Shaggy

Oiy Vey.... man this board is the most mixed up KI board I have ever seen. I'll set the story straight. Officially no one has ever died at King's Island. How so? Well, no one is pronounced dead at PKI... that happens at the hospital. ;-) There has only been one ride-related fatality in the park's history. On June 9th 1991 Candy Taylor, fell from the Flight Commader ride formerly located on Coney Mall. The ride, an Intamin Pilot ride allowed guests to flip or rotate their individual cockpits. But let me back up, because that day has become known as KI's darkest day. At approximately 8:30 in the evening, Timothy Benning (22)entered the park's pond located next to the Octoberfest Beir Garden to, apparently, retrieve a lost item. Upon entering the restricted area he was shocked due to an electrical current (later determined to be coming from a defective water circulation pump.) When he screamed and fell unconscious in the shallow water, his friend William Haithcoat (20) jumped in to pull him out. Immediately Haithcoat was shocked. Upon hearing the screams a park security officer, Darrel Robertson (20) jumped in attempting to help and was also shocked. Ironically the rescuers... Haithcoat and Robertson died, but Benning survived. The Octoberfest area of the park was emptied immediately, and closed off. Helicopters landed in the park to life-flight the victims to the hospital. They were undergoing CPR when they left. Just after this at the back of the park, Ms. Taylor, who was drunk, boarded Flight Commander at approximately 9:45pm. She rode by herself which later was determined to be the cause of her death. As the ride proceeded, she passed out (her Blood Alchohol level was 3.0. ) while flipping the ride upside down. Since her body was limp, she slid to the side towards the empty seat next to her and out of the over-the-shoulder restraint and lap bar. She fell 60 feet to the concrete below in front of eye-witnesses who were horrified. A design flaw in the ride was blamed. The ride was closed the rest of the 1991 season, but re-opened in 1992. The other death mentioned occurred on Grad Night 1983 when an un-named 17 year-old boy was found after he cllimbed a 10 foot barrier fence on the Eiffel Tower's 50-foot observation platform and fell in the elevator shaft. He plummeted to his death and rumor has it he was partially decapitated. A lot of mystery still surrounds this instance, but the general belief is that the boy either committed suicide or was showing off for friends and climbed into the restricted area. The Tower's 50 foot platform was closed and never re-opened. Each instance above was investigated and all were determined accidental. The park was fined for various OSHA violations, and more than likely settled with the families. Also of note, in 1976 a Wild Animal Safari Lion caretaker was mauled and killed as well. But King's Island is also the site of Heart Attacks, Strokes, etc of which people have perished. But so have malls, grocery stores, workplaces etc etc etc. Shaggy

What you have seen is the complicated axle mechanism that rotated the cars. A motor did not turn the cars. Underneath each car there is basically an axle that may, in your eyes, resemble a motor, but it is not a motor. This "axle" had a guide arm that rode on a rail that existed , basically, in between the tracks running rails. The rail that the guide arm rode on curved in and out depending upon the desired turn to the car. Every third car had an actual motor that propelled wheels that ran on the standard track. Just study the track of X at SFMM and you will get the same idea. There is a seperate rail that turns or rotates the seats throughout the course. It is the same principle here. No individual motors turned the cars, but they did power the entire length of cars along the track. Another way of explaining it is to think of locomotive wheels. The arm that extends between locomotive wheels is a similar principle. For next year's Scooby attraction, the turn of the cars is being changed. And areas that you used to face towards will now be areas you pass with your back turned. To "change" the rotation of the cars at various points, the park has removed that inner running rail and is re-welding/bending/twisting/straightening it. That is why the PT cars are off in the first place. The work must be done with the cars removed. Once it is completed, the cars (every other) will be added back on and the guide arm placed along the new inner rail. When they fire the ride up, the cars will turn in new directions. If we went by your thought that a motor turned each individual car, then it would not make sense that they removed the entire undercar mechanical unit. All they would have to do, in theory, is re-program the motors to turn at different times. For the change to "Mystery Machines" they could have just taken off the fiberglass shells and replaced them. That is not what they are doing. Since you work at the park, I am sure you know one or two of the Technicians. Ask them sometime if they can tell you about it. Most of the time they can and will. I guarantee you that if they take the time they will explain the same thing I just did. Go take a closer look at them... heck, take pictures if you insist. You'll only see what I have been explaining. Shaggy

I will be. I stand by my word. Pictures of what? The Phantom Theatre cars? I was given a guided tour and explanation (as well as a look underneath the track) by the Technicans in-charge of the ride 2 months ago. Every car had a unit that turned it, but it was not a motor. The propelling motor was located on every 3rd car. Re: Smurfs... they are not there. If you want to see one, ask Kevin Eldridge or Jerry Neiderhelman both full time folks at PKI... they own some of the Smurfs. Re: Myrth Mobile... It sat in the maintenace area behind HB for years but is gone. It had rotted away so that it was just a hunk of rust. It was gone as of earlier this season, and when I asked I was told it was sold. It will not be placed back in the park. Shaggy

Sure Shake Rattle and Roll is there... look again: http://home.fuse.net/brock/KI%209-7-81%20Bat%203.jpg Shake Rattle and Roll has never been located anywhere but where it is now. It was added in 1975 when KI expanded Coney Mall. Coney Mall (Then themed to and called "Coney Island" after the defunct park across town.) used to end just where the Zephyr, or swings, now sits. A High striker game is currently right in the area that originally ended that section. But in 1975 the Mall was lengthened and rides such as Shake Rattle and Roll, Zodiac (later replaced with Flight Commander) and Cinema 180 were added. Shaggy

The Dolphin show and stadium was removed shortly after Paramount took over. Interest had wained, and the cost was not worthwhile. The staduim was indeed it's own entity and sat next to the International Showplace. Shows were scheduled so that the sounds of the International Showplace performance did not contrast the aquarium show.... and vise versa. The reason people recall both Sea Lions and Dolphins is because they were rotated out year-to-year. They were on a three year rotation between parks. Dolphins one season, trained Birds the next, followed by Sea Lions. The Wild Animal Safari Monerail was closed after the 1993 season. The animals had died off and interest was gone. The park saw no need to keep the costly attraction with just a handful of animals. The Monerail trains sat on property behind Timberwolf Amphitheatre until 1998 when they were sold (along with the squirting Blue Elephant fountain from Hanna Barberra Land) to Jungle Jims in Fairfield Ohio. The park debated for several years what to do with the old Monerail. But the building of Outer Limits and proposed expansion of Action Zone took precidence. Shaggy

Clearing up things. -Each of Phantom Theatre's carts did not have a motor. There was a motor under every third car but it was not responsible for turning the cars. Rather the motors were attached to a wheel assembly and propelled drive tires that ran along a coaster track underneath. A guide assembly rode on an interior steel rod and controlled the turning of the cars. The technology used was the same as that designed by Arrow for Disney which Arrow later used for X. - The Smurfs are long gone, and not on property. Employees and interested outside parties purchased them in 1992 immediately after Phantom Theatre was built. There is a home in Cincinnati that displays quite a few of them at Christmastime each year. - There is not any immediate plans to return the Myrth-mobile to the park. It has been junked. Shaggy