Son of Beast

[Diamondback96]

But those were the only two major modifications, right?

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Thanks Shaggy for the info. I was unaware of those changes

[Shaggy]

Thanks Shaggy for the info. I was unaware of those changes

My pleasure.

SOB has had TONS of little changes over time, some bigger, some smaller. It's hardly the ride it was designed to be. But then, the original designer has never ridden it... or been to KI since it was built... IMO, it's the greatest failure of Werner Stengel's career.

Also IMO, KI (both Paramount and CF) should be commended on always stepping up to the plate to try and right a ton of wrongs that were design/construction flaws. Their intentions for the ride have always been good, but ultimately they were promised a gem... only to recieve a lemon.

Shaggy

[Browntggrr]

Never knew 1 modification, could become numerous modifications. Son of Beast has had 1 major modification since opening. That was the retracking, removal of loop, and new trains. What other modifications am I missing other than that one modification in 2006-2007

Almost every year, if not every year, large sections of the track were modified & re-tracked due to roughness. Extensive re-tracking in 2006 left SoB SBNO until Memorial Day.

In 2000, the 15' transition to the loop. This constant modification left cranes near the loop for quite a bit of time.

Extra padding added to the trains in 2003.

New restraints in 2003.

Removal of the loop.

Removal of several support beams.

Removal of last car on original trains in 2006.

New trains in 2007.

I'm sure there are things I left out as I came up with this list off the top of my head. I am also sure there many things done that we will never know about.

EDIT: Or you can read Shaggy's post as he was much more defining than I was.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Don't all wooden coasters get retracking every year

[Browntggrr]

Don't all wooden coasters get retracking every year

Sure they do, in certain areas and increase with age.

SoB has been re-tracked in it's brief 10 year history much more than the average wooden coaster.

[Shaggy]

Don't all wooden coasters get retracking every year

Sure they do, in certain areas and increase with age.

SoB has been re-tracked in it's brief 10 year history much more than the average wooden coaster.

I do believe, however, that the constant re-tracking of SOB would have been a necessity even if the coaster were a roaring success.

Overall, even if it had no design flaws, SOB was an immense wooden coster that went really, really high and really, really fast. I am 110% sure the park knew that maintenance would be at a much higher level than even The Beast. However, KI at the time was operating with the best wooden coaster maintenance team in the business. Many who began at the park under Charlie Dinn when then Beast was built. Without them, I don't think SOB would have even lasted 2 seasons. Really and truly, no other park could have made SOB operate to the extent that it did.

[Browntggrr]

I do believe, however, that the constant re-tracking of SOB would have been a necessity even if the coaster were a roaring success.

You don't think the tracking SoB has received was due to the roughness, but the usual wear-and-tear?

[Shaggy]

I do believe, however, that the constant re-tracking of SOB would have been a necessity even if the coaster were a roaring success.

You don't think the tracking SoB has received was due to the roughness, but the usual wear-and-tear?

I think Sob would have required more-than-average (whatever that may be) retracking than other wooden coasters in general BECAUSE of the over the top wear and tear.

But the additional design flaws, roughness and lack-of-enjoyment (and safety) factor blew maintenance needs through the roof.

Does that make sense?

I guess I am saying SOB would have required extra track attention no matter... however the flaws exaggerated that need far beyond what was expected.

[Browntggrr]

^ I figured that is what you meant, I just didn't want to *assume* anything.

And with the risk of sounding insulting (honestly, that is NOT my objective here): Was it the same crew that you referred to earlier that took over the initial construction after Paramount "fired" Roller Coaster Co. of Ohio?

If you don't want to answer due to risking friendship/ inside information, I completely understand.

[Shaggy]

^ I figured that is what you meant, I just didn't want to *assume* anything.

And with the risk of sounding insulting (honestly, that is NOT my objective here): Was it the same crew that you referred to earlier that took over the initial construction after Paramount "fired" Roller Coaster Co. of Ohio?

If you don't want to answer due to risking friendship/ inside information, I completely understand.

LOL, what I know isn't really inside information... just general knowledge I picked up.

Many of the older, more established wooden coaster maintenance folks at KI at the time SOB was built were the ones that had to jump on board and "fix" the coaster. It was literally all hands on deck. However, don't fault them, applaud them. Remember, they were maintenance technicians, not designers or engineers. They had to encorporate the knowledge they had from years of maintaining The Beast (and Racer) into making SOB work. If you will recall, Beast and Racer were 20 and (nearly) 30 years old by the time SOB came around.

In the earliest years of SOB, the wood coaster maintenance team would start walking track on SOB at something insane like 3:30 am. Everyday it took them hours and hours to walk that ride and have it ready for the public at 10am. They'd rip out entire sections in the dark and replace them literally overnight. It took a terrible toll on those guys.

Several of those fellas retired shortly therafter, from what I heard.

Shaggy

[Browntggrr]

However, don't fault them, applaud them. Remember, they were maintenance technicians, not designers or engineers. They had to encorporate the knowledge they had from years of maintaining The Beast (and Racer) into making SOB work. If you will recall, Beast and Racer were 20 and (nearly) 30 years old by the time SOB came around.

I absolutely applaud them.

The industry I am in, the last thing I want to do is walk into someone else's set-up halfway through. Obviously, SoB is a much larger project, and those guys were really given an almost impossible task.

Given your information and going back and looking at this (see below), it makes more sense.

Former KI owner Paramount fired Roller Coaster Company of Ohio — the firm hired to engineer and build the ride — before the construction was completed, Schmizze said. With a ride as complex as the Son of Beast, Schmizze said they would have needed a computer model in order to correctly fix the defects.

Instead, Schmizze said Kings Island started building support structures on the ride in areas they thought needed bolstering.

But if you try to fix one part of the ride, without a computer model, you can't know the effect on the rest of the structure, Schmizze said.

“They would fix them in a Band-Aid style and then wait and see what happened,” he testified. “They never really stopped and said ‘we’ve got a problem with this ride as a whole.’ ”

http://www.daytondai...ays-391708.html

[IndyGuy4KI]

In the earliest years of SOB, the wood coaster maintenance team would start walking track on SOB at something insane like 3:30 am. Everyday it took them hours and hours to walk that ride and have it ready for the public at 10am. They'd rip out entire sections in the dark and replace them literally overnight.

I would like to know what type of lights they used to look at the track? It amazes me to this day that they can inspect a ride of this size, in the dark, in just a few hours and not miss something. Amazing!

[Fear the Four]

It definitely didn't open everyday at ten either. 

[Browntggrr]

I would like to know what type of lights they used to look at the track? It amazes me to this day that they can inspect a ride of this size, in the dark, in just a few hours and not miss something. Amazing!

I would assume something like this:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03415367000P?vName=Tools&cName=ElectriciansTools&Lighting&sName=Work%20Lights&sid=IDx20070921x00003a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=03415367000P

Lights like this are VERY bright, and easy to handle.

I remember watching a Discovery or Travel Channel episode years ago on what a miantenance crew goes through to inspect a wooden coaster. They would use a hammer to hit the track and listen for certain sounds (i.e. deep sound=solid, short sound=loose). They also knew what problem areas had loose nuts and areas that need to be inspected closer than others.

It was a very intresting show. Sorry I couldn't give you more info.

[Fear the Four]

I would like to know what type of lights they used to look at the track? It amazes me to this day that they can inspect a ride of this size, in the dark,  in just a few hours and not miss something. Amazing!

I would assume something like this:

http://www.sears.com...ku=03415367000P

Lights like this are VERY bright, and easy to handle.

I remember watching a Discovery or Travel Channel episode years ago on what a miantenance crew goes through to inspect a wooden coaster.  They would use a hammer to hit the track and listen for certain sounds (i.e. deep sound=solid, short sound=loose).  They also knew what problem areas had loose nuts and areas that need to be inspected closer than others.

It was a very intresting show.  Sorry I couldn't give you more info.

  Here's a video on how they inspect a ride...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_oaGXcdWgs