Why doesn't SF hire B&M for new X trains?

From what I heard the X trains are in real bad shape and Premier offered to design new ones and SF turned them down. B&M were rumored to be designing 4D trains and even if the rumor was false SF could ask them. I think the trains would be pretty expensive but it would really pay off in the long run. What does everyone else think? Don't bash me for this either because its just a thought because all of B&M's rides are really reliable.

It wouldn't work. B&M's track is different than Arrows, so the 4D trains they are rumoured to have been designing won't just fit on any old Arrow track.

Never would happen. B&M has the wheels run on the outside of the track arrow does the opposite.

I doubt it would happen, but not for the reason stated above. B&M designed the Psyclone trains with the wheels on the inside.

I'm sure if the right offer was made ($$$$$$$$$) B&M would design new trains. But, that would take a LOT of time. They are perfectionists. I mean, it took over 8 years for them to get their flying train out there/! (John Wardley said he talked with B&M about it before Nemisis)

Personally, I wonder if Premier trains would just make things worse. Although better without the restraints, the Premier looping trains still aren't that great in my opinion. And....don't even get me started on those things rolling along SOB's track! ;)

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- Peabody

you call that "rolling" on SOB?

Bolliger & Mabillard has never made an offer towards Six Flags. Premier Rides has made an offer but was turned down not due to money but due to time. Premier Rides was to design and build three new trains, utilizing parts from the current trains, such as the seats. But they also wanted to create new 1st and 2nd rails. They wanted to cut off the old rails and weld on new ones, because the current top rails (not the X rails) aren't that sturdy. Six Flags was all for it, but they didin't have the time. Hopefully they'll work out a plan and have this done by next Spring. I really can't believe that these trains will last any longer, as I've posted before. It was fairly rough and bouncy last night... (Train 2, Row 2, Left Side, Outside Seat)

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Adam Black | adam@mouseinfo.com
www.americacoasters.com | www.mouseinfo.com

I was hoping they will have some new trains done or some major work done this winter also.

Could X have the fate of Drachen Fire? Both situations are very similar. Drachen Fire was a big anticipation that suffered from roughness. It was modified but the roughness still remained. We all know the rest of the story. Now it looks like X's 'life' is starting out the same way.

Doesn't Arrow have some sort of patent on the 4-D trains?

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Bullguy I think your'e right about Arrow having a patent on the 4-D trains,not only that but the track technology as well so there's no way that B&M or any other manufacturer could design & build any rides similar to it.

B&M hold the patent on aspects on inverted coasters, but did that stop vekoma building SLCs and other manufactures building inverted rides?

Arrow has the patent on how the seats move not the concept itself. B&M, Intamin, Premier or whoever could not use the same way to et the seats to move. They move by ratchets triggered by the "X" rail moving up and down. If other companies developed ways to control train rotation without using ratcheting trains with 3rd and 4th rails than it is fully legal.

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www.geocities.com/thrillworldonline

Now Reopened With A New Layout!!!

Vipper said:
Could X have the fate of Drachen Fire?

Reminds me a lot more of the ill-fated Bat. The Bat was another prototype from Arrow, totally revolutionary design. An absolutely insane concept... except for the fact the Bat didn't work. Same with X. Totally new and ingenious idea, except for all the problems. Wasn't the Bat closed down because of high-mantinence costs? X will suffer the same fate if the problems with the trains aren't fixed, methinks. We'll have to wait and see...hopefully Six Flags will do something to fix this problem.

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"It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them."-Mark Twain
Formerly SFMMan.

I'm not a legal expert, but I would think that because Six Flags owns the ride, they could hire who ever to maintain and repair the X train. B & M would be quite capable of taking the X trains and working out the bugs. Just because B & M trains do not fit the track does not meen that they could not make a train to fit it.

I would think it would be like taking an old Ford and putting a Chevy or Mopar motor under the hood.

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The worst day at Cedar Point is better than the best day at work.

Just a thought. Kennywood hired Morgan to rebuild The Phantom, an Arrow coaster. Morgan replaced Arrow track and rebuilt the Arrow trains.

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The worst day at Cedar Point is better than the best day at work.

That makes sense CP ismyhome, like with the new Miller Park in Milwaukee. The roof built by Mitsubishi already has problems but due to the fact that Milwaukee was in a law suit with Mitsubishi over the crane crash, Miller Park went to another company for repairs.

The downside is, Mitsubishi started another lawsuit because Milwaukee didn't give Mitsubishi the opportunity to repair it and that "makes them look bad."

Do amusement park attractions not have warranties? Wouldn't it make sense to have a warranty on a revolutionary ride to convince parks to purchase your ride?

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The below statement is true.
The above statement is false.

As far as the Arrow/Morgan track switch, don't forget about Morgan's history.

If memory serves on Drachen Fire the main issue was roughness with the track, not the trains. If X's track is not at fault, I think a redesigned train would work.

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Waiting for the CP announcement to be made so that about 1000+ posts will be made complaining about it.

I just hope that they close X around November and have it operating problem free in April and May because it will be ridiculous for it to be SBNO next summer again.

I think part of the reason we are seeing a new coaster so soon is too take some heat off of X's wounds.

Not that it is really "so soon", but 5 coasters in 3 years is a lot.

Goliath-2000

X/Deja Vu/Goliath Jr.-2001

New B&M Coaster- 2003

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The top 3 all time cobrarolls.

1)Raptor's
2)Deja Vu's (times 3)
3)Batman Knight Flight's

Mr G-Lix - If that is the case then hopefully X will have the same outcome. Remember how Bat was redesigned and then re-tried? Well, I think that if Arrow gets out of it's "troubles", and X doesn't work, then it will be re-worked to be fail-safe.

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LeWiS