Magnum's Opening

Hey I found this video on Youtube about my favorite. Thought I would post it for you guys. Funny how the media reported issues even back then.

http://youtu.be/glL50XO1iq0

Great video. Perhaps the most amazing thing in the video is "Cedar Point has since claimed responsibility for her injuries and have agreed to pay all her medical bills." Doubt you'll ever hear something like that today with the rush to litigate everything.

What caused the girl's injuries?

When looking at the early ride videos, what was the coaster or ride to the right of the incline hill? Looks like RV parking on the left?

They didn't say what, if anything, caused the injuries. The neck brace seemed a little over the top to me...

Camper Village is what you are seeing to the left of the lift hill in that video. It used to be much larger than it is today. To the right would be the first phase of Soak City, which opened in 1988. It's pretty much the same thing you see today, with the exception of the Dragster H2O slides which went in last year in place of the body slides you can see in that video.

I actually remember camping in that section of Camper Village years ago. Pre Magnum AND Soak City. My brother and I would walk to the arcade that was located in the long entrance hallway to Breakers. The Gemini entrance to the park was approximately where the Magnum photo shop is currently located. The walkway from Camper Village to the gate ran diagonally from the campground to Perimeter Road through a slightly wooded area and was actually kind of a pleasant walk. And get this, young'uns, the walk leading up to the gate actually crossed Perimeter Rd. at grade. Can you imagine trying to deal with all the human traffic wanting to cross the road at that location now?

As for the day that Magnum valleyed due to the wind gust, I was there that day, too. I distinctly recall thinking how scared ****less I would be if it were me walking down those steps.

Wow that's a great clip! I was staying at Camper Village and our site was right near the Magnum when the stalling event occurred (they talk about it at 8 minutes into the video). I remember a storm was brewing and people were stuck on the "bowtie" section of the coaster. My Dad watched the entire thing take place and firefighters were providing blankets for the people who were stuck. He wished he has his camera because he thought the media would want shots of that although he knew it was bad press for Cedar Point. I'm glad we didn't have digital cameras/phones back then otherwise it would be all over the internet. I was scared though and didn't go on that ride for years- of course now I love it!

I loved the douchey ACEr who says he prefers wood coasters.

The thing that always strikes me about the original POV is how low the track went just before the turnaround. I vaguely remember that as being a violent part of the ride, and I wonder if that was the place where people were being "injured." If you go down the beach path, you can still see the old horizontal supports where the track used to dip. It's a pretty substantial difference.

Great video!
After watching it I have a few questions/ comments.

1. Since when has magnum had mist/fog in its tunnels?

2. Anyone else agree it is time Magnum gets a new paint job? It looked fantastic in the video.

3. I thought it was interesting to see how they shot POV withy the platform with camera in the first car.

Magnum had fog a year or two ago, for a little while, at least. Magnum was just painted a few years ago. Cameras were huge in 1989. You kids and your GoPros don't know what it was like back then!

I'm gonna nerd out here and say I damn near got teary-eyed when I heard the sound effects of Magnum's tunnels at the beginning of that video. Most of those effects (lighting, sound, fog) gradually went away over the years.

What else was great to see in the video, was the original trains running without any of the seat padding and side padding that went into place after the injuries. If you pause the recording just right, you can even see the uplift pads that existed prior to the wheels replacing the pads.

Super-geek cool video!

That was so great to see.

It's so strange now to look back and remember what all this was like before a place like this to "come together" to discuss, laugh, bitch & moan, etc...

Remember how simply awe-struck you were to see Magnum the first time and think..."200 feet?!?!".

I vividly remember waiting in the queue watching it fall over the first hill...for 3 hours. :)

Jeff said:

The thing that always strikes me about the original POV is how low the track went just before the turnaround. I vaguely remember that as being a violent part of the ride, and I wonder if that was the place where people were being "injured."

I'd say you're right on the money. I actually don't really remember it being that low (although I have noticed where the track used to be) OR it not having the trim/block brakes that are there now. Possibly another tell-tale sign that this was the so-called, "injury" section of the ride.

It's also kind of ironic that a strong wind ground the train to a halt heading into the turnaround .. That might lead one to believe that the train might not have been traveling very fast, when in reality, it was flying. Interesting how they ended up raising the track and slowing it down before the bow tie.

I think the description is a little off as far as what happened. The slowing likely started on the second hill. I remember a particularly crappy day, maybe in 1999, where there were more employees than guests in the park. They dropped Magnum down to one train, which was allegedly historic at the time. One of the trains sent empty almost didn't make it over the second hill, and according to the timer and their experience, should not have even made it back. They sent us out after that, provided the train was mostly full, and I've never had slower rides. I can see where a lower dip there, combined with the crawl over the second hill, could have caused the stall.

Wasn't the news-woman at 7:25 in Total Recall? ;) (the original)

Good ol' Toledo 11 news.

Gonna check that, Big K .. Nothing better than an Arnold action flick on blu-ray.

Jeff, yeah, I never took that into account - but I see how that scenario could have played out.

The last time I saw the fog working in the last tunnel was one random day in 2008 while I was working in Challenge Park. It was the only day all season long that it happened. I seem to recall that it ran most if not all day long, and when it first came on, a few people had a minor freak out thinking that the tunnel was on fire.

I remember now about the fog. The topic that the tunnel was on fire would fit nicely in Crazy things you hear... Thread.

Great find! The only thing more interesting than Magnum in this video is the hairdos and clothes!

MDOmnis said:
Great find! The only thing more interesting than Magnum in this video is the hairdos and clothes!

Ahh, my youth - big hair, big shoulder pads...on the gals. Magnum *every* Friday night all summer long. Something to look forward to after the work week.

I had forgotten all about the fog. Wow.

Anyone else remember how they would put bags of ice on the lift motor that first season?

I remember once when I was riding in about the 2nd year and someone brought a drink on the ride. the tunnel was misty and the lid came off the drink in the tunnel and spilled all over the guys in the train behind us. Between the liquid and the mist, they thought someone hurled and began panicking.