Rocky Mountain Construction makes roller coasters
August 11, 2016 4:11 AM Subscribe
Rocky Mountain Construction designs some of the best roller coasters in the world. Here are some first-person POV videos, from newest to oldest: Wildfire, Kolmården (T); Lightning Rod, Dollywood (T); Joker, SF Discovery Kingdom (IR); Storm Chaser, Kentucky Kingdom (IR); Wicked Cyclone, SF New England (IR); Twisted Colossus, SF Magic Mountain (IR); Goliath, SF Great America (T); Medusa Steel Coaster, SF Mexico (IR); Iron Rattler, SF Fiesta Texas (IR); Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City (T); New Texas Giant, SF Over Texas (IR).
Some of them (marked with a T) use "Topper Track", an improvement on traditional wooden coaster track. Instead of planks of wood and steel strips hammered down to the shape of the circuit, Topper Track uses pre-formed wood and thicker pre-formed steel runners to increase smoothness while maintaining the traditional wooden coaster feel. Others use a type of steel track, called I-Box (marked with an I) which is specifically designed to be used with wooden supports and mimics the look and some of the feel of traditional wood track. RMC also specializes in renovating existing wooden roller coasters with new, more thrilling elements, including inversions, while maintaining much of the existing support structure and layout (marked with an R, whose previous incarnations are linked).
Some of them (marked with a T) use "Topper Track", an improvement on traditional wooden coaster track. Instead of planks of wood and steel strips hammered down to the shape of the circuit, Topper Track uses pre-formed wood and thicker pre-formed steel runners to increase smoothness while maintaining the traditional wooden coaster feel. Others use a type of steel track, called I-Box (marked with an I) which is specifically designed to be used with wooden supports and mimics the look and some of the feel of traditional wood track. RMC also specializes in renovating existing wooden roller coasters with new, more thrilling elements, including inversions, while maintaining much of the existing support structure and layout (marked with an R, whose previous incarnations are linked).
Regarding that radio crew riding the New Texas Giant, don't you think it makes it worse to do the ride with your eyes closed? I mean, I guess I see some of the benefits, but if you're that scared of them, I'd think you'd want to see what's coming?
posted by kuanes at 4:38 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by kuanes at 4:38 AM on August 11, 2016
We're going to Steal Your Dollar City next month. I haven't been in half my life, since long before they built the coaster. Pretty excited about this.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:05 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by middleclasstool at 5:05 AM on August 11, 2016
Sadly Lightning Rod was not running earlier this when I was at Dollywood. The ride is very impressive in person and the roller coaster internet community is quite anxious to get to experience this ride. I'll also add that Cedar Point's large wooden coaster Mean Streak has had its closure announced for this year. There is much speculation that this ride, which has been performing poorly will get the RMC Topper Track treatment.
posted by mmascolino at 6:17 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by mmascolino at 6:17 AM on August 11, 2016
Delightful Swedish "commentary" on the Wildfire video! I especially like the trepidatious "Jaha, då bär det av då" ("Welp, here we go, then") comment in the beginning. Now to check out the rest of the videos!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 6:18 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by soundofsuburbia at 6:18 AM on August 11, 2016
Roller coasters? Is this the new election thread?
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:30 AM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 6:30 AM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
We're going to Steal Your Dollar City next month. I haven't been in half my life, since long before they built the coaster. Pretty excited about this.
Oh, you're in for a surprising treat. My sister turned 40 last year and decided she wanted to relive the (several times a year) trips to SDC we took growing up. I hadn't been since the mid-90's.
They have three really solid coasters now. Outlaw Run (from the link) was a lot of fun, but even for a "smooth" wooden coaster, it's still a wooden coaster. My discomfort probably wasn't helped by the fact that it's got a lap restraint and I'm 6'3", so it was was inherently awkward. That said, if you're going to do the whole "wait in line to ride in the front cart" thing, that's probably the best one to do it on. The carts are pretty small and the view of the track itself from the front cart is pretty spectacular.
They also have Powder Keg, which is one of those quick launchers. The view of the Ozarks from the top of the first hill is amazing (it probably helped that it was mid-October so the trees were starting to turn) and it's a great ride, albeit a tad short. Wildfire was easily my favorite. This crazy inverted loop thing is a blast (video via said sister).
And Fire in the Hole is *exactly* as you'll remember it.
The rest of Branson is still largely a Ned Flandersish regressive trash fire dystopia, but we had a fun 36 hours there. So much so that my sister is already demanding we do it again next year.
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:06 AM on August 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
Oh, you're in for a surprising treat. My sister turned 40 last year and decided she wanted to relive the (several times a year) trips to SDC we took growing up. I hadn't been since the mid-90's.
They have three really solid coasters now. Outlaw Run (from the link) was a lot of fun, but even for a "smooth" wooden coaster, it's still a wooden coaster. My discomfort probably wasn't helped by the fact that it's got a lap restraint and I'm 6'3", so it was was inherently awkward. That said, if you're going to do the whole "wait in line to ride in the front cart" thing, that's probably the best one to do it on. The carts are pretty small and the view of the track itself from the front cart is pretty spectacular.
They also have Powder Keg, which is one of those quick launchers. The view of the Ozarks from the top of the first hill is amazing (it probably helped that it was mid-October so the trees were starting to turn) and it's a great ride, albeit a tad short. Wildfire was easily my favorite. This crazy inverted loop thing is a blast (video via said sister).
And Fire in the Hole is *exactly* as you'll remember it.
The rest of Branson is still largely a Ned Flandersish regressive trash fire dystopia, but we had a fun 36 hours there. So much so that my sister is already demanding we do it again next year.
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:06 AM on August 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
And Fire in the Hole is *exactly* as you'll remember it.
I ain't got no pants no more. The dang Baldknobbers stole 'em.
The rest of Branson is still largely a Ned Flandersish regressive trash fire dystopia, but we had a fun 36 hours there.
We drive through there about 20 times a year on the way to Springfield and back, occasionally stop for Steak 'n' Shake or a coffee. It's pretty damn stunning how much the theater industry has died off there. Used to be you couldn't go 500 yards down 65 without a giant Yakov Smirnoff mugging at you from a billboard. Nostalgia is a shitty long-term business model.
There's some neat stuff in that area, if you know where to look, but yeah, so much of it is basically Redneck Vegas. And a Titanic museum, for reasons that continue to elude me.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:30 AM on August 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
I ain't got no pants no more. The dang Baldknobbers stole 'em.
The rest of Branson is still largely a Ned Flandersish regressive trash fire dystopia, but we had a fun 36 hours there.
We drive through there about 20 times a year on the way to Springfield and back, occasionally stop for Steak 'n' Shake or a coffee. It's pretty damn stunning how much the theater industry has died off there. Used to be you couldn't go 500 yards down 65 without a giant Yakov Smirnoff mugging at you from a billboard. Nostalgia is a shitty long-term business model.
There's some neat stuff in that area, if you know where to look, but yeah, so much of it is basically Redneck Vegas. And a Titanic museum, for reasons that continue to elude me.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:30 AM on August 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
That New Texas Giant video is incredible. However much they got paid to ride that thing was apparently not enough. The woman probably has an "I'd rather be waterboarded" T-shirt on right now. And the Army guy, as much as he was trying to comfort his colleague during the ride, afterwards, his "Never again, never again, never again, never again, never again..." mantra is priceless. Roller coaster fandom notwithstanding, I'm pretty sure most people have no desire to ride these things, or, for that matter, most rides in today's fear parks. Umm...amusement parks. I used to enjoy roller coasters, but, then, since my kid grew up and they started building coasters with the "inversion element," I haven't had much of a yen to pay big bucks for cheap thrills.
posted by kozad at 8:12 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by kozad at 8:12 AM on August 11, 2016
I love the way Wildfire twists around on itself. That's much more fun than, say, otherwise comparable Iron Rattler -- being spread out like that takes out some of the thrills.
posted by Quasirandom at 9:05 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by Quasirandom at 9:05 AM on August 11, 2016
How timely - just the other day I encountered America Screams, a fine 30 tv special about roller coasters from 1978, hosted by Vincent Price.
I haven't been to an old-fashioned spend-the-whole-day amusement park in such a long time, but you guys are making me nostalgic AF right now even though modern EXTREEEEEEEEME coasters are really not my thing. TBH Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain are about my speed when it comes to rollercoasters; fast and fun and pulling a few Gs here and there, without making me feel like I'm going to die. When my family went to Hershey Park in 1987 they had a newer steel roller coaster that was right for me - fast and smooth, no loops or corkscrews. The Trailblazer, maybe?
posted by usonian at 9:31 AM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
I haven't been to an old-fashioned spend-the-whole-day amusement park in such a long time, but you guys are making me nostalgic AF right now even though modern EXTREEEEEEEEME coasters are really not my thing. TBH Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain are about my speed when it comes to rollercoasters; fast and fun and pulling a few Gs here and there, without making me feel like I'm going to die. When my family went to Hershey Park in 1987 they had a newer steel roller coaster that was right for me - fast and smooth, no loops or corkscrews. The Trailblazer, maybe?
posted by usonian at 9:31 AM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
In 2013 a woman was thrown from New Texas Giant in mid-ride, falling seven stories to her death.
posted by anazgnos at 11:55 AM on August 11, 2016
posted by anazgnos at 11:55 AM on August 11, 2016
Those renovations are seriously impressive, I'd love to know more about the process. It seems like they're generally much faster and more energetic than the originals — I wonder how much that's down to changing preferences or whether fitting a new design to an existing layout necessitates erring on the side of really speeding through elements.
There is just something so satisfying and almost cosy about the look of a traditional wooden roller coaster though. The combination of the regular lattice and intersecting sinuous curves, the way it almost seems like a mad, lollipop stick construction that's right on the edge of stability.
> This crazy inverted loop thing
I think that's known as a cobra roll.
posted by lucidium at 7:18 AM on August 12, 2016
There is just something so satisfying and almost cosy about the look of a traditional wooden roller coaster though. The combination of the regular lattice and intersecting sinuous curves, the way it almost seems like a mad, lollipop stick construction that's right on the edge of stability.
> This crazy inverted loop thing
I think that's known as a cobra roll.
posted by lucidium at 7:18 AM on August 12, 2016
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