SDC's 2013 Project

Junior · January 23, 2012, 02:11:04 AM

Again, it will be interesting to see this project develop over the next year.

cowboy · January 23, 2012, 03:02:56 AM

Quote from: cowboy on January 06, 2012, 08:26:25 AM

I know things are just speculation at this point, but Rocky Mountain Construction (Texas Giant rehab) stated at IAAPA that they have a complete new coaster project for 2013, not a rehab. Could this new coaster at SDC be that Rocky Mountain Coaster? It wouldn't be a traditional wood coaster, but it would give you that look and type of ride, and it would also reduce maintenance time and cost.

Anyway, just a thought that crossed my mind $:-\$

Jay

Woot, woot! I can't believe my guess was right on the money. This news of Rocky Mountain is sweet indeed! should be one heck of an awesome ride.

Jay

MissinTheGreenTrams · January 23, 2012, 07:40:52 AM

I am offically hyperventalating.

I am really excited by this one!

Joy · January 23, 2012, 08:04:04 AM

Now this is one wooden coaster I can definitely be excited about! WOOT!

mhguy77 · January 23, 2012, 08:13:29 AM

Finally,
Something to talk about !!!!!
Now when will SDC make this anncouncement?

Artwork? Pictures? Name?
Will this be the bull coaster?

DollarCityBoy · January 23, 2012, 08:52:09 AM

This is great news! Thanks Shave for finding the conformation & congrats to Cowboy for quessing correctly!

On another note,
My wife works at a retail clothing store here in Little Rock. A gentleman that was in the store said that he and his wife were here on vacation from Branson. My wife laughed, and said that we always go to branson for a vacation from Little Rock. She went on to say how much we love SDC. He said that he has worked at the Furniture Store at SDC for many years. He told her that the new ride would deffinatly be a wooden roller coaster, and that HFEC has considered moving the woodie from Celebration City, but doubts that will happen. She told him how obsesed I am about SDC and that I post about it all the time on the SDC fan site. She also told him that my dream job would be to work at SDC and he did this:

I was surprised that he gave her so much info about the new roller coaster, but I guess it has pretty much been confirmed now anyway.

sanddunerider · January 23, 2012, 08:55:59 AM

well there ya go... Now if we had some artwork to see just how it was going to lay in there.............

shavethewhales · January 23, 2012, 11:40:15 AM

Quote from: mhguy77 on January 23, 2012, 08:13:29 AM
Finally,
Something to talk about !!!!!
Now when will SDC make this anncouncement?

Artwork? Pictures? Name?
Will this be the bull coaster?

There will be no announcement or artwork for some time seeing as this ride won't open until the 2013 season. I don't think they wanted this info to get out this early, but it was already printed in a newspaper so I didn't feel bad about posting it. Screamscape is actually the source that picked it up first and blew it into the enthusiast community.

I've actually heard this ride referred to as "The Bull" coaster before, but I still think that might just be a working name.

The only thing I'm a tad bit concerned about is the fact that they aren't spending all that much money on this thing. $12 million will be spent on both this and the Rattler refurb, so that depending on how much they are rebuilding of the Rattler they may be only spending $6-8 million. DW spent almost that much just on their Screamin Swing project.

There's also a rumor that RMC is building traditional-tracked wooden coasters now too, but it just seems like that wouldn't make sense for SDC to choose them for a traditional coaster with their great relationship with GCII. I'd be a tad peeved if this was a traditional style from RMC seeing as they have not proved themselves at all with actual wood track yet.

EDIT: According to this video, the ride will in fact use the new topper track and the new train design.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYwvDhh30aw&feature=player_embedded

cowboy · January 23, 2012, 02:23:12 PM

I'm not quite sure about that budget either. Just looking at the Average cost per LF of the Texas Giant rehabilitation you get $2,032.52 per linear foot. The Rattler is 5,080 Linear feet so if you compare the two, the budget for the Rattler should be 10.3 Million. Which just leaves 1.7 million for SDC. I think if you throw in inflation in the cost of steel, ride demand, etc. - you could easily see the Rattler be 12 million just itself.

I'm wondering if the reporter mis-quoted Grubb and the report should have said, both jobs are valued at $12 million. As if each one would be $12 million apiece.

Jay

sanddunerider · January 23, 2012, 02:33:04 PM

I just hope that they (PTB) do it right! SDC is way past due for a major attraction! I dont feel that RB counted as a major attraction since it is weather related, and of course HDH was just a nice addition for the kids..

SO bring it on!

shavethewhales · January 23, 2012, 05:03:25 PM

Another interesting note, from the discussion on coastercommunity: it seems like the park may have chosen RMC because Alan Schilke, the designer of Powderkeg (and numerous other Arrow and, subsequently, S&S coasters), is now working for them. Alan hit an amazing note with PK, and I'm ecstatic to hear that he's probably designing this one as well.

I also find it interesting that they were emphasizing that steel wheels would be utilized on their trains - I assume they are faster?

thelarsonsix · January 23, 2012, 07:48:28 PM

Quote from: shavethewhales on January 23, 2012, 05:03:25 PM
Another interesting note, from the discussion on coastercommunity: it seems like the park may have chosen RMC because Alan Schilke, the designer of Powderkeg (and numerous other Arrow and, subsequently, S&S coasters), is now working for them. Alan hit an amazing note with PK, and I'm ecstatic to hear that he's probably designing this one as well.

I also find it interesting that they were emphasizing that steel wheels would be utilized on their trains - I assume they are faster?

I was going to mention that also. While we're on that subject can someone give me a condensed version of coaster lingo? I was a little lost watching that video. Obviously I know what a wooden coaster is versus steel, but a couple of post back Shave you mentioned something about hoping it would not be a traditional coaster. Do you mean traditional as in a sit down versus stand up, etc. or something else? Also in the video there was some talk about it being a topper. Not sure what that meant either.

SDC#1fan · January 23, 2012, 08:34:21 PM

I believe he was referring to a traditional as a wooden coaster with a wooden track. A RMC has a wooden structure with a steel track on top of it. A topper is when they take the old wooden track off of an existing coaster and put on the new steel track.

Major Havoc · January 23, 2012, 08:55:13 PM

Very exciting news! I took a three-day "man-cation" (me and two buds from work) down to Six Flags Over Texas last year just to ride the NEW Texas Giant. It was an amazing ride, smooth as a steel coaster, but with the fierce intensity of wood. The three tunnels added to the course (along with their cool lighting and fog effects) were pretty spectacular as well.

On a side note, I was fairly impressed with SFoT as a whole, but maybe that is mostly because I was comparing it to an exceedingly underwhelming Six Flags St Louis park...?

Anyway, back to the topic, if the Rocky Mt. folks can work similar "Texas Giant" magic from the start of a project to its amazing finish, you have to believe that SDC is in for a real treat, well worth the wait.

shavethewhales · January 23, 2012, 10:27:26 PM

Quote from: thelarsonsix on January 23, 2012, 07:48:28 PM
Quote from: shavethewhales on January 23, 2012, 05:03:25 PM
Another interesting note, from the discussion on coastercommunity: it seems like the park may have chosen RMC because Alan Schilke, the designer of Powderkeg (and numerous other Arrow and, subsequently, S&S coasters), is now working for them. Alan hit an amazing note with PK, and I'm ecstatic to hear that he's probably designing this one as well.

I also find it interesting that they were emphasizing that steel wheels would be utilized on their trains - I assume they are faster?

I was going to mention that also. While we're on that subject can someone give me a condensed version of coaster lingo? I was a little lost watching that video. Obviously I know what a wooden coaster is versus steel, but a couple of post back Shave you mentioned something about hoping it would not be a traditional coaster. Do you mean traditional as in a sit down versus stand up, etc. or something else? Also in the video there was some talk about it being a topper. Not sure what that meant either.

Yes, like SDC#1fan said, RMC is famous for rebuilding various rough older wooden coasters with new steel tracks of various types. Some coasters merely have some bad sections of track fitted with heavier steel rails, while others like the talked about Texas Giant have been completely rebuilt with completely new I-Box track and an improved layout. SDC's coaster will apparently use Topper Track rather than the I-Box track Texas Giant uses, if I heard him correctly in that interview. Topper Track is a heavier rail that sits on the wood than traditional designs. I think this may mean that this coaster won't have quite the crazy angles of Texas Giant, but it will still be able to be smooth and intense with less maintenance for the park to worry about.

Topper Track also means that this coaster won't have inversions either. Honestly, I'm a little more pondersome/worrisome about what to expect now that it's not going to use the I-Box track and be a high thrill coaster. If they wanted a more tame wooden coaster, again I say that I would have hoped they would have gone with GCII who knows how to build a wooden coaster that makes everyone happy really well. RMC did a great job with Texas Giant, but that was a completely different ball game than this. I guess this is what they meant when they said this was a more "traditional" project. We'll just have to see. They've proven themselves once...