Search

[Zephon]

graysunday,
That accident was tragic, but did not factor into the reasoning for the changes at FITH.  The changes were not made until several years after, and involved some sections of the track being cut out of the ride, thus shortening it.  This was done so they could run more people through it.

[sanddunerider]

zephon.  i think you are correct, seems like i ave heard those details before, ride was too long?

[KBCraig]

zephon.  i think you are correct, seems like i ave heard those details before, ride was too long?

The ride wasn't too long, the lines to get on it were.

This is when FITH, the train, and the Flooded Mine were the only rides at SDC. In the late '70s, I can remember Six Flags-like lines to ride FITH, with 2 hour waits.

Now that there are more, and newer, rides, the nostalgic among us would love to see the ride restored to its original route.

IIRC, the main change made to FITH after the fatal accident, was to raise the roof of the service tunnel, so that even if a train did get shunted aside with passengers, nobody's head was in danger.

[sanddunerider]

OH!  my bad!  thanks KB,  that does make more sense.  And raising the "doorway/entryway would have been an automatic repair to eliminate that terrible accident from happening again.

thanks again

[mhguy77]

and involved some sections of the track being cut out of the ride,

The only part of the ride I remember being shorter is the section between the bridge and the train.  Was there more removed that I dont remember?

[Zephon]

I'm not familiar enough with the guts of the ride to be able to say which part was taken out, or how exactly the track was re-routed, but I do know that the area that was removed is now used as a maintenance and storage area.  I believe the length of ride time was shortened by more than a minute.

[pintrader]

I believe the length of ride time was shortened by more than a minute.

If my memory serves me right, which it usually doesn't.  I would say shortened by more than a minute is too long.  It seems to me it was maybe 20-25 seconds.  I would not bet my life on it but I have a little bit of money I might put down  .

[Junior]

In the old days of the sixties and seventies when attendance at the park was much lower, officials could afford to have longer tracks at FITH, and the old float trip took about 7 minutes to get around, too. When they put in the plunge, the route was cut in half...we were beginning the 80s at this point. Then, lost river was put in, and it is a short route too. Does not surprise me that they took a section of track out at FITH. Riverblast has a very short route, too. They have double the park attendance they did in the old days, so they gotta move twice as many people through those rides. That's showbiz!

[sanddunerider]

thats right junior.  "line em up"  and " move em out" !!

[Ozark Outlaw]

It is not about the length of the ride, but the ride quality that counts!

Speaking of shortening Fire in the Hole, I came across a behind the scenes picture taken by tinmann620 which shows a control panel of sorts with what looks to be the old tracks, or route painted out.

Any ideas, or confirmations?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30708145@N02/4350780193/

[Polley]

Looks like they removed "A LOT" of the ride.  I can't tell what the original route looked like.

[Coaster]

OOH cool behind the scenes picture!! However, I can't really tell what was taken out as I wasn't around back then....

[Copper]

I took these photos of FITH a little while back...  Also, wikipedia has a good article about FITH.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001086931355#!/media/set/?set=a.411873057602.203291.7656242602

[DollarCityBoy]

Wow! I've always wanted to see a "floor plan" of fire-in-the-hole; very interesting.
Is the darker grey section the removed track? I seem to be able to figure out the layout, but wasn't sure what the grey part meant.

[okiebluegrass]

Here is my guess at the locations