How can 500ft be broken?

Any suggestions? Without building a skyscraper in the middle of the park...how can a rollercoaster go that high?

(sorry if this has been covered before :P )

You asked how you could do it without building a skyscraper in the middle of the park. Well, if you want to get to the 500' mark, then you need something that is 500' tall. So to awnser your question, you can't do it. All you can hope for is that it doesn't take up a lot of space. Imagine if the MF hill were 75% bigger, that would take up a lot of space. We don't want another rocket coaster like with TTD. So here's my sugestion. A powered lift hill that corkscrews its way to the top. You'd get a nice opportunity to view the park and it would reduce the ammount of space the ride consumed. *** Edited 10/17/2004 3:23:02 PM UTC by Jason Hammond***

or you could be pulled out of the station backwards taken up a 500' vertical lift then dropped, go through the station... into a real ride layout then at the end the track switches to allow the train to enter the back of the station then switched again to allow the train to re-deploy, or the transfer track could be in th station opposite of where you enter the train *** Edited 10/17/2004 4:33:21 PM UTC by Joe@cp04***

I would say ether the rocket way or the cable way. To have the lift hill stright up or at a higher angle then 45. And if this done make it the longest coaster ever done.

I think a chain lift for a 500 foot coaster would be pretty neat. It would allow plenty of time for views of the point. Of course the structure would be massive, but, it might not be. CP could utilize the use of cables to support the tower like those giant radio towers they have in places.

Do you have any idea how much chain that would be and how heavy that would be?

Well Maggie's lift chain like a couple tons. So let's see about 5 tons of chain. That idea sounds a little out of the picture. But I think they should use LIM's to launch it up the track at an angle of like 60. Also the LIM's would be all the way up the lift. Launching at like 20 MPH.

An angle of like 60?!?!? Do you have any idea how huge the lift hill would be? Remember this formula:

Y=Mx+b

Well LIM's can do alot so an angle of 70 80.

Can you imagine the amount of strain the track would have to be built to withstand a launch to power a train up a 70 - 80 degree lift going 20MPH?! CP has troubles getting WT to operate correctly and that darned thing launches horizontally! Not to mention the fact that the top of the lift would have to be built accordingly (and thus making it much less of an initial angle) to accomodate the 20MPH (since normal trains aren't really very fast when they crest a lift hill)

Not saying it couldn't be done, but I wouldn't leave a POS ride maker like Intamin do it ... Are there many other LIM coaster makers other than Intamin? (honest question)

I personally think it'd be cool to be going 50 by the time you reach the top of that beast, but ... that'd be a damned fast ride :)

Why not just a literal elevator? (Think of the Scooby Doo Ghoster Coaster at PKI-small coaster, but same system). The train sits on the track and the track lifts straight up a 500ft. tower just like an actual elevator. Then it joins the track on top and down you go. That would be scary as well, and take up less space the MF's hill.

I for one though wish they would cool it with the record breakers for awhile and instead add flat rides and fun coasters of decent size.

Why couldn't 500ft be broken? Millennium's lift hill isn't that big at all. Of course it would be more expensive since you have to suspend workers even higher during the frigid months, but it could easily be done...its just more track, a little more room, more $$$, and more height. As far as I'm concerned, Cedar Point will be the first to break 500 ft.

I'm starting to believe that shorter is better, at least to a point. It's certainly true for the wooden coasters I've ridden---almost all the great wooden coasters I've been on are right around 100' or less; Ghostrider being the notable exception. And, frankly, I've been on four 200' coasters (Magnum, Apollo's Chariot, S:ROS@SFNE, S:ROS@SFA) that are as much fun as, if not better than, MF and TTD.

Granted, the CP marketing department will have their hands full with a 150' coaster unless it's got some gimmick, and new installations are all about clicking those turnstiles for return on investment, but still.

Heck, if it were up to me, I'd put in a really good Sally darkride plus a Huss Giant of some sort next.

Brian Noble said:
It's certainly true for the wooden coasters I've ridden---almost all the great wooden coasters I've been on are right around 100' or less; Ghostrider being the notable exception.

Hey! you forgot Shivering Timbers!!!

Not saying it couldn't be done, but I wouldn't leave a POS ride maker like Intamin do it ... Are there many other LIM coaster makers other than Intamin? (honest question)

I personally think it'd be cool to be going 50 by the time you reach the top of that beast, but ... that'd be a damned fast ride :)

What do you mean that Intamin's POS?! Let's see... Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, yeah, those are real POS coasters... >:(

You are not understanding somthing. A 500ft hill going at a 60-70 degree angle would take up a hell of a lot of space! It would have to be a minimum of 75-80 degrees. No LIMs, use elevator cables. *** Edited 10/20/2004 1:54:26 AM UTC by crashoverride***

...and then we'd have a replica of Top Thrill Dragster; it goes up at 90, and then of course they would never make the lift steeper than the drop, and I don't expect to see a +90 degree drop, and then it would have to turn around 180* to take up less space (and look better IMO), so.... then of course we'd have the heartline roll to keep the g's down, and voila! It's Top Thrill Dragster without a lunch lift.

I think you can make a cable lift that is maybe 60 degrees and faster. Would it cost more money? Sure! Would it require more maintenance? Sure? But think: how stupid could a park be by thinking they can put a 50-story roller coaster and have it be an "easy maintenance" ride?

There is no problems in breaking 500ft, just like CPFan2004 said, more money - more track - and more space, but it can be done. On the otherhand i do think designers will have to get a little creative if they do not want to use a ton of space for a convetional lift. But honestly, i really do not think 500ft is needed right now, CP needs a Delerium like at PKI but bigger to increase the selection of flat rides; Then a dueling vertical launch flyer . We need to get some more quality repeat rides rather just something that is taller !!!!!

Launched and vertical? Don't get too carried away...I would be very content with just a dueling flyer. :)

Of course it's easy to build a 500 foot coaster that doesn't add any footprint to a park. You just put it underground.

I doubt this would work at CP, however; I'm guessing you would hit water well before 500'.

-- Harley