fyrfyter

Search the web, as they can be found all over the place, when each new ride was installed. If really interested, yahoo groups has a pki old picture group I think. I used to get their mailings, but don't anymore.

I think changing the trains would be the best option, as it modifies the ride, and makes it a totally new experience. Ride modifications improve many rides, and make them seem like brand new experiences.

The lack of suspended coasters, and the point that it is a moderate coaster, not a killer like SOB, Beast, or Vortex, are all great reasons for keeping it. If it didn't mean anything, and was a horrilbe ride, then why is it that people are always in line for it? Just a thought. I would rather they try to find a functional train for it, or new trains for the ride, and keep it, as it is still a neat coaster, even with all the new stuff thats out there.

That sux. I forgot about that crap younger people have to put up with.

They put an age limit on who can work at FearFest? What is it, or do you have to be older than 15 to work there?

I'll be ****ed if they get rid of it. There aren't a lot of suspended coasters in existence that Arrow has made, and since it seems they are on the verge of disappearing. However, they could replace it with an inverted coaster and still retain the name Top Gun, like the Top Gun @ Carowinds, which is really sweet!

Our TG does about 55-60 max, while their coaster only does about 35 mph max speed.

Me neither. We were discussing the ins and outs of doing something. I was thinking that a change like that would probably require some engineering work, to make sure everything will still work correctly, after the changes and loos of aerodynamics, shifting of weight around, etc.

No Apology needed. Actually we had discussed installing Vekoma floorless trains, but have moved on to discusiing the ins and outs of taking the last four cars, off Top Gun, and turning them around so they face backwards. Much as the XLR-8 coaster at six flags astro world is doing for Fright Fest '02. Click the link, if you want to see what everyone is talking about http://www.sixflagshouston.com/news.html

Its not the mass you ahve to worry about, losing of aerodynamics, and moving things around like where the supports for the cars are now, and where they will be when flipping half the train around, also, have to think about the underside of the car, and that wheel thing, that always lines up in the groove when bringing the train into the station. It seems pretty simple, but I think its more complicated than most people think.

Intamin or B & M, hopefully inverted, floorless really really high, and at least as long as Vortex.

There's two sections to the site. You gotta get to the pic from the news page. I wasn't sure if turning the cars around would require major modifications to such things as the brake fins on the cars, since they would not be in the same place as compared to if the train were all forward, and I do think that some engineering work would need to be done, as TG does not travel at a measly 34 m.p.h., I think it does what about 60-65 m.p.h., which is going to make everything different. I also think, that they would have to check the stresses put on the train and the cars themselves, as I think most have seen the 8 shocks attached to each car, and how the cars are attached to their carriages. This change would also require testing, of course they should remove any things like cranes before testing it.

I went to PC over the summer. It is kewl, and has some decent coasters, but it seems like PKI is much bigger than PC. Their Top Gun Coaster is much better than ours, and their Vortex is quite different than ours. I would say my favorite would be that they have a rollercoaster that is built on the North Carolina/South Carolina border, so that when riding it you pass through both states across the state line twice. Its just a standard out and back woodie, but it is still a kewl idea. the other plus to this park, is that there are in fact two entrances to the park. Both have fully functional ticket windows, and both get you into high thrill areas of the park. I wish PKI could have two fully functional ticket areas, one at the main gate, and one at WaterWorks, which would help get people into the park faster when it opens. *EDITED by StXBomber for several typos*

Ok, got all this figured out........firstly, something is up with the boards, so that you cannot post a hyperlink that directs you to a JPEG. For me, IE won't load it on any of my various windows computers. Secondly, both Dank and myself are right. Dank was referencing a temporary folder which is a change for just Fright Fest at Astroworld, while I was referencing the normal XLR8 page. So we are both right. The train does look intersting, but considering PKI does not currently have any spare trains for TG, and that It would be a real pain in the rear, to take down 3 or four cars completely off the track, flip them around 180 degrees and remount them, I doubt PKI would do it. It would require add'l engineering work to check the metal stresses this change would have on the ride, as well as checking, what changes it would have to the riders, and the functioning of the ride, since the train would loose some of it aerodynamics, since the cars would be traveling backwards.

You all have lost your marbles. Look at these two pictures and tell me which cars are in fact facing backwards! If you look at the OSTR's, they are all arcing towards the front of the train, which means ALL the cars are facing forward! http://www.sixflagshouston.com/sfaw/xlr8/xlr84.jpg http://www.sixflagshouston.com/sfaw/xlr8/xlr88.jpg

Again Dank, your post clearly makes no sense. If you will follow the link, and look at the picture of the lift hill, the cars are going up the lift hill FORWARD. So just where did you come up with this backwards crap?

Yeah, that could be kewl, as long as it doesn't interfere with Beast.

The only flat festival ride that I ever really liked was the centrifuge one, where you leaned back against a like padded wall, and when the ride spun fast enough, the board slid up, and your feet were off the gorund. It was so kewl!

First off, your link doesn't work, as it is well outdated. Secondly, this has no bearing on this discussion. This coaster was built in 1984 by Arrow Dynamics, and was suppsoed to get rotated through to another park after 3 years. Top Gun was installed in 1993, 9 years later than this, thus time has proven better technology. Top Gun goes much faster than this coaster, and does have a drop, and not two lift hills. I don't see what this ride has to do with this discussion, other than a possible source for getting a new train If you want to see the ride, here is the functional link: http://www.sixflagshouston.com/xlr8.html

I'm not so sure they can remove that track and use it for something. I think the two tracks kinda intertwine. If anything, they should combine the two tracks into one, and be done with it. Add double the cars, and it would be just fine.

I dunno, building out there in the woods, right next to SOB would suck with a new ride, cause you would have to build soemthing that sticks up in front of SOB and if it wasn't terribly tall, it would look orphaned, compared to if they built it back behind FOF and made it taller than the FOF building and taller than The Racer, which could still keep the ride height down, since those coasters aren't terribly high.

NAH. Remember the WEBN commerical with the fat guy dancing around, and then it said soemthing about next time he'll be naked? It was so simple and stupid, but it was hilarious too. WEBN made all of that commerical by themselves and it wasn't totally off the wall.

I'd opt for the new arrow train first, but if they can't find one, then just do the retrofit to keep the coaster functional and not a terribly long wait.

I hope PKI doesn't put in a Chaos. It's just like that portable festival ride that spins you in a big circle ( big deal ). Lets get some new flat rides that are really kewl!

One can only hope that they get another train from Arrow or some other park, or opt for the Vekoma Retrofit of floorless trains. I think the Vekoma retro fit would be sweet, considering Top Gun's hourly capacity is better than Face/Off, and then we would have two coasters that are floorless.