How tall is the tower?

OK, I can give an accurate answer on the height of the tower (or each main section of the tower). What I need is the best estimate for the outside diameter of the main vertical columns. Some of you have been to CP recently. How big are these pipes or tubes?

Another dimension that would help is the outside to outside width of a typical piece of Intimin track. I believe that this dimension is also about the same as the OD of the columns.

I have my own idea about these dimensions but I would like to hear your guesses or first hand view.

If it helps, the width of Intamin track is 2.5 feet. The height of the box track varies with G forces.

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Tommy Penner - Variable X
Cedar Point FanBoy since 2001. || Cruiser Boy since 2002.
"Pessimistic people are the happiest people on the planet. They're either right or pleasantly surprised."

I saw a picture of construction workers next to a support, and i'm guessing the support is atleast 3 feet in diameter.
*** This post was edited by Kel 10/18/2002 9:40:15 AM ***

i would say that the tallest completed section right now is at 200', reason being? if you get a chance in this weekend, ride the M:XL and look at the tower. When you reach the top of the ride you should be able to see to top of the tallest completed section.

i figure each section to be 50'.

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If your not having fun, what are you having?

Thanks MiLLeNNiuMRiDeR (too hard to write your name, however) and Kel. My "guess" as to the width of the MF track AND the main tower supports was also 30".

Based on the assumption of 30" for the diameter of the main support columns, I have CALCULATED the nominal height of each tower section to be 40 feet. The four completed sections are standing at 160 feet (not 200 feet).

Using Kel's estimate of 36", each tower section is 45'.

I have based the above on that really excellent photo that was taken from the Geminii back when the tower had three completed sections. It is a very good straight on view of the tower and it is close enough that if you print out a copy of it, you can actually scale it with a ruler to compare "known" dimensions (such as the diameter of the column) with "unknown" dimensions.

All of this, of course, supports my theory that "Dragster" is NEVER going to reach 400 feet. However, I still think that it will be one great ride, even at 350 feet (or less).

Oh, one more thing: IF the main columns were 40 inches in diameter (which I highly doubt), THEN the nominal height of each tower section would be 50 feet.

Um, the first section of the crane is 200 feet, just look at that next to the tower.

I used the old fashioned, count how many paces, method of measuring on a peice on the ground by the fence. Using that method, each section is about 60 feet tall.

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All of this, of course, supports my theory that "Dragster" is NEVER going to reach 400 feet. However, I still think that it will be one great ride, even at 350 feet (or less).

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I was with you up till there. We don't know how many more tower sections are going to go up (they've already got at least one more on the way), nor do we know how far the top hat will extend above the tower, if it does extend above it.

So I really don't think it supports or goes against the theory that this will be less than 400' tall.

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TPFKAV
MF Count - 39
WT Count - 4

Right now, we are looking at 250-275 feet as this next layer is erected.

It is taller than a bread basket and shorter than Mt. Everest.

Those main support columns have a huge diameter... I think it's more like 45" or 50". Even then, I still like Pete's 60 feet/section better.

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"Meh."
Wicked twists: 10
Danger: Hgih Voltage!

I sure hope that one or more of you guys that lives close will be visiting this weekend and will bring back some concrete data about the diameter of the columns, etc.

I'm sticking with the 350' nominal range for the overall height of the ride. Mostly this is based on the fact that the cranes simply can't get any higher without being retrofitted which I don't think will happen.

I started this topic to try to get more realistic about how tall the tower is now. It has been interesting to see the feedback.

My guesstimation would be: Being this is a Swiss company I would think they are using the metric system….One beam is 10 meters long which is roughly 33 feet in length(I came to this conclusion by looking at a previous picture of beams in the parking lot…A couple of shots show some beams and they cover a little over 3 parking spaces in the lot)…As of right now their are 7 beams on the tower which gives us a height of 231 feet(7 x 33 feet)…Also, notice their is a small beam on the tower which is roughly 4 meters long which is roughly 13 feet in length….Also, it seems the structure is at least 5 feet off the ground according to the height of the footer…Putting these figures together gives us 231 + 13 + 5 = 249 feet…Lets just say 250 feet for now…Two more catwalks will be added according to last week observers because as of last week 3 catwalks were on site and they have added one this week…In order to add 2 more catwalks at least 2 more beams needs to be added to the tower and possibly three…Along with the two large beams at least one small beam needs to be added as well…Based on this information 9 beams x 33 feet = 297 feet + 26 feet(2 small beams) + 5 feet(footer) = 328 feet for height of tower……If you add 10 beams that would equal 361 feet for height of tower…The tophat on Xcelerator is roughly 60-70 feet on top of the structure beams…..Just my guesstimation….Good luck…

I think that they are closer to 60 feet, like Pete, and those that first spotted the supports said. Since the last section up is the 5th section, I think that it's very close to, if not at 300ft. Also, what's to say that the supports are even going to go all the way up to the apex of the track? I think that the tophat will be free standing like Xcelerator's.

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