Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

I’m on team spike all the way but DJ brings up some good points. The removal of ID could be for anything. Could be to help with drainage. I don’t find Tony’s comments to the silver bullet tho. Tony has bent the truth for the sake of a good surprise. That’s his job.

vwhoward:

I agree that with the wording, it wouldn't be an outright lie. It could be an omission...

DA20Pilot:

I'm saying he could be speaking one truth while omitting another...

Can either of you point to an example of the park being this misleading in the past? I can't recall one. Meanwhile, there are many examples of the park responding in the way Aaronosmer points out when asked about future attractions.

GL2CP:

Pouring footers for a future project could qualify as maintenance.

Only if we change the definition of "maintenance".

All that aside, the main thing that keeps me curious is that the removed track is directly in line with the path of TTD’s launch track. I mean, it looks perfectly placed- if not for the track of the spike, then supports that would hold a spike up. The timeline seems about right to pour footers then get ID’s track back in place by late spring if not before. On the other hand, I always believe any info put out by the park and if they say it has nothing to do with TTD then ok. I’ll just have to think of it as a weird coincidence. Maybe the weirdest coincidence.

^Exactly where I net out as well. I was there Saturday, and it really is suspiciously right in line where you could reasonably assume it's related. If it was pretty much any other place on ID, I wouldn't question it whatsoever.

Agreed on all that. But that location is also somewhat unique relative to the lagoon, in that it's a piece of land that sort of juts out into it, which may provide access to... whatever.

Or it could be maintenance to infrastructure that's related to TTD, and perhaps Tony was being coy in his quoted response, and the article incorrectly extrapolated the "not related" bit from there. But I would be surprised if they're pouring footers for a spike given what Tony was quoted as saying.

I guess my question is how is what they doing to the river (pond, what is the best language). "Regular Maintenance". My brain interprets regular as routine. Do they routinely and regularly maintain the lagoon every off-season? If so why haven't we noticed them taking out this same section of ID in the past (Past winter chill-outs).

I agree that they could be doing maintenance on the lagoon that is also connected to this project. It would make sense to emphasize one truth over the other.

Team Spike here:

Here's Tony's quote, which does not imply this is "regular" or "routine" maintenance.

“We are performing some maintenance work in and around the lagoon below Iron Dragon, so track sections had to be removed for equipment,” he said.

If it is maintenance that is not regular that would explain why it hasn't been seen previously.

The lagoon was also in the process of being drained if anybody noticed.

I don't see that quote as misleading if some of this maintenance work has something to do with TTD. It seems as though it was just left unsaid. It's a pretty big coincidence that those track pieces and columns need to come out in this moment. I'm am in no way saying "Spike!!!" I'm actually not really into the idea of a spike. But is the ID track removal just a crazy coincidence? Seems unlikely to me.

It ain't gonna be just a bigger wicked twister. That's so 2002.

Oh yeah? Then explain why Wicked Twister was removed. Huh? Yeah… that’s right. You can’t.

/s

It always amazes me how often people choose to add additional complexity when given pieces of information. A lot of people are letting their own desires draw conclusions that are not supported. Sometimes the correct answer is the simplest solution. Meaning if the park says it’s for maintenance purposes and not related to Dragster, then it’s very likely just for maintenance and not related to Dragster. No complexity needed.

Yeah but what if it's not? Plague on Wheels told me all I need to know. Sitting tight.

/s

I don’t know about you, but if I was sitting any tighter, I’d be in a world of hurt.

But they didn't say it wasn't related to TTD, Potato. It's not complex at all.

They also didn't say it wasn't related to them building a dome over the park.

vwhoward, right from the Cleveland.com piece,

Clark said the removal of Iron Dragon track was not related to Dragster’s rebuild.

vwhoward:

But they didn't say it wasn't related to TTD...

We don't know that. It's possible Tony stated this explicitly and the quote wasn't included in the article, yet the information was included.

djDaemon said:

"It may not be that removing ID track was strictly necessary for whatever work they're doing there, but instead that removing track makes their job a hell of a lot easier, and perhaps less costly....

Brandon, I agree with your statement. I'm going to stir the pot here. Listen up. Remember when the land around TTD was first being prepped back in the fall of 2002 (especially around the area where Troika USED to sit and close by the old PWE loading station)? I was trying to find pics online but can't remember where I saw them. I'll have to look in my old photo albums, anyhow.....

The lagoon/water area had to be enclosed by iron plates, (around the current TTD brake run area coming down from the top hat) " dammed" I guess you would say , to allow fill dirt to be poured into a new area of construction and to allow water to be removed from the past lagoon area that ISN'T there any longer. CP has done this numerous times over the years. I believe this is what we are currently going to have in the area directly behind the current TTD photo stand. This area is most likely going to be filled in with fill dirt, but you have to allow the cranes to get in that area to be able to drop the heavy iron plates to "dam" it up. Thoughts?