about 45 min away from BGW...i have heard both rumours, about selling off DF or getting new trains...i hope they get new trains!! DF rocked!! it really was one of arrows best. you know, arrow has gotten a bad rap lately. im gettin kinda tired of it, cause they built some rides that started the revolution of modernday loopers...Scream Machine at SFGAdv is awesome!!! and of course you have Viper at SFMM and Shockwave at SFGAm..ive never ridden them, but if they are like GASM, then they must rock. save the Arrow's guys!! they really are awesome coasters!! BGW would be stupid to get rid of DF for good...everytime i ride the train around the park, i look up at DF and i almost get teary eyed....i say bring back the DF :)

-------------
ROLLERCOASTERS....BETTER THAN OXYGEN BABY!!!!!!"

---

I agree with every word in you're post. Although arrow isn't my favorite designer, they are certainly very good at what they do. DF was awesome the one time i rode it, and i wish i got another chance to do so again. And as for GASM,and Shockwave, they are very fun rides, i've even noticed that they feel smoother, They are in my top 10, and i hope they stay where they are for many years to come. I hear Viper is better because it doesn't have the turn before the break run, so i wish i get the chance to try it. Also, Arrow still has a bright future, Look at X...
-------------
"Thank you for challenging the Raging Bull. We hope you enjoy the rest of you're day, here at Six Flags Great America."

---

BrandonR said:
"It's sinking.

---

OMG For Real?! I better hurry up and ride it..=/...wait...What happened to Magnum? OMG...WHERE IS IT? =/...rofl

I don't know what they are going to do with it. I hope they put on new Trains like they did with FOF. It'd be great to ride it next year if I go again. ^-^ I just hope it isn't sinking. ;x
-------------
HaVe YoU hUgGeD yOuR rOlLeR cOaStEr ToDaY?
OoOoOo...Rolley Coaster!
Favorite Coaster: Alpengeist! *** This post was edited by RCTfan on 8/16/2001. ***

vacoasterfreak: Arrow was good for bringing back coasters after the depression. but for a long time they were just bad looper layouts with head banging. once in a while they'd come along with a great layout (DF, BBW, LNM) but rides like Shockwave @ SFGAm(the origional mega looper) just made them a second class company in the shadow of B&M and Intamin. now they're coming back with X. great layout, loops that conform to the speed of the train instead of the other way around, kick arse looking trains. hopefully X will usher in a new era for Arrow. an era in which Arrow will be smoother and use better layouts. then again it may just be another DF in a sea of SW's :-(

-------------
Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park

Is there any actual news regarding this recent update to the thread, or is it all heresay? I would love to hear any new rumors that have arisen within the last few weeks.

-------------
;)If it is music you seek, music you shall find. ;)

www.mp3.com/ethyl

coasterjedi:I agree that shockwave is the original megalooper, and that there could have been improvements to that ride, but a lot of people still like it, and if you want a modified shockwave, look no further than Viper at Magic Mountain, it has the same elements as shockwava and gasm, but as i mentioned before, the entrance to the brake run is not some radical turn that gives bruises, instead it goes up straight into the brake run, resulting in less headaches, and more fun. If it was Shockwave and Gasm that made them a second class company, then it was Viper, a year later that brought them back to first class.

-------------
"Thank you for challenging the Raging Bull. We hope you enjoy the rest of you're day, here at Six Flags Great America."

Why would it need to be retracked? Morgan really doesn't have anything to do with the fate of this coaster, in my opinion. The Phantom was redone by Morgan to change the layout, they kept old Arrow track(as we all know). Unless BGW is planning to change the layout of this coaster, it will not be retracked.

The only feasible thing I can see happening to this ride is getting new restraints. Do they even need to change the trains besides the restraints? We all know that existing wheel assemblies can be used.

-------------
CDNSN

It would be awsome if B&M would be the ones redoing the trains.

-------------
Hello, My name is Dan and I'm a coasterholic.

Here's the story I heard (correct any errors if I'm wrong): B&M designed the track, but they were too busy constructing Vortex at PGA (I think it was this coaster) at the time to actually build DF, so Arrow took over the project. However, B&M's trains had the center of gravity at the rider's heart, whereas Arrow's had the center of gravity lower. Therefore, there was conflict number 1. Number 2, Arrow's track pieces at the time were all pre-made, so B&M's approach of freeform steel bending did not fit Arrow's RCT-style construction techniques. So, to resolve both of these matters, the plans for the ride had to be changed by Arrow, and all the above issues resulted in a painful ride, which was reprofiled (I believe) twice and was finally closed after a fatal accident.

Now, I've been saying all along that the thing to do is to have B&M (or even Morgan) look over the ORIGINAL plans for Drachen Fire, and reprofile it using the originally intended techniques...not only would the ride be smoother, but it would also be less painful...plus all the original elements could return! In short, I agree with everything everyone's said here...all DF needs is a little TLC (not SLC) and a little bit of money spent and it could be a great ride once again. We can only hope...

-------------

The Luv Monkey has spoken...
NITRO kicks it into high gear...only at Six Flags Great Adventure!
Track Record: 28 and counting...

LuvMonkey: B&M never designed any part of Drachen Fire. That is just a rumor. Further, there was not a fatal accident on Drachen Fire, just several people complaining of whiplash. I don't think that anything needs to be done to the coaster other than to change the restraints. If they could return the corkscrew that was removed great, if not I'd just be happy that the coaster was reopened.

It is totally true, B&M did design the layout for DF. Luvmonkey is completely right. i hheard it from several relaible sources including lots of ACEers including myself. Arrow could have never have come up with some of the manuevers on DF, they were way too advanced for arrow, just look at the layout it is like no other arrow ever designed.