Worth noting in the Monster photo are The Racer trains, which featured four cars per train when the ride originally opened in 1972. Due to the ride's popularity, a fifth car was added in 1973 to increase capacity.

Not sure exactly what year but Beast also had a car increase from

Four - 4 Bench Cars too Five - 4 Bench Cars. Increasing the capacity from 32 riders per train to 40 riders per train.

And after that the trains were changed to Six - 3 Bench Cars, Capacity was and to this day is 36 riders per train.

I also belive the last bunny hill in The Racer was removed in 94 or 95 to make way for Flight of Fear.

I've heard from many people that it was not removed for Flight of Fear (infact, one side still had the bunny hill while the path went underneath it), but was removed to make for a longer break run. I've always been curious if the chain on the large hill on The Racer (right before the ride splits for the turn around) was ever needed.

The chain was added in that location of the ride in 1982. The train would sometimes get stuck in that area of the ride during early morning test runs, especially early in season. Maintenance would have to stop what they were doing and head over to the ride to help push it over the hill. The chain solved that issue.

Thanks for being involved in the forums and answering lingering questions KingsIslandPR!

Photo #66

Worth noting in the Monster photo are The Racer trains, which featured four cars per train when the ride originally opened in 1972. Due to the ride's popularity, a fifth car was added in 1973 to increase capacity.

Not sure exactly what year but Beast also had a car increase from

Four - 4 Bench Cars too Five - 4 Bench Cars. Increasing the capacity from 32 riders per train to 40 riders per train.

And after that the trains were changed to Six - 3 Bench Cars, Capacity was and to this day is 36 riders per train.

The Beast opened in 1979 with five 4-bench cars. In 1980, it was changed to the current six 3-bench cars. That same year, banking was enhanced going into and out of the shed and walls were added to the helix. There were originally four trains when the ride opened, with three of them in operation on a daily basis. In 1982, the fourth train was eliminated and used for parts.

Thanks for answering questions and joining in to add random facts!

Worth noting in the Monster photo are The Racer trains, which featured four cars per train when the ride originally opened in 1972. Due to the ride's popularity, a fifth car was added in 1973 to increase capacity.

Not sure exactly what year but Beast also had a car increase from

Four - 4 Bench Cars too Five - 4 Bench Cars. Increasing the capacity from 32 riders per train to 40 riders per train.

And after that the trains were changed to Six - 3 Bench Cars, Capacity was and to this day is 36 riders per train.

The Beast opened in 1979 with five 4-bench cars. In 1980, it was changed to the current six 3-bench cars. That same year, banking was enhanced going into and out of the shed and walls were added to the helix. There were originally four trains when the ride opened, with three of them in operation on a daily basis. In 1982, the fourth train was eliminated and used for parts.

So?

When the initial test runs began The Beast had four cars per train but the ride opened with the trains consisting of five 4-bench cars, which was the capacity advertised in press releases announcing the ride and on 1979 ride fact sheets.

Those are probably park employees and workers riding during the test runs. That would be my guess.

Lovin the extra learning we get from threads like this and the involvement of KingsIslandPR - hope you stay engaged on the forums!

Photo # 22 - Opening Day 1972

I was one of the band members in that parade. I was a tenor sax player in the Kings High School Marching Band. Our front banner in the parade said, "Kings High School Marching Band, Home of Kings Island", which was made for us by Kings Island. It was a great day!

Photo #67 (One of my favorites) - Wild Thornberry's River Adventure

^I have also thought that the theming of The Wild Thornberry's was a work of art.

Photo #68

Oh, King Cobra. I miss it so much. Really wish my kids had a chance to ride it. Ahhhh, well.

The Sign on the car is very Terpyish

That's Charlie & Denise Dinn in the front seat of The Beast. This was a test run before the ride actually opened to the public.

Photo #68

Something like this would be awesome in the KI History area I mentioned in another thread.

I'd LOVE to have seen that. I wonder how much of that was used in the ride (like the car) and how much was saved, if any.

Photo #69

Wow, seriously one of my favorite all time pics of KI that I've ever seen....

I wish landscaping was still that good at KI. That looks like a scene from a Busch Gardens park!

Photo #70

During the final years of operation, didn't they usually only have one side of the antique cars running? Since there were the Antique Cars, and Le Taxis. I think Antique Cars were the ones usually open...

The side that operated from the Rivertown station was shut down for good sometime in the mid to late 90's.

My first time I went to King's island was right around 02' and or 03' I remember Tomb Raider was a pretty new ride and I waited for about 2-3 hours to ride it. Sadly I wasn't very impressed with it ( Not counting the theme that was top notch!) but my heart was stolen the second time I rode the Flight of Fear.. TopGun1993 could you please find some more pictures of Kings Island right around that time 02' and 03' I really would love to see it like it was almost a decade even tho it really didn't change that much sense then haha. But all of these pictures are great Even if they just go back a year they are still a great way to reflect the memories. I have to say 2010 was my favorite year while 2011 wasn't! But Gosh, I was blown away by the Flight of Fear's still to this day If I can dig up some of the photo's we have taken at King's Island our self's I will send some your way! Keep up the good work!

I have home video of the park from 2003 but its on VHS i have no idea how to convert it to download it to my laptop.

My first time I went to King's island was right around 02' and or 03' I remember Tomb Raider was a pretty new ride and I waited for about 2-3 hours to ride it. Sadly I wasn't very impressed with it ( Not counting the theme that was top notch!) but my heart was stolen the second time I rode the Flight of Fear.. TopGun1993 could you please find some more pictures of Kings Island right around that time 02' and 03' I really would love to see it like it was almost a decade even tho it really didn't change that much sense then haha. But all of these pictures are great Even if they just go back a year they are still a great way to reflect the memories. I have to say 2010 was my favorite year while 2011 wasn't! But Gosh, I was blown away by the Flight of Fear's still to this day If I can dig up some of the photo's we have taken at King's Island our self's I will send some your way! Keep up the good work!

I have home video of the park from 2003 but its on VHS i have no idea how to convert it to download it to my laptop.

There are two basic ways to do it:

Do it yourself with something like Roxio's Easy VHS to DVD kit

Search your local yellow pages for a company that will convert home movies to DVD and have a professional do it

Photo #71

interesting pic on the blue racer, guy in the front seat in a tank top, 2 rows back you've got a guy in a jacket, in the operator station, you've got an employee in a sweat shirt. Based upon the last 2, I'm thinking the dude in the tank top was mocked several times that day as he walked thru the park.

The antique cars did only run 1 side towards the end of their operation. IIRC the lines were generally very short as well. I know there is a lot of fond memories, but I think the experience had worn off towards it later days. Throw in the likely high cost of maintance and operation and its not surprising it was replaced. I wish they'd replace the miny train ride in kiddie land with a similar attraction where young kids can "drive" a car. My 3 year old loves the one they have, which you don't drive, just ride and turn a fake steering wheel, but I see a bunch of "older" kids (thinking 8-10) that really are too big for that attraction and would probably get a kick out of something like the old cars. The minny train seems to have very low ridership, I would think something allowing a 6 year old to "drive" would be a successful attraction in kiddie land.

interesting pic on the blue racer, guy in the front seat in a tank top, 2 rows back you've got a guy in a jacket, in the operator station, you've got an employee in a sweat shirt. Based upon the last 2, I'm thinking the dude in the tank top was mocked several times that day as he walked thru the park.

His guns kept him company and would not mock him.