Eiffel Tower Construction

[BoddaH1994]

Everyone knows that Kings Dominion has an Intamin Lattice Tower that is essentially the same design as our Eiffel Tower at Kings Island. The design that each park got is actually called the Paris Tower according to the manufacturer's web site.

Although only a handful of photos have surfaced of Kings Island's Eiffel Tower being constructed, Kings Dominion has uploaded a video as part of their 40th Anniversary Celebration that includes dozens of photos of the construction of their Eiffel Tower as well as International Street, which at the time had extreme similarities to Kings Island's.

Enjoy!

[Outdoor Man]

here's an interesting "Paris Tower" question: has anyone ever been stranded at the top and forced to descend the stairs to the bottom?

[BoddaH1994]

here's an interesting "Paris Tower" question: has anyone ever been stranded at the top and forced to descend the stairs to the bottom?

I've never heard of that happening. I do know people who were on a level when one elevator went down and had to descend a staircase to the lower level in order to take the other elevator down.

I also know that the employees are trained on "vator to vator" evacs, in which an elevator stops half way up and they have to send the other one up to transfer people over to get them down, although I don't personally know of a time when that's been used.

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Amazing quality; they look like they could've been taken a couple months ago, vs. the 40+ years ago that they were taken!

[thedevariouseffect]

I know of a few vater evacs..One even happened this year.

[Outdoor Man]

here's an interesting "Paris Tower" question: has anyone ever been stranded at the top and forced to descend the stairs to the bottom?

I've never heard of that happening. I do know people who were on a level when one elevator went down and had to descend a staircase to the lower level in order to take the other elevator down.

I also know that the employees are trained on "vator to vator" evacs, in which an elevator stops half way up and they have to send the other one up to transfer people over to get them down, although I don't personally know of a time when that's been used.

OK, let's be honest here: a "vator-to-vator" evac would SUCK.

I'm not one to descend into panic attacks, but that could do it.

[JTW]

At least one of those photos is from Kings Island, unless they fly an Ohio flag in Virginia...

[shark6495]

Yea that gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about it

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KIBeast]

Great video, Ryan. When I was a kid, the route that we took to get to KI, the tower was the first thing that we would see. And after a 3 hour trip to get there, it was the first thing I saw that made it official in my mind that we had arrived at KI.

Don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that the Eiffel Tower in Paris is so large that the one at KI could fit underneath of it.

[thedevariouseffect]

It's not that bad, they park both elevators next to eachother, the ride ops keep you to one side, they open both doors on the side that face eachother (very small door) and drop ramps/handrails to easily climb from one to another..

I think it'd be worse to evac on some coasters..or a certain flat ride

[Thrill_Biscuit]

Great video, Ryan. When I was a kid, the route that we took to get to KI, the tower was the first thing that we would see. And after a 3 hour trip to get there, it was the first thing I saw that made it official in my mind that we had arrived at KI.

Don't know if this is true or not, but I have heard that the Eiffel Tower in Paris is so large that the one at KI could fit underneath of it.

That is precisely true. There is an opening through to the second tier, which is already 377 feet from the base of the Paris Eiffel Tower, that would accomodate the Kings Island tower head with room to spare. EDIT - 63 feet of room!

http://french.lovetoknow.com/How_Tall_Is_the_Eiffel_Tower

[bkroz]

Ironically, the color of the unpainted tower in those photos is actually very close to the real Eiffel Tower's paint job (which has never been teal, light blue, sea foam green, or anything close to it).

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/01/24/landmark-color-the-eiffel-towers-true-hues

[Thrill_Biscuit]

If "our" Eiffel Tower were built in front of the original, it would look something like this:

[BoddaH1994]

here's an interesting "Paris Tower" question: has anyone ever been stranded at the top and forced to descend the stairs to the bottom?

I've never heard of that happening. I do know people who were on a level when one elevator went down and had to descend a staircase to the lower level in order to take the other elevator down.

I also know that the employees are trained on "vator to vator" evacs, in which an elevator stops half way up and they have to send the other one up to transfer people over to get them down, although I don't personally know of a time when that's been used.

OK, let's be honest here: a "vator-to-vator" evac would SUCK.

I'm not one to descend into panic attacks, but that could do it.

The thought is more terrifying than the actual danger. They park them parallel and have something between them for people to walk on.

[BlondyRidesOn]

It looks to me that the Virginia flag is flying underneath the Ohio flag in that photo. The Ohio flag might just be there because the funding for the park was coming from the parent company, Taft, which was located here, to answer JTW's statement.

[Hoeter]

http://data.sphosting.ch/Intamin/Media/Lattice%20Tower/Lattice%20Tower.pdf

Some rare pictures here, and I mean rare.

[westcoaster]

Very cool:

[homestar92]

Sorry, Ryan, but in regards to your first post:

Kings Island is a registered trademark, and as such, is always capitalized here

[BoddaH1994]

Sorry, Ryan, but in regards to your first post:

Kings Island is a registered trademark, and as such, is always capitalized here

SHOW ME PROOF!!!!

Just kidding. I fixed it. Thanks for the heads up.

[The Interpreter]

Look at any plate from any food stand at the park. See the little R in the circle beside Kings Island? Now, look to see what's not beside Great America....

[jcgoble3]

I've always wondered how they evacuate a stuck elevator. Now I know.

That raises the question, though: what happens if, heaven forbid, both elevators are stuck at once?

Transmitted from Wild Space via my datapad's DROID brain

[Sonofbeast2.0]

I've always wondered how they evacuate a stuck elevator. Now I know.

That raises the question, though: what happens if, heaven forbid, both elevators are stuck at once?

Transmitted from Wild Space via my datapad's DROID brain

"Welcome to the Tower of Terror!"

[Diamondback96]

I've always wondered how they evacuate a stuck elevator. Now I know.

That raises the question, though: what happens if, heaven forbid, both elevators are stuck at once?

Transmitted from Wild Space via my datapad's DROID brain

"Welcome to the Tower of Terror!"

Suddenly, the Eiffel Tower rockets up my mom's favorite ride list.

[The Interpreter]

I've always wondered how they evacuate a stuck elevator. Now I know.

That raises the question, though: what happens if, heaven forbid, both elevators are stuck at once?

Each car also has an escape hatch at the top, through which the passengers can be evacuated...

[BoddaH1994]

I've always wondered how they evacuate a stuck elevator. Now I know.

That raises the question, though: what happens if, heaven forbid, both elevators are stuck at once?

Each car also has an escape hatch at the top, through which the passengers can be evacuated...

Exactly. Mason FD would be involved. It would be terrifying for the people to say the least, but they'd be removed one by one in a very safe fashion.

[thedevariouseffect]

Lol y'all are amazed with this stuff.

To me it's a bunch of random information xD

[The Interpreter]

Not all.

And at least one poster here has walked down from the top. And been evacuated from an elevator through the top hatch. Elsewhere. Twice.

[homestar92]

Not all.

And at least one poster here has walked down from the top. And been evacuated from an elevator through the top hatch. Elsewhere. Twice.

Was this "elsewhere" the same both times?

[BoddaH1994]

Had to have been Dominion or Over Texas.

[The Interpreter]

Elsewhere means not at Tower, Kings Island.

Oddly enough, both incidents were in Federal Buildings. Once in Louisville. Once at John Weld Peck.