Who would have thought I would spot a B&M dive machine at McDonalds???

Well, I was at the Batavia McDonalds. The one on top of the hill, by Clermont Mercy Hospital. I was with my grandma, and going through the drive through for breakfast. All of the sudden, something caught my eye. I just happened to have my video camera in the back seat. I grabbed the camera, threw open the door, and ran to the front of the building, turning on the camera and hitting record in the process. All the other people in line probably thought I was an idiot.

Anyways, I caught a couple seconds of footage. It was unmistakeable. Two pieces of SheiKra - the newest B&M, and newest installment at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay were on the back of a flat bed truck. I have seen this spectacle several times before, but never had got it on film. I got some pictures, and posted them on my website.

Click here to go to my gallery. I would have posted the pics in this thread, but don't know exactly where the image was uploaded to on my gallery! So click on that link to view them. I thought it was pretty cool

I guess its officially the off season!

Edit: I figured it out. Here is one of the pics. But come check out the rest of the site/gallery anyway.

Cool deal! Not to mention you could tell who made the track. I am sure that is something to see on the freeway for sure! Thanks for sharing the pics.

How can you tell.

Yeah, I know the B&M manufacturing plant is in Cinci somewhere. Does anyone know exactly where it is?

Yes - it is in Afton Ohio, just up the road from Batavia. Its about five minutes from where I go to school, at UC Clermont. I see them all the time on lunch break, when Im up on the hill. I just happened to have my camera with me.

B&M always uses square section steel spine. If you look at the pics, you can see that the spine of the track is square, and not tubular. They just have a certain look to them.

If you want to get there and see for youself, go to Batavia. Stay on Main Street (old SR 74) and go east on it. Stay on it, and you'll pass Batavia High School eventually. Keep going a couple miles, and there is a big transmission factory on your right. SOFCO (the place where they make all US B&M track) is across from Old 74 from the factory.

Whoa that is pretty nice I bet it is track for that one Busch Gardens is getting. They dont have tours there do they?

I would like to take a tour myself. Great find Klockster!

I bet it is track for that one Busch Gardens is getting.

Yeah, its for Busch Gardens. The two other coasters B&M are building this year are either done, or are green track and almost done. Silver Bullet in California had similar colored track but had a yellow spine. It is also done and open to the public. Hydra in PA I think is about done so all the track should be on site by now. I've stopped checking the plant that makes the track once I know which parks they are going to and what color each one will be.

You think with B&M not that far from Kings Island that they would get a coaster from them.

Awesome!

One of these days...I am going to get to SOFCO to look around myself.

wow, seems to be common sense!

it would be neat!

plus they have Gravity Group in the area too!

no GG Coasters at PKI

Whoa that is pretty nice I bet it is track for that one Busch Gardens is getting. They dont have tours there do they?

They do have "tours." I called the plant to inquire on information reguarding a essay on industrial safety and they invited me in for a tour inside the place. So yes, they do, but not to sit there and drool over some coaster track. Which is what you would be doing.

You think with B&M not that far from Kings Island that they would get a coaster from them.

There are a lot of reasons why PKI doesn't have a B&M, the distance to the factory isn't one of them.

Yeah, I know the B&M manufacturing plant is in Cinci somewhere. Does anyone know exactly where it is?

It would be about 3 minutes away from me in Batavia.

You think with B&M not that far from Kings Island that they would get a coaster from them.

There are a lot of reasons why PKI doesn't have a B&M, the distance to the factory isn't one of them.

Surely cost isn't an issue..... Paramount has lots of $$$

Remember, PKI and PKD are the only Paramount parks without a B&M.

Upon closer inspection of the pieces, I think I know where they come from. It looks like the piece on the bottom is from the drop. It is a Dive Machine, so its drop is vertical. The piece on the bottom is where it starts to come out of the drop, and starts to move from vertical to horizontal. The piece on top immediately follows it.

Actually, I think they maybe part of a Helix sort of thing or a turn, Look at the footer placement pads and how they are angled...

Good point! I didn't even notice that! Well obviously, it is somewhere where the track is going from straight to a curve. So judging by the banking, it has to be a helix, or maybe part of the Immelman.

Are we all really that bored that we must analyse a picture of metal for scrutiny on track placement?

Come'on people...It's the holidays, watch tv, be with family, be with friends, do something that doesn't involve over - analysing a coaster track.

Amen Diana!!

Are we all really that bored that we must analyse a picture of metal for scrutiny on track placement?

Come'on people...It's the holidays, watch tv, be with family, be with friends, do something that doesn't involve over - analysing a coaster track.

Good Idea. Ill just buy a plane ticket to Montana, and go see my family for Christmas. Or not. I will spend my Christmas recoding my website from HTML 4.0 Transitional to XHTML 1.0 Strict. Yeah. Big fun...

PKI isnt open! What are we supposed to do? We are talking all about PKI. COME ON! I just Idle my time away on RCT and laughing at my short dog in the tall snow.