TombRaiderFTW Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 ...is a great example of an accident that would require track to be replaced, whether at a Magic Mountain or at that place where you can see the Woods by the Sea like a true Ravine Flyer! EDIT: This post made sense before Terp edited his post, haha. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 It still does... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Oh my only thought on the price point for on site being more expensive is that the manual labor involved would be more expensive matching the ride versus B&M having a Mach one make theirs... But you all are probably right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterKrazy Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I'm not claiming parks have never, ever had track or supports replaced. I don't have inside information about the maintenance of roller coasters. I'm just saying that, apart from accidents or poor design, I can't think of a viable reason that they would need to. I don't know about supports, but I know that some rails on Vortex have been replaced. Magnum too, I think. If roller coaster are designed like bridges, the number of loading cycles to which the structure is subjected will be taken into consideration. It is possible to design a structure in such a way that, theoretically, it can be subjected to an infinite number of cycles without fatigue becoming a problem. But, as others have said, there's really no incentive for parks to pay for a ride that will literally last a lifetime. Vortex will be replaced at some point, but not because of poor design. Either the ride will come to the end of its design life, or its marketable life. In the end, it comes down to money, and the point at which it no longer makes sense for the park to maintain the ride. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKIVortex Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 The running rails can be replaced pretty easily however. I know the some of the rails on both Vortex and The Bat have been replaced. The Bat just had a section of running rail replaced before the beginning of the season. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 And The Bat is proof that some TLC can actually change the experience of a steel coaster pretty substantially. Seriously, on media day, that ride was running so smooth it was amazing. Not that it's rough by any stretch, but it was smoothER. Top Bat Gun Deck has, on the worst days that I can recall, always been a much more smooth ride than the other two Arrow Suspendeds I've ridden. Granted, my experience with it only goes back to 2010, so I could certainly be wrong. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSalsa Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Hmm...the question of how much longer the 3 Arrow coasters @ Kings Island will last is an interesting one. My thoughts are based on looking at other coasters that are either still around or have been demolished. I'll start with Vortex... Vortex The ride is still reliable, popular, and high-capacity- these 3 factors are clearly in Vortex's favor. However, several of its kin have bit the dust, but not all- the Loch Ness Monster at BGW is nearly a decade older, is also very large and fast, and it's still running well. However, once metal fatigue starts to set in (will probably happen to an older ride like LNM first before Vortex though) I don't think Vortex has a chance. Vortex will probably reach its 30th anniversary in 2017. 35th is possible. 40th is a large stretch. But I'm 90% sure Vortex won't be able to hit 50, sadly. The Bat Big Bad Wolf gives us a timetable here- that ride lasted 25 years before kicking the bucket. According to that timetable, The Bat will end its run in 2018. Though Iron Dragon @ Cedar Point has already reached 25 as well, that's a much tamer coaster, and being aggressive does wear a coaster down faster. And Vortex @ Canada's Wonderland is very popular, so it's also possible The Bat could be scrapped simply to help that ride last longer. However, the ride was just re-named and re-painted...but King Cobra was repainted in 1999. In 2002, it was gone. So that doesn't help as much as I'd originally think. The Bat will probably outlive Vortex, but I'd guess it would too be gone not too long after. Adventure Express Of the 3, this one will probably be the last Arrow in the park when all is said and done. Mine Train Coasters in general seem to have insanely long lifespans for steel coasters, with many from the mid-1960's still running strong today (AE opened in 1991- 25 years after the 1st mine train opened and that one is STILL running today to boot). This is probably also due to, as suggested above, the fact Mine Trains are family coasters and thus don't have crazy g-forces. The wooden supports also likely help as those would be easy enough to fix/replace. I could actually see this ride still running in the year 2040 or later, so long as its popularity doesn't drop off or the park decides it's in the way of some huge new coaster or something. If it can do that, it could actually likely outlive rides like BLSC or Firehawk. Then again, dumb management has likely killed good coasters that still had plenty of life in them before...though ATM AE should be safe since Cedar Fair seems to know what they're doing. And that's about how long I'd estimate all 3 Arrows have to go. My advice: ride Vortex & The Bat as much as possible in the next few years, they could be going soon. Ride AE too, though that's more because it's a great ride of its type and not so much that it's going anywhere anytime soon. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIBeast Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Out of curiosity, I was wondering how many rides Vortex has given over its' lifetime? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI Guy Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Terp, this thread bump of yours reminds me of one you did on an old IJST thread in the summer of '13. I'm sure you recall. Has enough time passed to where you can decrypt that? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Not....yet. 2015 is an important year.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI Guy Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Only you would bump something 2 years in advance and say "How quickly they forget". The Interpreter... is that a misnomer or what? He's more like The Encrypter. I mean he mentioned in that thread carrion, which is purifeying flesh! Huh??? I enjoy his "diversions" a lot though. The thread I was referring to: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/1078-the-italian-job-stunt-track/page-7 **POST 100!** 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Not....yet. 2015 is an important year.... 2015 is, unless I'm mistaken, the 10th anniversary season of Backlot Stunt Coaster, am I correct? Out of curiosity, I was wondering how many rides Vortex has given over its' lifetime? As of the beginning of the 2013 season, 40,649,743. https://www.visitkingsisland.com/media-center/ride-record-book At that time, it had completed 26 seasons, averaging 1,563,481 rides a year. So at the end of this season, it will likely be between 43 and 44 million. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Yes, Italian Job: Stunt Track opened in 2oo5... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kblanken Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 I think the page with the ride counts is showing all rides entering the 2014 season. It mentions the order is listed based on which had the most rides entering 2013; possibly they forgot to change it, or maybe they just wanted to keep it that way? Vortex is probably that 40,649,743 plus another million or so for this year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTD-120-420 Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Could Kings Island be planning a throwback year like Kings Dominion did this year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Could they? Sure. Are they? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI Guy Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 It's interesting that you bumped threads on two rides that are in close proximity. Is that happenstance? I'm not so sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 With Terp, things are seldom happenstance. Clear reasons, though, are usually not the right ones. Except when they are. He leads his life the same way. For instance, a renewed passport arrived yesterday. And got mentioned here. And no, it's not for SeaWorld. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Winner, winner, chicken dinner? Or Knott's? Terp, triple cross threadin' (cause double cross threadin' wouldn't be nice). 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindingSon Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Close proximity? Viking Fury and Vortex are in close-proximity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magenta Lizard Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Alphabetically they're close. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 And, they are in the same park! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TombRaiderFTW Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 And, if you consider the grand scope of Earth or the Milky Way or the universe as a whole, Vortex and Viking Fury really are in pretty close proximity! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark6495 Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 They are like on the same side of the park when compared to the water park 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 And, if you consider the grand scope of Earth or the Milky Way or the universe as a whole, Vortex and Viking Fury really are in pretty close proximity! Milky Way? Mars? Terp Snickers. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KI Guy Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Close proximity? Viking Fury and Vortex are in close-proximity? No, Vortex and Back Lot are in close proximity. I was referring to this thread bump as well as the one I mentioned on post #279 and #281. I'd actually forgotten about the Viking Fury bump. "HQIF." 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldschool75 Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 I think you are all missing it. Look closer and you will see, but make sure you look in the right place. Once I took the time to look, it stood right out. 3 lift hills aligned?? One old, one newer. Of course I could be completely off. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homestar92 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 At one point last year, someone told me that 2013 was Vortex's last season. At the time, I thought they were mad. Now, however, I must acknowledge that as a true statement. On November 3rd, however, I will no longer make such an acknowledgement... Ah, homonyms... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I'm glad that did not elude you. Terp, cross threadin'. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marth555 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 its because its sinking right? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I don't think it's sinking right because it's still left. Batty Terp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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