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What`s next for Son of Beast?


fighting31irish

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I'm sorry to say, I'm with Windshawne on this. SOB has the same chance of running again as Screechin Eagle does. If they could open as is right now, why don't they? I don't agree with that anyway. The entire track would need replaced, and the trains have sat out for 2 winters now, and they're probably shot. I don't want to see it go, but it's looking more and more like that's gonna be the outcome on this one, unfortunately.

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^ I swear I'm not trying to come down on you, RaptorGuy, but how do you know the trains have sat out for two winters? It seems more logical to me that Cedar Fair would at least have the trains under some shelter in case they might be usable for another ride, should SoB be torn down or otherwise no longer in need of the trains. Same for if the track would need replaced... How do you know? I'm sincerely curious. :)

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As an enthusiast, I'm sure I know exactly what's going to happen...

Not trying to be rude but CF n Co. are very good at making money and I don't doubt that it was cleared by the state nor that they have multiple backup plans for the SOB :) Sorry, I really want them to make me like it.

I'm perfectly happy enjoying the rest of the park while they fix it... Whatever that means. It's simple a huge decision and I wish them luck!

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^ I swear I'm not trying to come down on you, RaptorGuy, but how do you know the trains have sat out for two winters? It seems more logical to me that Cedar Fair would at least have the trains under some shelter in case they might be usable for another ride, should SoB be torn down or otherwise no longer in need of the trains. Same for if the track would need replaced... How do you know? I'm sincerely curious. :)

I'm Pro-Son of Beast here, just stating that unfortunately, RaptorGuy is correct. The trains are visible on Google Earth and from Adventure Express, out in the open. They have been out in the open for 2 seasons now :( A very sad sight to see. Check it out on the last few turns of AE,through the service road under SoB. They are sitting there, likely dead :(

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I'm sorry to say, I'm with Windshawne on this. SOB has the same chance of running again as Screechin Eagle does. If they could open as is right now, why don't they? I don't agree with that anyway. The entire track would need replaced, and the trains have sat out for 2 winters now, and they're probably shot. I don't want to see it go, but it's looking more and more like that's gonna be the outcome on this one, unfortunately.

It's been stated many times that SOB has been cleared to reopen by the State but that the people in power at Kings Island and within Cedar Fair are not happy with the ride experience on SOB and that is why it is not open. Whether or not that is true is not known...

^ I swear I'm not trying to come down on you, RaptorGuy, but how do you know the trains have sat out for two winters? It seems more logical to me that Cedar Fair would at least have the trains under some shelter in case they might be usable for another ride, should SoB be torn down or otherwise no longer in need of the trains. Same for if the track would need replaced... How do you know? I'm sincerely curious. :)

I'm Pro-Son of Beast here, just stating that unfortunately, RaptorGuy is correct. The trains are visible on Google Earth and from Adventure Express, out in the open. They have been out in the open for 2 seasons now :( A very sad sight to see. Check it out on the last few turns of AE,through the service road under SoB. They are sitting there, likely dead :(

Google Earth isn't reliable! Who knows how old those images are! haha But if you can personally see them sitting out.... :/

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And don't forget, most of the "major" modifications we've brainstormed for Son of Beast would require new trains, anyway... At the most, we've envisioned an Iron Horse steel coaster, and at the least we've imagined Timberliners or some new train style. Both ends of that spectrum leave the current trains useless, anyway...

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I'm sorry to say, I'm with Windshawne on this. SOB has the same chance of running again as Screechin Eagle does. If they could open as is right now, why don't they? I don't agree with that anyway. The entire track would need replaced, and the trains have sat out for 2 winters now, and they're probably shot. I don't want to see it go, but it's looking more and more like that's gonna be the outcome on this one, unfortunately.

Why do you say they're are shot? The chassis and hitches on the train are most likely in good condition. Anything on those trains that could be or would be in need of replacement, would be replaced annually if the ride was in yearly operation. Nothing is wrong with those trains.

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I'll go with the latter. Take a real hard look at the track this year. The structure itself is not looking too good and after sitting for 2? years, it would take a lot of work to get it going again. My opinion is it's done.

I'm not so sure about that. I had a conversation with Don not that long ago and he told me that they could have the state come certify the ride for operation and it would pass, just as it is.

I say open it up and put Don, Mr. K, Mr. Gramke and the state workers on it for two cycles with news crews recording the look on their faces when it's over. When I see that I will know if it's good to go or not.

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I'll go with the latter. Take a real hard look at the track this year. The structure itself is not looking too good and after sitting for 2? years, it would take a lot of work to get it going again. My opinion is it's done.

I'm not so sure about that. I had a conversation with Don not that long ago and he told me that they could have the state come certify the ride for operation and it would pass, just as it is.

I say open it up and put Don, Mr. K, Mr. Gramke and the state workers on it for two cycles with news crews recording the look on their faces when it's over. When I see that I will know if it's good to go or not.

Now thats a good one-if they don't ride it, that tells me there is something not quite right. That is the most painful coaster I have ever been on. Besides, didn't they have to alter the trains a bit to get them to fit on Son? Perhaps the trains could be fixed but like the rest of it, how much more money are they going to dump into it? The last ride I had on it, the people coming into the station were not smiling.

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I'm Pro-Son of Beast here, just stating that unfortunately, RaptorGuy is correct. The trains are visible on Google Earth and from Adventure Express, out in the open. They have been out in the open for 2 seasons now :( A very sad sight to see. Check it out on the last few turns of AE,through the service road under SoB. They are sitting there, likely dead :(

Getting the trains up to speed is not the issue as the park has parts on hand ready to go. The train parts have to be on hand since they are constantly changed during the season, and the trains are totally rehabbed in the off-season. Any park is not going to caught off guard and not have sac parts on hand, and, the parts are normally purchased in a mass quantity (i.e. order 10 instead of 1) to keep the cost down.

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^Pre-fab's are manufactured and constructed differently . Pre-fabricated tracks have individual strips of wood that are bonded with glue that are then milled to fit the design of the track. The argument is pretty much how the track is built and the ride experience but... they're both made of wood. Pre-fabs are just designed with different materials.

Track manafactured elsewhere (pre-fab):

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Track built on site (traditional):

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Not to mention, built-on-site wooden coasters are, by their very nature, flawed. There are bumps and jolts from the track, as is it measured and constructed by hand. Intamin pre-fabricated wooden coasters are, in a sense, very technological. They're precisely cut elsewhere with the aid of advanced technology (or such is my understanding) and snap together like Legos (which you can see in the above provided picture). As such, the ride experience is much more along the lines of a steel coaster as far as the "roughness" one expects from a traditional wooden coaster.

The rides are, in a very general sense, flawless in a way that "true" wooden roller coasters are not. They are technologically designed and executed, which provides an intense experience far beyond the capabilities of older wooden coasters, but also without the signature elements that have come to define them. I know El Toro uses an elevator lift system just like Millennium Force, thus removing the signature lift hill element even.

The POV begins at 1:30, and is worth watching in full to understand the smoothness of transitions and the speed that such roller coasters can move with.

Though I certainly don't know (and none of us can) I would wager that if Paramount had waited for the true advent of Intamin's pre-fabricated wooden coaster and been willing to pay for it, Son of Beast could've been constructed very successfully, and might still have a loop to this day. After all, the #2, #3, and #4 spot for the world's tallest, fastest wooden roller coasters all belong to Intamin pre-fabs (with Son of Beast being #1). Plus based on their past work, I would think Intamin of all companies would be willing to give a wooden loop a try. I think that an Intamin pre-fabricated wooden coaster with a loop would actually be VERY deserving of the title "Son of Beast."

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Not to mention, built-on-site wooden coasters are, by their very nature, flawed. There are bumps and jolts from the track, as is it measured and constructed by hand. Intamin pre-fabricated wooden coasters are, in a sense, very technological. They're precisely cut elsewhere with the aid of advanced technology (or such is my understanding) and snap together like Legos (which you can see in the above provided picture). As such, the ride experience is much more along the lines of a steel coaster as far as the "roughness" one expects from a traditional wooden coaster.

Intresting that you brought up how the Intamin pre-fabs are cut elsewhere.

Does anyone know the last steel coaster to be cut, welded etc. on site?

Winner gets a great prize! :)

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Going back to the Conversaton about SOB Trains. Its my understanding that these trains were bought from the Myrtle beach Pavilion Amusement Park and remade to work with SOB Track. I never had he opprutunity to ride on these newer Lighter Trains before SOB Closed. Did these "New" Trains Help the ride experience on SOB or Worsen it? Also, Dosent it make since that if Lighter trains were used on the track, then the Loop could have technically stayed because Lighter trains = Less stress on the wood?

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^In a nutshell:

The heavier trains were needed to make a complete circut with the loop. The heavier trains also caused more stress on the structure.

The lighter trains were able to be used once the loop was removed & caused less stress. The belief was that if the trains were lighter, it would result in a more enjoyable ride.

Unfortunately, it did not work out the way it was hoped too.

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And as most here will agree with, the middle row of a wooden roller coaster car generally provides the smoothest experience because it's not over top of a set of wheels. The new, lighter trains had only two rows per car, thus eliminating the option to sit in a middle row and thus eliminating the chance as that less-rough experience.

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But see Millennium Flyer trains. Phare trains, even Timberliners, just to name a few. And though it is true the loop was removed so that lighter trains could be used, it is not necessarily the case that lighter trains could not have negotiated the loop, but rather that lighter trains could not be negotiated for the loop. You are on your own in interpreting that true statement. As for doubters I will say only remember there were boosters before the loop such that the trains' speed could be accelerated prior to entering the loop. The great Jeff Seibert used to love to talk about them...before the ride opened.

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Not to mention they use polyurethane wheels, like steel coasters. The similarities are too similar to steel coasters to deny. The same thing can be said for the new Texas Giant.

Man, its been a while since I`ve posted on here. I`ve been a little busy working two jobs and nearly 65 hours a week the last month or so!

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