crosscountry4891 Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Under the attraction guide in roller coasters, Son of Beast is listed as a terrain coaster. I never thought of it as a train coaster. Is it a terain coaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterrz Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 It is a terrain coaster. This is because its lift hill climbs out of a former creek valley. The major drop, along with the drop into the loop is located in the valley created by the creek (the same creek that Top Gun flies over). However, for construction of Son of Beast, they tunneled a large portion of the creek to prevent erosion. While SoB is a terrain coaster, it is not as much of a terrain hugging coaster as its 25 year old papa across the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevengeofTheSmurfs Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 What can i say on SOB you go EveryWhere! that coaster is Jerky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterrz Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Hopefully in time, with Paramount`s Kings Island`s world class wood coaster maintenance department, they will tame the roughness of SoB. When that day finally arrives, PKI will have one awesome, world class collection of wooden coasters. (they already have an awesome collection, but SoB can be rough on some days!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryler87 Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 I think that this classification is up to the park - it's kinda subjective in my eyes. It does use the terrain, but not to an ideal extent (like Papa in Rivertown). Unlike the model name of a coaster, this kinda just depends and can be half-in half-out and people just have to accept it. I don't call it a terrain coaster. In my eyes, it's just a wooden-hypercoaster. Terrain coaster or not a terrain coaster - I say call it what you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephenmayes Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Terrain coaster or not a terrain coaster - I say call it what you will. Exactly what Im talking about...Flyer you hit it right on the head. Who cares...call the coaster whatever you want!! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Homey Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Sorry, I'm going to have to disagree with some peeps here. I don't think that SOB is much, if any, rougher than The Beast. I wouldn't consider it a terrain coaster either. It doesn't really utilize the terrain in the sense that The Beast does. Maybe I'm a masochist and just like to be beat up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdime Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Jeff Siebert touched briefly on some measures being taken to smooth out this ride. Funny thing is, there are times when this thing runs perfectly, and times when I am convinced I'm injured. I'll give PKI credit, they're doing whatever it takes to get this thing to STAY enjoyable....and comfortable. A little advice for Beast riders complaining about roughness....follow the commonly accepted advice given about SOB..try front seat, second seat....or second to last seat on the train. (just stay in a seat NOT over wheels.) I enjoy this ride anywhere, but members of my family are roughness-sensitive. This advice has made them happy riders. To go off on a tangent here, did anyone else (here) listen to Jeff answer the question about SOB's third train? The person asked why there hasn't yet been a third train added to the ride. He explained, (and I think this is fascinating) that at last minute, a design change was made. The change effectively switched the locaton of the station! It was originally to be located where the transfer table is now. In the change, he explained that the ride lost a "block", but then basically stated the park didn't want to use the brake run before the loop as a permanent block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOB/Gun Steve-O Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 (edited) To go off on a tangent here, did anyone else (here) listen to Jeff answer the question about SOB's third train? The person asked why there hasn't yet been a third train added to the ride. He explained, (and I think this is fascinating) that at last minute, a design change was made. The change effectively switched the locaton of the station! It was originally to be located where the transfer table is now. In the change, he explained that the ride lost a "block", but then basically stated the park didn't want to use the brake run before the loop as a permanent block. OK, I don't know about the station being moved or anything about losing a block. I'm not saying thats wrong, I'm sure its not, I just didn't know that. But I will tell you why there is no third train, to my knoweledge anyway. SOB could run with three trains. However, because of some extra saftey precautions we have to take with people on it, running it with three trains is almost impossible. The third train would constantly stop in the brake run just before the loop and sit there until we could get the station train out and the train on the ready's in. This is part of the ride's saftey system. Suffice it to say that this would not be much fun for the riders, or for us. For those of you who come by a lot, you may be able to see that we sometimes have trouble even loading and dispatching 1 train before the second one stops in the ready brakes. No way we could do it right with 3. Edited January 1, 1970 by SOB/Gun Steve-O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crosscountry4891 Posted January 29, 2004 Author Share Posted January 29, 2004 I think if they sold some Advil or Alieve at the exit of the ride they would make a killing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMMY JAMZ Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 I could see SOB being able to run 3 trains if the ride were longer(duration not legnth)I can also see SOB being longer with all the speed that it still has when it comes back to the station.(But I'm sure that the legnth of the ride was dictated from the legnth of The Beast,Imagine if the record for longest woodie were held by any other park what the SOB would be like)I still like the ride alot and at times it can be a little rough.I'm anxious to ride it this year to see if any of the improvments help.Any word if we will get any tunnels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterKrazy Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 (edited) To go off on a tangent here, did anyone else (here) listen to Jeff answer the question about SOB's third train? The person asked why there hasn't yet been a third train added to the ride. He explained, (and I think this is fascinating) that at last minute, a design change was made. The change effectively switched the locaton of the station! It was originally to be located where the transfer table is now. In the change, he explained that the ride lost a "block", but then basically stated the park didn't want to use the brake run before the loop as a permanent block. This is true. If you look down below the transfer trak from the current station you can see un-used footers where the original design called for the station to be placed. I've heard several stories as to why this happened, and the only one I can remember is that the transfer track would have been right over Top Gun. Obviously, that would cause quite a few problems. Also, someone once explained why Paramount's Kings Island will not run Son of Beast with three trains. Apparently, the standards that PKI uses on all of their rides ( possibly TUV? ) requires a certain number of blocks in between each train, and Son of Beast doesn't have that extra block needed, like Flight of Fear and Vortex do. This would be easily fixed by putting another holding brake just outside the station and slightly modifying the track to accomodate this. This would also require, however, ride-ops to dispatch trains on intervals, otherwise the trains would stack like there's no tomorrow. The one thing I would have liked to see on Son of Beast was magnetic brakes at the end of the ride. Those friction brakes are killer coming into the station at such a fast speed, but obviously from the example Intamin has made with Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster and Xcelerator, magnets can slow a train VERY quickly but VERY comfortably as well. Edited January 1, 1970 by CoasterKrazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryler87 Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 Magnetic brakes on a woodie? I suppose they could do it if they wanted to. Would it be expensive to install? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterKrazy Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 They did it on Beast in at least four different places during the ride as trim brakes, and also the final brake run. I believe a few of the wooden coasters at Kennywood have magnetic brakes as well. And even if it is more expensive to install than traditional fin brakes, the fact that they use no power and have incredibly low maintanence costs would take care of the price in a few years. It'd be nice if they would do this on Racer too, so that the last bunny hop could be brought back. Even if the path to Flight of Fear is in the way, there is plenty of room to add that final bunny hop, ESPECIALLY if magnetic brakes are used. The trains on Racer aren't going very fast when they reach the final brake run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DegenRider Posted January 29, 2004 Share Posted January 29, 2004 The magnetic breaks on Beast are just trimms. The Block brakes are fin brakes that most coasters today use. Skids brakes were removed from Racer already. I doubt they will rebuild the end of racer again to re add a bunny hop. The trains on Racer are going quite fast. Your gradually slowed down though. 2 trains work well with the ride. Common sense is you have 1 more block than the number of trains you have. SOB has 3 trains and 4 block areas. No tunnels the ride isn't going to have any GET OVER IT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOB/Gun Steve-O Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 Also, someone once explained why Paramount's Kings Island will not run Son of Beast with three trains. Apparently, the standards that PKI uses on all of their rides ( possibly TUV? ) requires a certain number of blocks in between each train, and Son of Beast doesn't have that extra block needed, like Flight of Fear and Vortex do. There's no minimum number of blocks between trains I've ever heard of. You just can't have 2 trains in one block (this is the whole reason we have a block system). There must be at least one more block than there are trains for it to work. SOB has 4 blocks and 2 trains. I believe Vortex has 4 blocks as well, I know FOF and Beast must have at least that - I think FOF has 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterdime Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 I'm not sure myself on the blocking situation. I was merely repeating what a group of us was told by the park's (best) spokesman. From the uninformed guest's perspective, (me) I don't really count blocks or think to much about it. I was fascinated be the revelation, and simply relayed it here. I did notice the exta footers, though. I didn't put two and two together until it was mentioned here. I know of a site the shows pics of SOB's announcement. (The announcement took place just below Beast's first drop BTW) If I can, I'll post the pics, and we can look at the model.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoasterKrazy Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 (edited) I still don't think Son of Beast has four blocks. Vortex has two brake runs at the end of the ride and a midcourse brake where the trains can be held if the block ahead is not clear. Flight of Fear has three brake runs where trains can be held, and a midcourse. ( Although I don't think it has been used since the new restraints where installed ) Son of Beast only has one final brake run and a midcourse where the train could be held, which means one block is eliminated. There is a small set of brakes just outside the station that I've heard could be used as another block, but I have NEVER actually seen it used as such. I want to say that RideMan on CoasterBuzz has explained Son of Beast's blocking situation before, but I'd have to find it. I'll do some searching and if I come across any info I'll post a link. Son of Beast Blocking Go down to RideMan's post. Apparently, RCCA says that Son of Beast has five blocks, but I don't see how. Edited January 1, 1970 by CoasterKrazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobgun Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 I still don't think Son of Beast has four blocks. Well you can think whatever you want we all know the true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Kinda Guy Posted January 30, 2004 Share Posted January 30, 2004 (edited) Closing because people THINK they know what they are talking about and before an employee does something stupid and goes into detail about the block structure of SOB..... Edited January 1, 1970 by AZ Kinda Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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