Son of Beast Trains

[The Beast Rider]

I was looking at KI's website to see if anything new was added, and came upon this interesting item about SOB. This is a copy of the description from www.visitkingsisland.com about Son of Beast. I think someone got a little carried away about the trains.

Track Length 7,032 feet (1.3 miles)

(The second longest wooden

roller coaster in the world.

The Beast® is the longest.)

Ride Time 3 minutes

Trains Three trains, with six cars each, holding a total of 36 riders per train.

Hourly Capacity 1, 000 guests

Height Requirement 48” Minimum

I guess Sonny has PTC trains now, too!

[Snake Attack!]

I am pretty sure that is the capacity that SOB had when it first opened, while I am not sure why it is appearing now on visitkingsisland.com

[DeLorean Rider]

The ride has never run 3 trains at the same time.

I guess technically they HAD three trains, but every year one would get swapped out.

[flightoffear1996]

The ride durning its first few months of operation could have used three trains but heck with the money Kings Island invested in Son of Beast it could have been a lot better ride than it was too.

[The Interpreter]

Actually, for quite some time after it first opened, Son of Beast operated a grand total of ONE train....not two. It was quite some time before two train operation began.

[KIBeast]

^That really amazes me. Especially for a coaster that long.

[cholderfield]

no wonder the long was so friggin' long when it first opened!!!

[Discodude3737]

I remember in 2000 waiting through a full queue during one-train op. I think it took somewhere in the range of 2.5-3 hours.

[DeLorean Rider]

I remember in 2000 waiting through a full queue during one-train op. I think it took somewhere in the range of 2.5-3 hours.

I remember the same thing. Actually the first season most of my rides were through the ACE Walkback. First time I rode was at 9:55 on Memorial Day 2000 with the walkback.

[Guest rcfreak339]

I might be wrong but during the KICentral Event didn't the SOB run 3 trains?

[DiSab]

^I wasn't there, but I don't think so, as both before and after there were only 2 trains that were modified to run on Sonny's track.

[pkifreakhogg]

I remember waiting 5 hours the very first day that SOB opened to ride. It was well worth the wait. We got in line at 9am and the ride didn't open until in think 2pm. The line was all the way back to King Cobra and hardly anyone left the line. They all waited.

[The Interpreter]

I might be wrong but during the KICentral Event didn't the SOB run 3 trains?

No. It did not. On August 4, 2007, it ran two trains, once it opened, which was later in the day, as seems not to be unusual for that massive coaster. The track is walked each morning (as is The Racer and The Beast), and that takes a very long time. By the way, when maintenance walks a wooden coaster, they do it backwards....much easier, but still a very difficult, tedious, and sometimes even dangerous pursuit...all in the interests of your safety.

[Beast1979]

It didn't say on the Kings Island Website that it ran 3 trains before.

Am I the only one to throw out the fact that The Geauga Lake trains may be put into use (I won't say how)?

[The Interpreter]

If they were (on Son of Beast), they will need the same modifications that the ones from the Hurricane did...Son of Beast track is not the same gage....and no, this has been discussed before. It is highly unlikely they will put three trains on Son of Beast...even if they are used, they would probably be back-up spares...and/or they could lengthen the trains...originally, the ride was supposed to have longer trains, as can be seen from viewing the station configuration.

[Beast1979]

^Wow, your good at that.

So apparently someones been Screwen' Around on visitkingsisland.com!

[SOB_TOM]

The track is walked each morning (as is The Racer and The Beast), and that takes a very long time. By the way, when maintenance walks a wooden coaster, they do it backwards....much easier, but still a very difficult, tedious, and sometimes even dangerous pursuit...all in the interests of your safety.

Actually, on SOB I believe there are 3 separate track walkers. I dont know exactly what part each person is responsible for, but I do know that the station is the meet up point for two of them.

[Gordon Bombay]

There are more than three, pretty sure.

[Browntggrr]

Am I the only one to throw out the fact that The Geauga Lake trains may be put into use (I won't say how)?

In addition to what Interp mentioned: does SoB really need 3 trains?

The wait is normally not that long. Sure, there will be somedays that it could be a wait of more than an hour. But for the most part, it is a rather quick line.

I'm just not sure if CF will justify the cost of adding a train that is normally not needed.

[DiSab]

Not really sure what they'd do about a third train. I'd like to see a third, but if that doesn't happen, they could at least lengthen the two existing trains by a few cars.