Beast with Water!

[sheikra_rocks]

Don't get me started on rain mode. It is one of the stupidest things anyone has ever come up with. I have seen SheiKra run 5 trains during the rain. There is no reason for that.

It just suggests to me that they don't trust THEIR maintenance crew who takes care of the ride much.

[Fear the Four]

Don't get me started on rain mode. It is one of the stupidest things anyone has ever come up with. I have seen SheiKra run 5 trains during the rain. There is no reason for that.

It just suggests to me that they don't trust THEIR maintenance crew who takes care of the ride much.

A ride operates in rain mode for a reason. It has nothing to do with the maintenance crew it's about safety. When The Beast train had it's accident in 2001 it was rain related. Sheikra has magnetic brakes (but so does The Beast) that are fail safe and are capable of being used in the rain. Friction brakes are not the safest in the rain. Rides can also hydroplane and could possibly collide into another train. Rain mode is annoying but it's better to be safe.

[CoastersRZ]

But, when The Beast had its incident in 2001, it was prior to the installation of the magnetic brakes. And the magnetic brakes work the same regardless of the temperature or moisture content. Nothing physically touches the train to slow them down. If Diamondback can have two trains run in rain mode, than The Beast which also has magnetic brakes and TWO lift hills should be able to run two trains fine in the rain.

[chaddie]

Don't get me started on rain mode. It is one of the stupidest things anyone has ever come up with. I have seen SheiKra run 5 trains during the rain. There is no reason for that.

It just suggests to me that they don't trust THEIR maintenance crew who takes care of the ride much.

A ride operates in rain mode for a reason. It has nothing to do with the maintenance crew it's about safety. When The Beast train had it's accident in 2001 it was rain related. Sheikra has magnetic brakes (but so does The Beast) that are fail safe and are capable of being used in the rain. Friction brakes are not the safest in the rain. Rides can also hydroplane and could possibly collide into another train. Rain mode is annoying but it's better to be safe.

I totally agree. Better safe than sorry.

[Fear the Four]

But, when The Beast had its incident in 2001, it was prior to the installation of the magnetic brakes. And the magnetic brakes work the same regardless of the temperature or moisture content. Nothing physically touches the train to slow them down. If Diamondback can have two trains run in rain mode, than The Beast which also has magnetic brakes and TWO lift hills should be able to run two trains fine in the rain.

Yes I know that I should of been a little more specific in my post. But I do agree that The Beast should run two trains during rain mode and there is no reason not too.

[stewwill]

I have told this story before. I don't even know if it's still there but as you left the station on the first curve, there was a mine entrance with a track running out of it and water running out of it, very cool. As for the brakes, the first 2 years The Beast was operating, the first run of the day was with NO brakes. Back then the theory was to "air out" the track and trains. We would get there 1-2 hours early to be the first ones back there. The Beast with NO brakes was totally amazing. Wild, Fast and almost scary. It was very different back then. Insurance regulations weren't as they are now and Parks didn't hold rides back like they used to. The Eagles didn't have stops on the rudder and it was a whole different attitude. It was a great time. Sorry you missed it.

[Vortex]

Shaggy you should ask on the 5 for 5 thing if they still have The Beast Tamer Photo and the Story that has the sign on it.

[Oldiesmann]

I did ask them about the sign recently. They said they still have it, but they don't have any plans to put it back up

[Shaggy]

I was glad to hear that they still had the sign!

I was most upset about 10 years ago when the "Sit on It" signs dissapeared from The Beast and Racer stations. They were removed abruptly for some unspoken reason, I gathered because there was a lawsuit pending based upon someone switching seats on The Racer while in motion.

I ADORED those signs, and I offered $1,000 to buy one. However I was told they had been trashed.

Given the fact that the original Beast "Public Notice" sign is still at the park, I wonder if the "Sit on It" signs were actually kept after all.

Shaggy

[CoastersRZ]

I remember those "Sit on it" signs that used to be at The Racer and Beast. I wonder if they did keep them. I know the sign shop has a LOT of old signs in there.

Too bad they can`t utilize some of the old signs and artifacts they keep. I still think that turning Tower Gardens into a sort of museum perse would serve to liven up an otherwise dead area of the park. Just as long as they worked with the existing infrastructure there and don`t rip out all the trees and scenery back there for an ugly building.

[glennpc]

It also illustrates how the exit for the ride is now the emergency exit today. When the ride had the water, the exit was not between the turn out of the station and the first queue house. (At one point in time what is the first queue house today was actually the second queue house, as there was another queue house located where the photo booth is today.)

I remember riding The Beast during it's first season in the park - 1979. I was 16 that summer. One cool feature was that the pond extended around the mouth of the tunnel at the bottom of the first drop. From a distance, the train appeared to dive into the pond. Seeing the water coming up at you from the front car of the train was quite a rush, too.

I think someone said one reason they drained the pond was because it was stagnant and got nasty in hot weather. While that was true, I think it was also because they discovered that wooden structures and standing water don't mix.

[The Interpreter]

I really doubt that. The water was below the footings on which the wooden coaster even today sits. The wood was not submerged. Even if it were, there are many wooden railroad trestles across the country. Even at Kings Island, for that matter...

Some of those trestles other places cross lagoons, swamps, etc.

[Shaggy]

It also illustrates how the exit for the ride is now the emergency exit today. When the ride had the water, the exit was not between the turn out of the station and the first queue house. (At one point in time what is the first queue house today was actually the second queue house, as there was another queue house located where the photo booth is today.)

I remember riding The Beast during it's first season in the park - 1979. I was 16 that summer. One cool feature was that the pond extended around the mouth of the tunnel at the bottom of the first drop. From a distance, the train appeared to dive into the pond. Seeing the water coming up at you from the front car of the train was quite a rush, too.

I think someone said one reason they drained the pond was because it was stagnant and got nasty in hot weather. While that was true, I think it was also because they discovered that wooden structures and standing water don't mix.

Not trying to ruffle feathers... however I personally don't recall the water at The Beast extending past the very base on the lift side of the coaster itself. I believe the "water" extended from the queue house, under the fan turn and station, then ended just shy of the gear house. The water also lied under the station and flowed to a larger pond that extended alongside the final brake run. But I don't ever recall the water being near the mouth of the 1st tunnel.

Here's a picture, taken by the park, of The Beast in it's first year of operation. As you will see, there's an access road next to the first drop of Beast (just as there is today.) The picture was taken by a photographer standing on top of the tunnel entrance. Also, of note, is that the "stone" facade on the front of the 1st tunnel of Beast was added later. It was not original to the ride.

Here's another picture showing the water running alongside the final brake run of Beast. However you will notice the lift of the coaster itself is not above water.