Markers Placed by Old Columbia Rd.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

2 minutes ago, Oldschool75 said:

Many who have been around for a while will confirm, the park doesn’t not spend money unless they need to. The station does not need to be removed unless something is planned for that space. I will put down a $100 bill that if it coming down then something is planned for the space.


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Unless it's getting to the point where it's getting too expensive to maintain it or something comes up where they have to remove it. I believe Vortex was removed at the last minute due to something popping up where they had no choice but to close it. 

[gforce1994]

7 minutes ago, Oldschool75 said:

Many who have been around for a while will confirm, the park doesn’t not spend money unless they need to. The station does not need to be removed unless something is planned for that space. I will put down a $100 bill that if it coming down then something is planned for the space.


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With the station coming out, the question is, what fits that spot and the location of the markers?

[Tr0y]

18 hours ago, gforce1994 said:

The cutting of electrical wiring would make sense as a preliminary step towards taking down that structure.

Everyone knows you don’t need any fancy wiring to operate a steam train. How thrilling would it be to not have to walk to the best section of the park, Rivertown. Also not having to walk from the water park to main park entrance would be nice too! 

[MrSourNinja]

11 minutes ago, gforce1994 said:

With the station coming out, the question is, what fits that spot and the location of the markers?

Not much IMO, The land isn't level and it is hard to access. Such a weird spot to end up putting anything... The street are is much more viable.

[Oldschool75]

Unless it's getting to the point where it's getting too expensive to maintain it or something comes up where they have to remove it. I believe Vortex was removed at the last minute due to something popping up where they had no choice but to close it. 

That was an operating ride. I’m speaking of idle objects. Example: flight commander, The crypt


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[gforce1994]

5 minutes ago, MrSourNinja said:

Not much IMO, The land isn't level and it is hard to access. Such a weird spot to end up putting anything... The street are is much more viable.

Put a new station there and connect the markers- you could get a coaster with a dogleg layout.

 

[Oldschool75]

Everyone knows you don’t need any fancy wiring to operate a steam train. How thrilling would it be to not have to walk to the best section of the park, Rivertown. Also not having to walk from the water park to main park entrance would be nice too! 

I actually did a mock up and a rough survey A couple of years ago. The only items really in the way was Vortex and SOB station

 

 

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[SonofBaconator]

46 minutes ago, Hawaiian Coasters 325 said:

Unless it's getting to the point where it's getting too expensive to maintain it or something comes up where they have to remove it. 

Exactly. I'm no expert on wood structures but I know wood can't hold forever. I wonder if they were letting the station remain until the wood would be deemed unsafe to hold a certain amount of weight. Maybe its gotten to the point where they'd rather just demolish it vs replacing the wood then having to go back and replace other pieces wood later on. Like I said I'm no expert but that seems like a lot of work to keep a haunted house standing.

Isn't it the same wood from 2000? If its indeed the same that's 20 year old wood. Also how high is the structure from the ground? Maybe it could be recycled, the wood track still stands emerging out if the station after all. Only time will tell.

[BeastForever]

^The station is held up by steel. Its the only the station track that's wood-supported.

And while it probably is the same wood from 2000, its important to note that the vast majority of wood holding up Beast, Racer and Woodstock Express's station track is still from 1979/1972, so I can't imagine SOB's remaining wooden structure being that much of a burden to maintain (or at least, well enough for it to stand - there are not any coaster trains to ride on it).

While I'm certainly approaching these developments with cautious skepticism as any, what's happening definitely has my interest at least...

[gforce1994]

5 minutes ago, BeastForever said:

^The station is held up by steel. Its the only the station track that's wood-supported.

And while it probably is the same wood from 2000, its important to note that the vast majority of wood holding up Beast, Racer and Woodstock Express's station track is still from 1979/1972, so I can't imagine SOB's remaining wooden structure being that much of a burden to maintain (or at least, well enough for it to stand - there are not any coaster trains to ride on it).

While I'm certainly approaching these developments with cautious skepticism as any, what's happening definitely has my interest at least...

My interest rose with the markers along Columbia Road. These two events occurring simultaneously is an interesting development.

[jsus]

19 minutes ago, BeastForever said:

^The station is held up by steel. Its the only the station track that's wood-supported.

It's a similar situation to steel coasters - the ride structure itself is designed, and then the station is designed around it.  So there are still vertical steel support columns for station track in the station that support the track + train, then a completely separate steel/concrete structure to hold the station floor, etc.  The station track is structurally sound without the station present..

[gforce1994]

 

[Benjamin22]

1 hour ago, Oldschool75 said:

Many who have been around for a while will confirm, the park doesn’t spend money unless they need to. The station does not need to be removed unless something is planned for that space. I will put down a $100 bill that if it coming down then something is planned for the space.

I don't think need is the right word to use. They don't have any plans for The Vortex plot of land yet they took it down. Removing the SoB station could simply be a matter of improving park appearance. Is removing the station a sign something maybe planned to be built there in the near future? Sure. But saying needs implies there a 100% certainty something is being built there soon.

[Phantom Theater]

These developments are definitely making me want to get more rides in on The Bat.... Seems a little sus seeing all of this work near it and the park keeps posting the same video of it on its social sites. 

[gforce1994]

30 minutes ago, Benjamin22 said:

I don't think need is the right word to use. They don't have any plans for The Vortex plot of land yet they took it down. Removing the SoB station could simply be a matter of improving park appearance. Is removing the station a sign something maybe planned to be built there in the near future? Sure. But saying needs implies there a 100% certainty something is being built there soon.

Well, you’re not going to to be leaving a 140 foot tall steel coaster standing without maintenance are you? It doesn’t matter if they have plans or not, it needed to come down.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

27 minutes ago, Phantom Theater said:

These developments are definitely making me want to get more rides in on The Bat.... Seems a little sus seeing all of this work near it and the park keeps posting the same video of it on its social sites. 

Yeah, they seem to be posting about The Bat multiple times on their social sites. I hope they don't take it down now since it would be the third coaster removal in a row. 

[FUN&ONLY!]

If they remove The Bat, I can’t help but get a little annoyed. It is not common for a park to remove a ride at all and doing it three years in row is a bad look. It will be getting old if they choose to remove yet another ride.

[flightoffear1996]

I would be fine in the removed another coaster as long as the opened one the same year.  They do already have a nice plot of land where The Vortex was.  

[gforce1994]

35 minutes ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

If they remove The Bat, I can’t help but get a little annoyed. It is not common for a park to remove a ride at all and doing it three years in row is a bad look. It will be getting old if they choose to remove yet another ride.

They can connect the two sites without removing The Bat.

[ohiocoasterfan]

Call me stupid but all this conversation seems like nonsense in the midst of a pandemic. Literally the only thing we have seen is markers on Columbia Rd. Now we’re talking about a new coaster spanning from SOB station?

Based on an open electrical box apparently we’re getting a new coaster. There is literally nothing to suggest this except one member pushing views to his site and another one that must be a fanboy of his. It ain’t happening!

[gforce1994]

1 minute ago, ohiocoasterfan said:

Call me stupid but all this conversation seems like nonsense in the midst of a pandemic. Literally the only thing we have seen is markers on Columbia Rd. Now we’re talking about a new coaster spanning from SOB station?

Based on an open electrical box apparently we’re getting a new coaster. There is literally nothing to suggest this except one member pushing views to his site and another one that must be a fanboy of his. It ain’t happening!

We have seen markers on the road, as well as markers at the SOB station. With the situation for which Orion was created, it’s possible for a new addition.

[KI Guy]

2 hours ago, FUN&ONLY! said:

If they remove The Bat, I can’t help but get a little annoyed. It is not common for a park to remove a ride at all and doing it three years in row is a bad look. It will be getting old if they choose to remove yet another ride.

Unfortunately though they had a lot of old, steel coasters. They all have to come down at some point.

I agree with you though that it would be pretty excessive to see three go in three years (with one replacement).

Since steel coasters have a limited life and wood coasters have an indefinite life, I'm curious about the lifespan of RMC hybrids. I think that might depend on how much the i-beam track costs to replace.

@BeastForever Thank you for your factoid on The Beast and Racer supports. Few would ever guess that.

[gforce1994]

4 minutes ago, KI Guy said:

Unfortunately though they had a lot of old, steel coasters. They all have to come down at some point.

I agree with you though that it would be pretty excessive to see three go in three years (with one replacement).

Since steel coasters have a limited life and wood coasters have an indefinite life, I'm curious about the lifespan of RMC hybrids. I think that might depend on how much the i-beam track costs to replace.

@BeastForever Thank you for your factoid on The Beast and Racer supports. Few would ever guess that.

True, however, the oldest steel coaster in the park is Adventures Express. CP’s oldest steel coaster is 22 years older.

[ohiocoasterfan]

On 8/31/2020 at 9:59 PM, gforce1994 said:

We have seen markers on the road, as well as markers at the SOB station. With the situation for which Orion was created, it’s possible for a new addition.

No we have “seen” a single marker at an electrical box that somehow led you to SOB station being torn down and a new coaster. Then lights being on have confirmed it along with an open electrical box. All you do is try to drive traffic to your conspiracy theory website.

If anyone forgets you did confirm a Giga coaster based on a drainage pipe.



Credit:@gforce1994 and his conspiracy website.

[BeastForever]

And I would add that the retirement of Firehawk was more so about unfavorable operating cost-rider ratios, and likely nothing to do with metal fatigue.

As for speculating the future of The Bat, I think these facts are relevant:

- 5 Arrow Suspendeds remaining (out of 10 ever built)

- 3 of those 5 at CF parks

- The Bat is the youngest of all remaining suspended coasters, and CF has yet to remove any one of theirs

I wouldn't start to worry until Vortex (CW) goes. It's two years older than The Bat, and a virtual clone. That will be the one to watch.

[SonofBaconator]

24 minutes ago, gforce1994 said:

True, however, the oldest steel coaster in the park is Adventures Express. CP’s oldest steel coaster is 22 years older.

Both Arrows nonetheless. 

I also think height, speed, and wear and tear play a factor. For example Vortex probably experienced greater wear and tear in its 33 years operating than Corkscrew has in its 44 years. 

Again I'm no engineer but I'd say The Bat has seen a good amount of wear and tear during its life with the swinging trains and its design which allows it to pick up speed throughout the course of the ride.

@BeastForever I agree that The Bat isn't going anytime soon. I've stated that if Iron Dragon goes that they might split its parts up between us and Wonderland. I could see CW wanting to keep theirs a little longer because it interacts with the mountain and Yukon Striker. If anything I could see The Bat leaving before Vortex.

[gforce1994]

3 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

Both Arrows nonetheless. 

I also think height, speed, and wear and tear play a factor. For example Vortex probably experienced greater wear and tear in its 33 years operating than Corkscrew has in its 44 years. 

Again I'm no engineer but I'd say The Bat has seen a good amount of wear and tear during its life with the swinging trains and its design which allows it to pick up speed throughout the course of the ride.

But then again, the only Arrow Suspended coasters to close did so for these reasons: car failure (rare case), engineering oversights (BBW and Bat), park closing, and maintenance becoming too expensive.

[Kenban]

Something people need to keep in mind is the 50th anniversary is coming and frankly corporate is going to want the park looking as good as possible.  Tearing down an aging station which is only used for a haunt just to clean up the park could easily be justified, also being 20 years old it might need inspections or maintenance that they do not wish to perform.  The 50th is going to happen once, and they will want to take advantage of it.  The park is going to have modifications which have likely been planned for a little while now between now and 2022, and anything after that might be totally changing but between now and then, I would not be surprised to see many projects continue.

The other issue is that no matter what is going on in the world right now, a lot of work likely has contracts which were signed months ago, do not forget the filling with the county which listed companies the park had contracts with listed 2021 and that filling was from last year.  I remember a consultant coming out earlier this year saying amusement park contract writing will likely change after this is all over, too many parks are committed to projects they may no longer want or might not be able to afford. 

 

I cannot help think about the fact that all of the work seems centered around either a road, or a maintenance road.  The only paved path from the parking lot to the maintenance buildings passes under the pathways to the SOB station.  Is all of this work linked?  Maybe, and it could easily be linked in a way we are not aware of.  I think we are too fixated on a coaster being the link.  For instance a complete retheming of Action Zone, with the removal of Timberwolf could easily force the park to move maintenance roads and repave Columbia Rd.

[Rivertown Rider]

I do think Action Zone is due for some love as it is really the only non-kiddie area of the park that hasn't gotten any sprucing up over the last several years.

I don't think it is a coaster but some family flats in Action Zone are sorely needed.  Action Zone still is the most Paramount-feeling area in the park with the exception of the Banshee area.

[SonofBaconator]

37 minutes ago, Rivertown Rider said:

I do think Action Zone is due for some love as it is really the only non-kiddie area of the park that hasn't gotten any sprucing up over the last several years.

I don't think it is a coaster but some family flats in Action Zone are sorely needed.  Action Zone still is the most Paramount-feeling area in the park with the exception of the Banshee area.

That section has been though pretty significant changes. It never had a true, permanent identity. I consider Action Zone to be in 2 parts- the pre-2014 side and the post 2014 side. The pre 2014 side consists of Invertigo, Drop Tower, and Congo Falls- these rides weren't really touched when the 2014 season began. The post-2014 side was affected at the start of the 2014 season and consists of Banshee, Delirium, Bat, and Skyflyer. Its like pre-2014 reflects Paramount where as post 2014 reflects on Cedar Fair.

In my opinion the pre-2014 side needs to catch up to match the post-2014 side. I think playing on the spooky theme would fit in nicely since many consider KI to be haunted anyway. Call me a heathen but I think the wacky colors of Drop Tower need to go. The checkers and bright colors remind me too much of Paramount. Something like dark blue, purple, and orange would reflect the section well imo. Timberwolf is a toss up but I don't mind its presence. I wish Congo Falls was in Rivertown but oh well.