photo credit: Don Helbig

Carpenders spend a raining Thursday morning preparing Kings Island's Racer for the 2010 season.

seeing these pictures almost makes me wish that you could go walk around the park during it's winter rehab, i think it would be amazing to get to see all of this stuff going on in person (expecially since when we went last year there was only a little work going on in the Diamondback station).

Do they spend a lot more time on the wooden rollercoasters?

You'd think that the rain would make the lumber swell and make it difficult to install. Anyways, is good to see some rehab done at the park though, besides the construction reving up in what is becoming PS. I wonder if that is the hill that i always seem to get stapled on? Oh well, thanks for posting the pic!

Son of Beast next!? Won't count on it... I love these random photo updates.

Loving these updates. After seeing all this hard work they put in to getting things ready for 2010, you gotta wonder how much harder would it be to slap a fresh coast of paint on it? They painted Vortex in 2009 and it didn't even need it, can you seriously take the time to paint Racer's handrails red and catwalks blue?

Anyhow, really fasinating stuff. Love to see how all of this happens in person.

^Agreed. Paint Racer back to it's original paint job, it'd make Racer, and Coney Mall look ten billion times better. Oh yeah, paint Top Gun too!

Due to the age and type of paint currently on Racer, repainting it will be no simple nor inexpensive task. I'd not expect it any time soon...

I forget if I heard this by one the the Gravity Group guys or by one of the wood coaster carpenters at ki but the saying goes Your never done building a wood coaster.

Or, put another way (as heard at GCII), buying a steel coaster is like buying a car...

Buying a wooden coaster is like getting married.

A car requires maintenance and occasional repair...a marriage requires commitment and continuous improvement/adjustments to stay on an even keel!

Due to the age and type of paint currently on Racer, repainting it will be no simple nor inexpensive task. I'd not expect it any time soon...

I'd take terpys word on that. Tyler to answer your question Yes Kings Island has one of top notch wooden coaster maint team. You be very surprised what they do during the off season to maintain the wooden coasters at Kings Island.

Interpreter...

What is the age and current type of paint on Racer?

I think its fair to say, its rather expensive to paint any full size roller coaster...

Especially if the paint on a coaster is quite old, it can lead to all sorts of problems...

Terpy, who has said all he will about that...

There was a painting company here in Toledo - Charles Mann Co. - they just went out of business this month after 75 years of operation. They used to paint the coasters at Cedar Point. I wonder if they ever did any at King's Island? Anybody know? Terpy???

One thing i would Love to see is The Racer back in its old paint colors, Anyone agree?