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Beast project details revealed!


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“The original design of The Beast had the upper and lower track in the helix on top of each other. In order to simplify the geometry of the crossover, the lower bents will be upper bents until the tunnel.”

 

What exactly does that mean? 
 

I find the most clunky part of the ride is the banked turn after the 2nd drop/before the covered break run.  One could see the trains jumping around.  It sounds like that is being completely retracked 

 

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“The original design of The Beast had the upper and lower track in the helix on top of each other. In order to simplify the geometry of the crossover, the lower bents will be upper bents until the tunnel.”
 
What exactly does that mean? 
 
I find the most clunky part of the ride is the banked turn after the 2nd drop/before the covered break run.  One could see the trains jumping around.  It sounds like that is being completely retracked 
 

Great Question!


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1 hour ago, super7 said:

“The original design of The Beast had the upper and lower track in the helix on top of each other. In order to simplify the geometry of the crossover, the lower bents will be upper bents until the tunnel.”

 

What exactly does that mean? 

That part was really confusing to me, too. I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here:

I think the post is saying that, prior to this redesign, the structures of the upper track and the lower track merged into one big structure before the tunnel. That merged structure had a higher amount of sway to it as the train passed over it that caused the ride to be rough.

The Gravity Group is redesigning the supports in that area to remain separate and unmerged until the tunnel itself. Separating the structures until then will allow both structures to be more rigid, which will reduce the sway and lead to a smoother ride.

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1 hour ago, TombRaiderFTW said:

That part was really confusing to me, too. I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here:

I think the post is saying that, prior to this redesign, the structures of the upper track and the lower track merged into one big structure before the tunnel. That merged structure had a higher amount of sway to it as the train passed over it that caused the ride to be rough.

The Gravity Group is redesigning the supports in that area to remain separate and unmerged until the tunnel itself. Separating the structures until then will allow both structures to be more rigid, which will reduce the sway and lead to a smoother ride.

I think your misunderstanding the problem.  It’s not the amount of sway, it’s that it is not consistent.  The rigidity of the bents is changing in this area causing the bents to move different amounts.  The goal is not to reduce sway, it’s to make it so that it sways together a similar distance which will produce a smoother ride.
 

I think you are correct they are separating the structure but I am still confused about exactly what the new design will look like.  I really do not understand what the line about “the lower bents will be upper bents until the tunnel” means.

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The second paragraph in the article!

 

"The first drop will see a change from 45 degrees to 53 degrees. This change isn’t being made to add more speed or thrill element to The Beast, but to come in lower in the tunnel to provide the proper parabolic arcs due to reprofiling of the track in that area of the ride. This change, along with The Gravity Group’s vertical track design, will deliver a buttery-smooth transition through the tunnel and onto the second drop."

 

With no additional speed added, there will be no need for more trim, and at the same time there is NO way Trimbrake Fair will ever REDUCE the length or current amount of drag the existing trim provides.

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19 minutes ago, disco2000 said:

Let's hope the re-profile of the first drop means even with a steeper drop they can eliminate the trim on the first drop!  Or will the steeper drop mean more trim?

My guess is me neither, the angle of the drop does not change the speed gained, which is a product of initial speed and difference in height.  The trim is there to reduce speed.  I think this is a really important quote from the post by Don.

Quote

This change isn’t being made to add more speed or thrill element to The Beast, but to come in lower in the tunnel to provide the proper parabolic arcs due to reprofiling of the track in that area of the ride.

It reads to me that all they are doing is trying to make the ride smoother and likely reduce future maintenance.


I know there has been speculation that these changes are being made to remove trim brakes.  The trims have been there since day one, and I think people do not realize the top of the lift hill to the bottom of the turn up towards the second lift hill is a total height difference of 201 feet.  Without trims the train could be going close to 75 miles per an hour or more at that turn.  I just cannot see the trims ever being removed without much more significant changes being made to the ride.

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True, but they said the redesign is coming in lower in the tunnel - that means they added a height difference, so unless the difference is negligible, the trim on the first hill could be be more pronounced unless they plan to trim it elsewhere like the "mid-course" trim next to Orion...

I know the trims have been there from the beginning.  I am fully aware the trim is needed and why it is needed.  That isn't the point I was making.  My comment was more in line with does this new parabolic design and newer reinforcements allow for elimination of the trim on the first hill and instead transfer that trim to the "mid-course" trim shed next to Orion or someplace else?  Personally I would rather have it there than going down the first drop and feeling the noticeable trim slow down. 

They would be better off to shave height off the top of the first hill to eliminate the trim than to reprofile and add a height difference only to then have to add more trim to accommodate it.  Having a trim on a first drop is a waste and just gives the feel of they didn't design it correctly (let the flaming begin LOL)...

I love The Beast and personally I didn't believe it was as rough as everyone makes it out to be and I hope any improvements being made doesn't district from the character of the ride.

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2 hours ago, disco2000 said:

True, but they said the redesign is coming in lower in the tunnel - that means they added a height difference, so unless the difference is negligible, the trim on the first hill could be be more pronounced unless they plan to trim it elsewhere like the "mid-course" trim next to Orion...

The bottom of the drop occurs inside the tunnel.  If you move that point to be earlier in the tunnel the drop becomes more steep and you enter the tunnel lower, but the total height of the drop effectively remains unchanged.  Either way unless something more is done to the tunnel or the lift height the total change has to be negligible due to the limited space to move the track.

It is always possible the trim could move or be removed.  But based on the post and specifically calling out the changes are not intended to change the rides speed or thrill makes me assume the trim will remain.  I would love for the ride to receive the work necessary for all the trims to be removed, but I don’t feel like that’s a priority of the people who make the decisions.

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4 hours ago, Kenban said:

The bottom of the drop occurs inside the tunnel.  If you move that point to be earlier in the tunnel the drop becomes more steep and you enter the tunnel lower, but the total height of the drop effectively remains unchanged.  Either way unless something more is done to the tunnel or the lift height the total change has to be negligible due to the limited space to move the track.

It is always possible the trim could move or be removed.  But based on the post and specifically calling out the changes are not intended to change the rides speed or thrill makes me assume the trim will remain.  I would love for the ride to receive the work necessary for all the trims to be removed, but I don’t feel like that’s a priority of the people who make the decisions.

they just want it to be smoother to not hear the gp complain about the roughness.

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13 minutes ago, Shawn Meyer said:

I never had a problem with roughness on The Beast. Some people said they thought the wheel seats were rough, but I never had an issue. 

My question is, with altering The Beast, will they lose their ACE landmark plaque? 

It's still The Beast. They aren't RMCing it or tearing it down. They are just retracking it and reprofiling sections of it to make it more rideable for the average park goer. A lot of the general public have basically been complaining this season that the ride was running too rough this year on social media and from me talking to guests while working this year. Retracking is part of maintaining a wooden coaster especially one as old and large as The Beast so it can stay around for generations to come. No way it loses its plaque for this. 

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^ Sorry dude. I just thought any alterations of a roller coaster being the layout or trains, it would ruin the ACE status. Now would it be different if say they added a new hill in the layout?
From what I understand, a Coaster Landmark (which is what The Racer and The Beast are) don't have any set criteria besides the requirement of being a notable coaster historically. A Landmark can be completely demolished and the award won't be rescinded (see Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, which still has Landmark status).

Coaster Classic status is what can be rescinded for modifications to a coaster, and those criteria are specific to seating. Neither coaster qualifies for Classic status as is due to the trains.

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Sounds to me like a trip to Kings Island will be in order for next season. What will be new to me will be the re-tracking of The Racer and The Beast. That's enough reason for me to go. I'll have to add this in after I visit Carowinds and Kings Dominion next summer.

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10 hours ago, Shawn Meyer said:

I never had a problem with roughness on The Beast. Some people said they thought the wheel seats were rough, but I never had an issue. 

My question is, with altering The Beast, will they lose their ACE landmark plaque? 

I do not see the "status" changing.

IMO- ACE needs Beast more than Beast needs ACE.

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I don't think it Jeopardized it's award status...after all they have changed many things on it in the past such as combining the 2nd and 3rd tunnels to be 1 long tunnel and putting seatbelts in the coaster trains and removing the really old lab bars that didn't come down very far. I think this is just preserving the ride more than changing it. 

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The reprofiling, seems to me, is a result of engineering capabilities that simply didn't exist back in the day.  Now they have the ability to quickly enter in parameters in an engineering modeling program and design the ride to where it offers a great ride but at the same time is engineered to maximize the durability of the ride.  Back when it was first built, some of the sections of The Beast were literally "trial and error."  As far as the trims, I would say at a minimum, they can maximize the trim's desired effect without having them be too intrusive.

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