Accident on Son of Beast

[Vortexlover2]

Check out the headline on "Fark.com"

Twenty-seven people taken to the hospital after roller coaster comes to abrupt stop in boarding area.

It just seems to get worse and worse! Abrupt stop in boarding area? Give me a break!

I searched MSNnews and saw that one

[beastdude]

If they dont take down mission to space there is no way there going to take down SOB

um yea im just gonna say another person fainted in mission space and if you think KI is having troubles look at disney sorry to get off topic. But lets remrber who now owns the park Cedar Fair and do they let people take away world records for long not usually. SOB will stay even if it is closed for a year and new trains are added and the track is reconstructed. I mean lets face it theres no other coaster like this in the world why not fix it rather than tear it down and I know moneys involved but yea.

[WooferBearATL]

A power failure would not effect the way a coaster ran through a loop. Take a physics lesson, then you will understand.

I was sitting here wondering what a Power Failure would have to do with a coaster train being stuck in a loop.

Maybe the poster thinks that these trains are individually powered?

Now there was an issue with a train stuck in a loop at Wonderland. Wasn't it on their "Bat"?

[TOPGUN1993]

So if SOB leaves Vortex will be the tallest coaster wow

[bsktgrvy]

On another note, I have read on this web site several times that "Only 2 more people are in the hospital as a result of this thing" My question for those of you who have claimed this is "How many people does it take before it becomes wrong?" 2, 4, 20, 100 etc...... It is wrong when 1 person gets hurt!

I was thinking the same thing. If it had been you or me or one of our family members (or one of the posters that said it's not a big deal) that had been hurt on the ride, I can assure you it would be a big deal, as it is anyway.

[Rollercoast19]

A power failure would not effect the way a coaster ran through a loop. Take a physics lesson, then you will understand.

I was sitting here wondering what a Power Failure would have to do with a coaster train being stuck in a loop.

Maybe the poster thinks that these trains are individually powered?

Now there was an issue with a train stuck in a loop at Wonderland. Wasn't it on their "Bat"?

Thanks for completing my point SOB_TOM and WooferBearATL .

[Eagle One]

Remember it wasn’t to long ago when they had an accident like this one on the best and people still ride that coaster

Never heard of any accident on The Beast that was similar in any way. The only one I recall was a slow collision in the station due to the skid brakes not completely stopping the train. What incident are you referring to?

It was a year or two ago sent 20 people to the hospital rainy day thats all i remeber

[King Maple The Tree King]

^The incident Eagle One is talking about is the same incident PKIBeast is refering to, there was a small collision of two trains due to the skid breaks (now removed) being wet from the rain and failing to stop the train as it came off the ready breaks and into the station and collided with the station train. It was a small collison, no one was hurt, people were just taken to the hostpital as a precaution, just like with SOB, everyone was taken as a pre-caution. The media way over-hyped the SOB incident, while it is definently a serious issue, it is stilla bit exaggerated.

[KIBeast]

^Um, someone's chest bone was broken. I don't think there was any exaggeration there. Granted, most were bumps and bruises, but definitely one was seriously injured.

My point was that no one received anything more than bumps or bruises from The Beast incident. I would say that THAT makes the SOB incident considerably more serious than a slow bump into another train.

[PKIVortex]

Hey, if your gonna attack someone for spreading rumors. At least have the courtesty to know what it is you are talking about. I was there. I worked at the park that day. The entire park was in an uproar. Associates were instructed not to say anything to media. I respect your opinion. But the ride was stuck upside down due to a power failure. And besides, you are missing my point.

Which is that these things happen. Its the only way to avoid the problem with future attractions. I'm not attacking Kings Island for acts of god beyond anyones control. Instead I am praising the managements strength to move on and put incidents like this behind the park.

There is no way they would have kept the fact that The Vortex got stuck upside from the media. It would have hit the news. I worked at PKI during the power failure in 99. Vortex wouldn't stop in a loop because of a power failure. It would stop on the next setup area. IE (lift hill, c breaks, saftey breaks, ready breaks or station). Gravity would have got the ride to any of those areas that would have came next after the power failure.

[arichmann]

Yeah....Here's some bad news

It's closed for 6 weeks...so state inspectors can check it out.

So it's probably closed till next season if at all.

[tubaman]

I can't wait for The GrandSon of Beast...

I already have designs for that on my computer. Of course it is my own design, but it rocks!

The tallest, fastest, longest wooden rollercoaster on the planet! Not only is it the second wood coaster with a loop, but the first with a corkscrew! It also honors the original with two lift hills!

Thank you Uncle Henry!

Is it in No Limits? I'd like to see that.

[PKIVortex]

Here is a new story with video on WCPO.

Injured Son of Beast Rider Tells Her Story

[Delirium33]

i have a question: doesnt SoB have 3 trains? if one had the accident, and the other was stoped on the hill, what happened to the other one? did it stop where those breaks are right before the hill going into the loop? if so then those people had a close call!

[KIemployeeforlife]

I love the fact that the number of people keeps changing. It makes me laugh a little, but I am sad that this happened

[TOPGUN1993]

The Beast FAMILY IS DIEING !!

Beastie is gone

Son of Beast is more than half dead

Hang On Beast

[tubaman]

The Beast FAMILY IS DIEING !!

Beastie is gone

Son of Beast is more than half dead

Hang On Beast

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[Vortex]

i have a question: doesnt SoB have 3 trains? if one had the accident, and the other was stoped on the hill, what happened to the other one? did it stop where those breaks are right before the hill going into the loop? if so then those people had a close call!

SOB only uses two trains. The 3rd train sits in the area behind The Beastie.

I can see PKI taking that whole area of the track down and rebuilding it, or just pay the money to start taking SOB down. This sounds alot like that The Bat when they could not get it to stop and they took it down for good not long after that.

Topgun1993 The Beastie is still around it is going on its 3rd name now. When I was little it was called The Scooby Doo.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Vortex

[screamslikeagirl]

I may be talking out my butt here but it seems to me if they keep having to put a lot of money into it to keep it "safe" it might be more effort than it is worth.

I'm still confused as to where the accident happened though. The eight thousand different news reports have began to run together.

[KIBeast]

i have a question: doesnt SoB have 3 trains? if one had the accident, and the other was stoped on the hill, what happened to the other one? did it stop where those breaks are right before the hill going into the loop? if so then those people had a close call!

SOB only runs two trains.

Ooops! Vortex beat me to it.

Edited July 11, 2006 by PKIBeast

[Bubbasbrother]

This year don't SoB trains have 30 seats because they took off the last car??? How could 31 people get hurt on that one ride?

[TheKlockster]

Good point. The article said 31 of 36 people were hurt...

[PKIVortex]

Now i'm thinking after reading the news report and watching the video on WCPO, that it happened in the rose bowl? I'm really getting confused.

Yeah I also noticed the numbers keep changing. Someone doesn't know what they are talking about.

[Enchanted Voyager]

So is it closing indefinitely? I read it in the paper today.

[CoastersNSich]

This year don't SoB trains have 30 seats because they took off the last car??? How could 31 people get hurt on that one ride?

Actually, one train does seat up to 30 riders. With six seats per car, and five cars, you have 30. Prior to 2006, maximum capacity per train was 36.

We assume not every seat was filled in that last train, and there was at least one injured rider in the train before it.

[PKIVortex]

So is it closing indefinitely? I read it in the paper today.

It's closed indefinitely while they inspect every inch of the ride. And after they inspect everything, they will decide what changes can be made to make sure this never happens again. This could take up to 6 weeks just for the inspections, and longer if they have to major changes.

Then you have Cedar Fair. Do they want to spend the money to make the changes to the SOB. It's too soon to tell what's going to end up happening.

[Dragon Mountain]

There are 3 problems with Son of Beast:

1). PREMIER TRAINS! Any Premier Coaster is painful, even Italian Job or Flight of Fear. Even with the lap bars, I still felt the pain in my back, and the train was vibrating painfully.

2). If you want to build a hyper coaster, use steel! A woodie 215 ft. tall will definetly have problems, including structure damage.

3). Why is there a loop on it? Woodies aren't meant for loops.

What I would do if I was in charge is:

-Contract Gravity Group to rebuild the entire ride with airtime hills and remove the helixes, and loop.

-Buy Intamin trains like the ones on Colossos and El Toro

If those 2 things are done, Son of Beast would be in the top 10 wooden coasters.

[PKIVortex]

I actually do like the ride myself, when I don't get beat up on it. The only way to avoid it is to sit in the middle of each car. New trains that would actually track may make it a better ride.

[tubaman]

There are 3 problems with Son of Beast:

1). PREMIER TRAINS! Any Premier Coaster is painful, even Italian Job or Flight of Fear. Even with the lap bars, I still felt the pain in my back, and the train was vibrating painfully.

2). If you want to build a hyper coaster, use steel! A woodie 215 ft. tall will definetly have problems, including structure damage.

3). Why is there a loop on it? Woodies aren't meant for loops.

What I would do if I was in charge is:

-Contract Gravity Group to rebuild the entire ride with airtime hills and remove the helixes, and loop.

-Buy Intamin trains like the ones on Colossos and El Toro

If those 2 things are done, Son of Beast would be in the top 10 wooden coasters.

Maybe you could remove the loop, but I would not take out the helixes. Thats a Beast thing.

[RingMaster]

There are 3 problems with Son of Beast:

1). PREMIER TRAINS! Any Premier Coaster is painful, even Italian Job or Flight of Fear. Even with the lap bars, I still felt the pain in my back, and the train was vibrating painfully.

2). If you want to build a hyper coaster, use steel! A woodie 215 ft. tall will definetly have problems, including structure damage.

3). Why is there a loop on it? Woodies aren't meant for loops.

What I would do if I was in charge is:

-Contract Gravity Group to rebuild the entire ride with airtime hills and remove the helixes, and loop.

-Buy Intamin trains like the ones on Colossos and El Toro

If those 2 things are done, Son of Beast would be in the top 10 wooden coasters.

1) Honestly, I think Flight of Fear and the Italian Job are the two smoothest coasters in the park (along with Top Gun, even though that's an Arrow coaster).

2) Which is why the most recent wooden coaster built, The Voyage, uses a combination of wood and steel.

3) Because it looks cool and people get a kick out of it every time they go through the loop.

-Hey, I like the helixes! We just need more airtime hills. And tunnels. In fact, I'd rather Son of Beast, if possible, to be transformed into one hell of a terrain coaster like its father. There is a TON of forested area for SOB to strecth its legs and REALLY terrorize fellow park guests. Heck, they shouldn't even be scared to break The Beast's record for the longest coaster (I was under the assumption that the son would be much longer than the father). *of course, tubaman had to beat me to it. *

-Or at least get PTC trains like the ones on the Thunderhead at Dollywood and the Lightning Racers at Hersheypark. See, I wouldn't mind if Son of Beast's lift hill was cut a hundred feet short, what I would like to see is some ingenuity and creativity in the design and track layout of the coaster (perfect examples: Thunderhead's fly-by in the station, The Legend's twisted layout in and out of itself more than 7 times, The Raven's lovely terrain layout through the woods). If they could pull THAT off, then there would be no need to have a 108-foot loop.