Magnum question...

I have heard that the first drop's degree of steepness was adjusted sometime after the opening year. Is there any truth to this?

No.

Nothing adjusted on the first hill (aside the sinking) but the 3rd Hill was reprofiled after the 1st year. Originally the track at the end of the 3rd hill did come down steeper and lower, and word is it would slam people down pretty hard (I rode a few times in 89 but was only 7, so I have no real recollection). If you look close at the end of the 3rd hill you can still see the beams where the original track sat. Trims were added to the top of the 3rd hill at some point, and after the reprofile in the offseason they moved them to the bottom where they reside now.

Also (probably that first off-season) they switched from the up stop pads (like Gemini has) to the little up-stop wheel on their now. The pretzel has some major work at some point too.

Curious; was there always a trim brake entering the pretzel?

I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to take the final run without it, or at least without it turned on. I'm sure there are some on this forum who have experienced that.

5 years ago or so during CoasterMania, Magnum was a trimless nighttime ERT. Not only does it make the pretzel turn way more intense, but the airtime hills on the return trip felt like you were being ejected from the train.

The single most intense ride I ever had, until Steel Vengence.

I have had numerous trim-off rides on Magnum. I think they are usually at night. It does give a little extra pep to the bunny hills. I am surprised you have not had any rides without it.

Me too.

I mean, I even snagged more than one trimless ride on Mean Streak in its waning years just by chance.

Never had a rollback on Dragster, either.

Always the bridesmaid...

The trims were added fairly early on, in the first season, I think. Someone here can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think in the first season, the trims where on the top of the 3rd hill, then when they re-profiled the 3rd hill, they moved the trims to where they are today.

The strange thing is... The pretzel is actually MUCH smoother with the trims off.

The trims remained at the top of third hill even after the reprofile. I can't remember the exact year that they finally moved them to bottom Yes, I know that is weird for me not knowing that...being the Magnum Guru that I am. I do know that is was 1994 when the pretzel was completely replaced.

When they re-did the pretzel, what did they change? Was it just a re-tracking, or did they re-profile it?

Whenever Magnum was one of the night ERT coasters for CoasterMania, trims were eliminated as the ERT session went on. When you get used to riding Magnum and you pass over the trim area and you don't feel them, make sure your seatbelt is extra tight to avoid the pain of those return 'bunny hills'. Airtime is good, thighs slamming against the lap bar is not.

Also on Raptor for Coastermania ERTs', going thru the mid ride braking / trim area, you could feel no slow down so you know the rest of the ride back to the station was gonna be fast.

When Magnum’s turnaround was replaced, I don’t believe it was intentionally reprofiled (more about that in a moment) but the new track has a larger spine, and is made of heavier steel (thicker tubing walls).

When the track was replaced, it didn’t line up perfectly with the old track, and the joint was producing excessive wear on the wheels (and the riders). So as soon as CoasterMania was over, they shut the ride down for a week or two and replaced two additional track sections to fix the transitions into and out of the new track.

—Dave Althoff, Jr.

Oh course the degree changed, because Magnum is sinking! :)

I know I'm late to the party, but there is a POV of Magnum in the first year it was opened. You can definitely see the difference in how the train approached the pretzel.

I have a crazy question. Where did they move the ACE plaque for Magnum? I rode it twice and didn't see it.

2nd tunnel. Cant miss it. :)