Top Thrill Dragster Closed Indefinitely

[ogryn]

http://www.newsnet5.com/entertainment/3523436/detail.html

TTD has closed after its launch cable snapped (3rd time) this time sending shards of metal into its riders.

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/2004-195-609705.htm for opinions

Is this the end for super-tall coasters? Superman: The Escape has been shut for all of 2004, causeing the RCDB to change its status to SBNO. The third tallest coaster in the world (Steel Dragon, Japan) is also SBNO after an accident. Millenium Force has had multiple cable snaps.

Should we be building 300ft+ coasters. Does a coaster have to be tall and fast to be fun/thrilling? Prime example is Nemesis, a compact B+M inverter that barely goes above ground level (and has a max drop of 104ft), yet is fast and thrilling (pulling nearly 5g).

Also what does this mean for Intamin? They are having a tough time this year, with restraint issues (leading to deaths) and now ride system injuries.

 

[TAC]

Ok, you got me.

RCDB ?

SBNO ?

 

[SirNim]

Ok, you got me.

RCDB ?

SBNO ?

Roller Coaster Database

Standing But Not Operating

I think... lbnol

 

[ogryn]

Ok, you got me.

RCDB ?

SBNO ?

Yeah, sorry, SirNim is correct.

RCDB - The RollerCoaster DataBase - You want info on a coaster... it has it

SBNO - Standing But Not Operational - Usually a bad sign, most of the time the next stage is removal.

 

[SirNim]

SBNO - Standing But Not Operational - Usually a bad sign, most of the time the next stage is removal.

As we know all too well...

 

[Legacy]

Why do I have a feeling Intamin is soon going to go the way of Arrow Dynamics?

Isn't X in a SBNO status also?

 

[ogryn]

Why do I have a feeling Intamin is soon going to go the way of Arrow Dynamics?

Isn't X in a SBNO status also?

Operated from 1/12/2002 to 6/2002
SBNO from 6/2002 to 8/12/2002
Operating since 8/13/2002

Closed on a Wednesday, according to the RCDB.

I hope Intamin are OK, they can make some fantastic rides.

 

[speck76]

I think many people relate size to thrill, at least in rollercoaster terms, the two don't always go hand-in-hand.

I had the pleasure of working as a ride-op at Cedar Point in 1995. Before that, I hade been to that park many times. CP has had a history of building every new ride as the tallest/fastest/steepest....but that did not always mean the best.

Two rides that some to mind

1991- Mean Streak, a wooden Charles Dinn coaster, built at 160+ feet tall and over a mile long. While the coaster was popular the first year or two, it soon became very rough, and had brakes installed on the first drop to slow it down, reducing the pain. At the end of the 1994 season, the ride was re-tracked, but by the end of August 1995, the ride was closed for the remainder of the season for more work to be done. The ride is now a shell of its former self, no longer very fast due to the brakes, and no longer very popular...which is a shame as it is a very "pretty" coaster. Dinn also built the Rattler and Texas Giant at this time, and both have had similar problems.

1992- Snake River Falls, an Arrow tidal wave water ride, was built as the tallest/fastest/steepest, and has had problems with restraints, capacity (as of 1995, it still could not run with all boats) and besides the drop, it is a boreing ride.

I think other coaster, like Mantis, have also turned out worse than expected.

Sometimes it seems the parks build for the headlines, and a world record in height or speed will give them headlines, but once the record is broken.....then how good is that ride?

 

[Testtrack321]

Well, lets put it this way, the injuries are on par to 'bee stings' and when they mean idifinatly (no e), they mean that they don't know when they'll reopen it, but they will.

 

[darthdarrel]

I hope this does not put a damper on our plans to have a meet at Cedar Point this summer!

 

[ToTBellHop]

Well, lets put it this way, the injuries are on par to 'bee stings' and when they mean idifinatly (no e), they mean that they don't know when they'll reopen it, but they will.

I don't know what word you are making up in your post, but it's spelled "indefinitely". Stems are "finite" and "definite" so we get indefinitely...

 

[Testtrack321]

TTD is open again.