Quick question about Gemini

This just hit me when i started to think about how many rollercoasters the park has. Gemini is a racing coaster and has two tracks, so shouldn't it be counted as two coasters?

I mean both the red and blue side are basically the same, but its a little different. So why isn't it considered two different coasters? (ex Gemini: Red, Gemini: Blue)

Racing coasters are traditionally considered 1 coaster. Usually they have the same (or at least side-by-side lifts on the same hill), share a station, and follow the same path.

No. dual-tracked rides with identical (or even mirrored) layouts are never advertised/thought of as separate. Even DL's matterhorn (which has significant differences between the two tracks) is considered one. Those that do count as two have layouts that are starkly different, AFAIK.

While we're on this though, am I the only one who thinks it is stretching the point to list power tower as two different rides? You go up, you go down, it's still a big freaking tower. Who cares?

I personally think Gemini (and others like it) should count as 2 coasters. You've got 2 separate tracks and separate trains sharing a common station. 2 coasters, yes. 2 stations, no.

MrScott
*** Edited 7/15/2005 1:54:18 PM UTC by MrScott***
*** Edited 7/15/2005 1:55:16 PM UTC by MrScott***

But they are two distictly different rides. Its not like one column can do both Space Shot and Turbo Drop.

Gemini is a fun airtime coaster, great beginer coaster to get the little one ready to step up to bigger coasters. Lets vote to turn one train backwards.

That makes sense. If you look at it from a marketing stand point, it would seem better to count gemini as 2 coasters so cedar point could have 17 coasters overall.

I wish they did turn one train backwards, maybe if it was only for halloweekends, it would be cool to see the blue train trying to catch up and being able to look the people eye to eye in the other car, instead of turning you head around to see how far they are behind

Well if CP were to do that, then Magic Mountain could count Collosus and Superman the Escape each as being 2 different coasters. Then Magic Mountain would have the record with 18 coasters, although they always only have one side of Superman and Collosus open.

Did you ever think that through? The train would not ever make it back to the station.

Was'nt designed to run that way.

MrScott

^ What do you mean?

It most certainly would make it back to the station. The train itself still runs forwards, but they turn the shells with the seats around backward.

There are plenty of coasters out there that weren't designed to run backwards but they do. Racer at PKI, for example.

Gemini backward would be amazing, except I think the pullover on the first drop might be a bit much on your legs....

-Josh

Haha.... I've ridden the backwards one at Chicago's SF (American Eagle, I think), it's awesome. I think the first drop and the helix on Gemini would be insane backwards =D

I wouldn't count them as two coasters though. They share a station/queue, footprint, etc. A lot of the supports are for them both and stuff, too. There's just too much making it 'one' to count as two.

For my money, the reason I think of the two tracks as one ride is that the ride experience is the same on both. Red, blue---doesn't matter, they deliver the same ride.

The same is true of mirrored out-n-backs, of which there are too many to count.

Matterhorn's two sides are a little different. Dueling Dragons' two tracks are a *lot* different.

JL: I know what you mean about the towers, but there are towers out there that are "combo" towers: you get shot up, bounce a bit, slowly raise, and then get shot down. Fun stuff. Compared to those, each type of PT tower is "half a ride".

So I still think it should count as one, not two. ;)

*** Edited 7/15/2005 5:58:15 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

When you really think about turning the trains backwards wouldn'y affect it all the much. As long as the chasis and such is still set in a way it can run. It'll be a bit more of an "intense" ride sence you have NO idea where you are going. This would give some of the older riders who might not be riding becuase they have been on it a hundred thousand times a new reason to ride and a new experience.

And you would be watching the red train try to catch up. Not the Blue. (At least thats how its been on my rides.

Some racing coasters, for example the Racer at Kennywood, are definately ONE coaster. The KW Racer is actually one very long track, not two similar tracks. From when you board till you exit, you've only completed half of the circuit. In this situation, you cannot run just one side of the rollercoaster, thus the racer is ONE coaster. I would propose based on that logic that the Gemini IS two coasters, because one side/track can run independently of the other. Just my 2 cents.

What about dualing coasters with different layouts... i.e. The Chiller: Batman & Robin at Six Flags Great Adventure. It has to completely different layouts, yet it is still listed as just one coaster on RCDB. http://www.rcdb.com/id424.htm

Theoretically, I would count those as two, but I'm not the amusement industry, and the only theoretical concepts they are concerned with have to do with gravity and physics ;)

RCDB does that commonly (e.g. Dueling Dragons, which no sane person would call one coaster). I'd consider Chiller two separate coasters, as does Coasterbuzz.

I think 2 stations should mean 2 coasters. But why change something that has worked for years.

(and if this were the case as TopThrill420120 said "then Magic Mountain could count Collosus and Superman the Escape each as being 2 different coasters. Then Magic Mountain would have the record with 18 coasters")(While Cedar Point would only have 17.)