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New Beast and SOB Trains in '08?


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I believe that a 3rd train would not be used continualy, just on occasions. The FOF runs 3 trains, but they really have like, 5 or something.

Flight of Fear started with four trains but only three were retrofited with lap bars. Only two trains run during the season though

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SOB Doesn't need to improve it's hourly capacity. It's practicly a walk on most of the time. I don't see why any of the trains could be used. So why do we need them?

I assume though you try to avoid the park on Saturdays, right? From what I have heard, the lines on SOB during Saturdays are crazy. But I'm like you, and I try to avoid Saturdays as much as possible.

But what I have to say is how would the third train hurt? I highly doubt that KI and CF will just give up on the ride. I see some, although slightly, but some improvements to the ride in the next few years. This year, the accident is still in the publics mind. It's front and center. And with the unfortunate accident at SFKK, it brought the SOB accident back to the front of the publics mind. Give it a few years, when the accident slowly is forgotten. And as word spreads, to farther away markets like here in Columbus, (I know people that still think SOB has a loop, not to mention the painful ride they last experienced), I think you'll slowly, but surly see an increase in popularity. The Tallest, Fastest, and now smoother then ever, Son of Beast.

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If indeed they are going on BEAST as several sources have told me.

THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO BEAST IMHO

YMMV

Here's why.

1. Since day one of Beast (Which I was a first night rider) It's trains were obsolete for the coaster. it was built with John Allen calculations for non articulating trains. (WHY it banks so far before the actual turn) The trains axels don't steer, The realized this imediately after the first or second season and shortened the cars from four bench to three bench to help slow THE DAMAGE the long non articulating wheelbase was creating. With Articulating cars like the G trains are. The need for brakes and the wear on the coaster will be greatly reduced. Some areas on The Beast get retracked twice or more each season. The helix is retracked almost every offseason. THE PTC non articulates TWIST on the track and shuffle if not well greased.

2. GONE are the HIGHBACKS. HOORAY! that was overkill from the time they installed them and visualls will once again be what it ONCE WAS!

3. DIVIDERS, GONE! Beast always had them but with the highback retrofit, They made them thicker and extended up your ribcage.

4. More traditional lapbar. Before anyone says they bruise your legs, They are now padded and do not make you sit SIDEWAYS like the PTC Ratchets that also TA DA! BRUISE YOUR OUTSIDE LEG.

5. The coaster should run close to it's 64.444 MPH speed again in the third fan turn after the midcourse. I've been on four walkbacks with people who've had radar guns and the fastest speed I've seen it run in recent years is 57.

6. The coaster always had BRAKES (SPELLED RIGHT) but they were used to varying degrees and still are.

7. The coaster isn't mean streaked, Mean Streak essentially stops the train twice in it's first 30ft of dropping and almost totally stops it in the midcourse.

8. Without the need for brakes or a midcourse. I could easily see a couple hills put in that shed area.

9. OPEN FACE TRAINS! WOOHOO! you thought sitting up front before was cool, Imagine it now that you can see the track imediately in front of you.

10. Capacity should be offset by quicker load and unload times and check times. IT MIGHT EVEN RUN FASTER just like SOB DOES with less friction from shuffling and the ability to turn more freely

11. The old Legend train from RWB should be retrofitted to SOB. SOB's track will support no other NORMAL WOODIE TRAIN as the GUAGE is different.

12. Why scrap a train for parts when parts are easily ordered?

13.. Don't knock it till you try it. I was lary of SOB but after riding last weekend, HUGE IMPROVEMENT!

The only drawback I see in this is lack of padding in the seats but if the trackwork holds up much better. THAT SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM

Chuck, one very anxious to ride BEAST WITH G TRAINS! WOOHOO! YIPPIE! HOORAY!

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1. Since day one of Beast (Which I was a first night rider) It's trains were obsolete for the coaster. it was built with John Allen calculations for non articulating trains. (WHY it banks so far before the actual turn)

You do know that the current trains on Beast are not the original trains.

The old trains were 4 cars/ 8 person. Current trains are 6 car/ 6 person.

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Read the rest of Chucks post!

He specifically says that the cars were shortened from 4 benches to 3 benches!! I'm quite sure that he knows!

Devil is in the details!

Correct, the trains on Beast are still the original trains, they have just been modified over the years in many ways.

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I for one would not want to see G trains on The Beast. Why? Well, standard G trains contain eight cars, with four people per train. That brings the total riders per train to 24. The PTC trains currently hold 36 people per train. Reducing the number of people per train would GREATLY reduce the capacity of the ride by 1/3! So, unless they add three cars to the G trains, I don`t see the G trains as a positive for The Beast due to the capacity. However, the fact that the trains could be open front and not have headrests would be nice, but still not worth the capacity shrinkage.

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Still, even with the capacity shrinkage, knowing the kick-ass job The Beast crew already does regularly getting mass riders per hour, it shouldn't be much of an issue.

But then, I'm not, nor have I ever been, a ride attendant, so it's almost like I have no idea what I'm talking about. :)

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However, if one ride currently needs a tremendous capacity, Beast is not one of them. I haven't ridden it one time this season when it had more than a 10 minute wait. There are exceptions and of course every ride does deserve great capacity. It just doesnt seem to be the kind of thing right now that would be a deal breaker if a better ride is on the line.

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I waited about twenty five minutes to ride The Beast last Friday night at Halloween Haunt. And, having been ridden The Beast when only two trains are running (the same effect as only having 24 people per train), I can tell you that the line goes dramatically slower, and would result in longer lines. I say that the decreased capacity would NOT be worth the benefits for The Beast.

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I for one ; Dont wanna see these trains go near The Beast it just ruins the style. Its just turning it into all the other coasters out there if they do put G-trains on it. It would take a company like Cedar Fair to break what isn't broken in the first place.

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I guess Im at a toss up now, a few of you made some good points for G-Trains so i guess all we can really do is just wait til next year and see what happens and if they do replace the trains, yes I will be sad, but ill still give The Beast a chance with them. Ive also been looking on other forums such as GLToday and a lot of people there have made some good points for the trains as well.

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OK, I haven't read the entire post so... Has anyone thought that new trains for The Beast could be for the best interest of The Beast? It's an old, slowly getting worse ride! This is why brakes were added, the speed of The Beast was killing it! Now, it's the trains that are killing it!

I would love to see new trains for The Beast... it'd be a totally new and better ride! -Hauntguy

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First of all, I don`t believe that The Beast is "slowly getting worse." Secondly, the brakes that are on the ride brake it in much the same way that the ride has always been braked since it opened.

As I`ve said before, I would be all for new G trains, as long as the trains have similar capacity of the current PTC trains. To reduce the train capacity from 36 to 24 would be horrendous! That would reduce capacity by a third, which would dramatically increase wait times for this still popular attraction. But this all could be a moot point, as we don`t even know what Kings Island intends on using the trains for. For all we know, they could be for spare parts for the Son of Beast trains. Only time will tell.

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OK, I haven't read the entire post so... Has anyone thought that new trains for The Beast could be for the best interest of The Beast? It's an old, slowly getting worse ride! This is why brakes were added, the speed of The Beast was killing it! Now, it's the trains that are killing it!

I would love to see new trains for The Beast... it'd be a totally new and better ride! -Hauntguy

lol, well maybe you should read the entire post as some of your questions have been answered already. Brakes were never added to The Beast, just modified. The Beast has ALWAYS had trim brakes, just different forms. It used to have what were called "skid" brakes, these were removed in favor of using magnetic brakes to reduce maintenance costs. The magnetic brakes do brake the ride a lot quicker than the "skid" brakes did and regulate the ride to move at the same speeds. Where has it been said that Beast is getting worse? You work in ent. for HH not wood coaster maintenace dont you? :P The Beast has never been better.

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1) No, I don't avoid Saturdays. The reason being is I am part-time and I only have weekends off, so I cannot afford to take a weekday off.

2)I'll say it again(SOB). When is a one hour wait considered bad? Most of the GP are smart enough to know that they will be waiting in lines all day.

3)The Beast does NOT need new trains. The ones in place are just fine. As Coach Bombay pointed out, the same trains (with modifications) are the same ones that have always been there. If they have lasted since the '70's, then they must be really well built.

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