Silver Dollar City 2013 Coaster

[calakapepe]

This still is a wooden coaster, we never pushed away classification of a wooden coaster because there are metal rails that the wheels ride on, so why would we with Topper Track?

[FOFreak]

Anyway you look at it, its a hybrid.

[RingMaster]

Well, the way I look at it, it isn't finished.

[thekidd33]

A picture is up on ACE's facebook page of the next few track pieces/supports...it's not a zero-g roll...and it may or may not be an inversion. IMO, from that photo it does appear to be completely upside briefly.

Pic: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151884726330576&set=a.10151884701990576.872593.125717780575&type=3&permPage=1

[RingMaster]

^ The downside, however, is that it's still not finished.

Anyway, kinda resembles a cross between both a zero-g roll and a Stengel Dive. This takes the extreme overbanks from The Voyage and (almost completely) turns it on its head.

[TheCrypt]

I much prefer that view than that of the head on version, because you can clearly see the direction of the track, where as head on, you have to guess "Ok, so is that where track is gonna go or...?"

[TheCrypt]

Clue #1:

https://www.facebook.com/Silverdollarcity/app_6009294086

If you guys haven't done so already, subscribe to their email list. It's quite interesting, plus you get the first clues about future attractions (hence how I got this).

[thekidd33]

A poster over at SDCFans has posted that there is a roll down in the valley. Also that the ride will have trains made by Gerstlauer and will have OTSRs.

Again all rumor at this time but the announcement date is the 9th so we don't have long to wait.

[TTD-120-420]

They are rumored to be over the head restraints, not over the shoulder. Think WindSeeker.

[thekidd33]

Apparently the ride layout was briefly available on the silverdollarcity2013 website before being password protected. According to the picture there are two barrel rolls in the valley near the end of the ride.

[TTD-120-420]

I seriously can't wait for this announcement.

[Titan]

The ride looks fun, I just wish it wasn't so short....

[beastrider97]

Here's the leaked layout. All I can say is WOW! If this is the real thing, (and works better than SOB), it will be a major game changer. Possibly the new era of wooden coasters

[jdawg1998]

So, is it going to be considered a wooden coaster or not? I'm confused about that.

[beastrider97]

^If it's just topper track, I believe so. If it's along the lines of the New Texas Giant, no.

[thekidd33]

Probably, it has topper track, not the all steel I-beam track that Texas Giant got as part of its redo.

[TTD-120-420]

That looks crazy.

[calakapepe]

They are rumored to be over the head restraints, not over the shoulder. Think WindSeeker.

I've found the term, "pull-down lap bar" to be less confusing.

[icedripper]

They are rumored to be over the head restraints, not over the shoulder. Think WindSeeker.

I've found the term, "pull-down lap bar" to be less confusing.

All lap bars are pull down...no?

[A.S.Coasters]

I'm going to call this a hybrid only because the whole top of the track is steel, the only wooden part of the track is the underside, which simply holds up the steel.

[thekidd33]

The top layer of track on all wooden coasters is steel.

[dudecoasterman]

^^ That's how every wooden coaster is, The Beast, Racer, Prowler, Thunderhead, etc.

edit: TheKidd beat me to it.

[A.S.Coasters]

I know that, but the actual track itself is made of steel. There are simply steel plates on woodies but the rest is actually wood.

[thekidd33]

With the topper track the top three layers of the seven layer track are replaced by steel, the bottom four layers of the track are still wood.

[A.S.Coasters]

That's enough for me to consider it steel.

[TheCrypt]

But you just called it a hybrid... Well which is it?!

[dudecoasterman]

It's a...wait for it..... Stlybrid!

[calakapepe]

They are rumored to be over the head restraints, not over the shoulder. Think WindSeeker.

I've found the term, "pull-down lap bar" to be less confusing.

All lap bars are pull down...no?

Hmm.. 'over-the-head lap bar' ?

[westcoaster]

Seems to be a wooden maybe I'm wrong since the texas giant and the voyage what is wooden?

[TombRaiderFTW]

I'm very hesitant to call this ride a wooden coaster, and it's pretty much because the entirety of the material that actually contacts the wheels and directs the train is steel.

For you folks saying (or about to say) that wooden coasters normally contact steel only: Topper track's different from the steel laminate on normal wooden coasters. Typical wooden coasters use a strip of metal mounted on a couple wide wooden boards, and the boards themselves are what give the track strength. Even if it may not be its primary purpose (and I don't know what the specific primary purpose of the steel laminate is, so this is conjecture-ish), the steel does keep the wheels of the train from presumably shredding the wood. The steel acts as a protection for the track, but it's not the track--no more than you'd say the oil on a bowling lane is the bowling lane. The top few layers on a wooden coaster are what directly influence the motion of the train, and, for me, that's what's determining the classification of this ride.

So, in my opinion, topper track is a very convincing steel substitute for wooden coaster track, but it's still steel. This ride's as much of a steel coaster as Adventure Express and Gemini. When used on specific trouble spots on rides (like the Silverwoodies or Rattler), it's one thing, but building an entire ride where the primary component of the track is steel makes it a steel coaster to me.