I wish I had a camera with me at all times, cuz if i did, i could have taken a picture of the wheels of the Phantom Theatre cars... there's like 16 wheels on each of them. Plus at least one motor. And then the other day, I saw the actual cars out by PKIU. And Dank, if you're still around, I couldn't find the Merth Mobile in the PKIU graveyard. too bad.

Wonder where it went?

I know this may be an extremely stupid question, but where is PKIU?

PKIU is behind the first security post, between Water Works and the actual park, the Merth Mobile is not there, but the old Tomb Raider sign is, the Phantom Theatre carsa re also lined up back there.

yeah, and also, for idiots like me, PKIU is PKI university... and its right behind the picnic grove.

Are the Smurfs back there?

Haven't seen any... they probably keep those indoors.

Yea I'm sure they are long gone or in one of the storage buildings. Are those maintainence buildings?

i highly doubt they are still on park property they have one of the old fof trains and the cobra trains are in the rotunda of fof

Smurfs are back in storage in the back of PKIU, its a much bigger building than it looks, and so is the merth mobile, there fixing it up to send back out next year, , supposdley there going to bring back the Paramount walk thing

The Paramount Story is still there Yogi, it's just lost alot of the theming. It's not that great, unless they bring back the Sub's and make it look nice, now it's like the PKI ghetto.

i know its still there, i meant bring it back to its old glory sorry.

does n e one have any pictures of the ol' mirth mobile?

They took it out to add sitting in front of the smelly fountain I know that, theres no real reason for it though.

They need to restore and fixz up the Paramount Story, or get rid of it all together. The NC-1701 Enterprise, looks like it had a bad day with a flock of birds, and then crashed into a mudpit with all the crap thats on it. Clean it all, or ditch it all. I think they should also get out some new props from some new movies if they are planning on keeping it, and then, they need to change it bi-annually, if not annually.

Yea, it's kinda crappy and a waste of space, we could add a pretty good flat or a small coaster there.

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

I'll take pictures, and we'll see who's right...

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

the wheel thingys are sitting outside, behind the JSI thing in front of oscars, in that area back there... And each of them has their own rotational motor, to the best of my recollection... i'm taking pictures this weekend, so yeah...

I don't know about all of the Smurf stuff, but I know (for a fact) that a few years back, Papa Smurf's head (for the walkaround character) was found in the back of Paramount Theatre and they burned it.

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

So they are going the cheap way, and not replacing the track? that's crap.

Cheap? Why on earth would they replace the track when it operates fine? All they needed to do was change the directional turns of the cars.

I guarantee you that the money they saved by not gutting the whole ride and starting from ground zero helped with the funding for other projects in the park for 2003. And I am not talking just Delirium.... there's more than people expect next year.

Shaggy

So you're saying they're trying to blow us away by making us think that Delirium is the big ride for next year when actually there is something better coming, as in a coaster of some sort?

Nope, you are reading more into my statement than necessary.

In 2003 PKI will add several substantial attractions and will concentrate on esthetic improvements throughout the park. There announcements so far prove that.

Enthusiasts who are counting on a single huge coaster, or ride project in 2003 are just kidding themselves. If they were doing something enormous, then we would know or see it by now.

Shaggy

I agree, I think Delirium and Scooby's Castle (and I'm guessing something with WaterWorks) will be the BIG additions for next year...

BUT, I also think that they are going to work on the overall look of the place. If you recall, a few years back when they completed re-painted Hanna-Barbera? Of course that also included a few ride-name changes...which I don't see happening anywhere else in the park. But I definitely see a new coat of paint on a lot of things and just some general clean-up.

Its about time, for some aesthetic improvements. One can only hope they do something with the PKI Ghetto, The Paramount Story.

I wish phantom theater or even enchanted voyage was still around instead of that crap Boo Hill ride. Not only do the effects and guns not work but it breaks down ALL the time!

Holy thread bump! Does anyone have old pictures of the mouse? I only rode Phantom Theater once in my life and that one time I recall seeing a huge mouse