Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

I have wondered the same thing. It would be like Wicked Twister was.

From the image Brandon posted, it does look like the area directly above the excavator is scored and ready to be torn up.

Possibly, but would that indicate they're widening the turn? Consider the implication - the launch toward the tower has to be linear, and they stopped removing track far short of vertical track. Absent a "finish coaster" button, how do you reconcile a wider turn with a linear approach to the tower?

IMO, the area above the excavator looks like a good place for the exit ramp. I have no claim to any real knowledge, but if they are keeping the station there and not having an unload, that’s where I’d be having riders exit back to the midway.

As for the area previously containing landscaping? I’d say work on footings for an elevated bridge up and over the end of the brake run and down into the station, assuming the queue will be entering from over there, now, and not the middle of the ride. Kind of similar to how they re-routed Kingda Ka’s queue after they closed the queue in the center.

No ideas that wouldn't be shot down with arguments from all over this thread. I'm even less sure myself now, the grid pattern I thought was scoring, looks similar to the concrete pattern in the old queue and the winners circle areas. Can kinda make out the grid in the circle in google maps, so maybe these were always there.

Good point Brandon. I forgot about the unload winding ramp, and you're on the same wavelength as me. If they widened the turn, I'm not sure how you keep the station where it is and maintain the linear path to the tower.

Unless they install a switch track from a newly constructed station to the old station, I agree, it wouldn’t make sense to widen the turn.

Obviously going to Launch forward over the top hat, come to a stop, then launch backward over the top hat.

Looking at that photo, where do y'all think the bulk of the queue lines will be? Perhaps within the construction wall area where the fence is lined up with the grandstand, then a bridge over the top to load or just load from the midway side? The previous loading platform was quite vast, I know it will be re-configured as they removed the rails & such but if it is to be utilized riders need to get there somehow.

I don't think they're changing the station location. Why would they leave the canopy structure up and demo underneath if they weren't going to re-use it as a load/unload location. Like everyone else has said you may have to lower the platform elevation and maybe widen a bit to fit the new trains.

Ok, how's this sound? Wider turn into a brand new loading station and move the queue lines under the old station canopy like Maverick and Whitewater landing. Give the new one a rotating platform to really tie in the theme. Then switch track into a newly developed curved synchronous motor launch.

But why do all that? The queue can be located in any number of places that wouldn't require all that work and complexity.

One spicy possibility is one I brought up months ago.

What if they reverse the launch to go up the spiral side and come down the straight side?

I feel like that fits a space concept really well.

A 420' straight drop would be AWESOME.

^ Agree with this completely! The spiral track going down actually takes away from the experience IMO.

That would be freaking insane!!

It's an interesting concept. Running it the opposite direction. Up the spiral. Is it possible? I mean, as it is engineered and basically sits now. Does it have the same dimensions/angles going into the tower as it does coming out of it? Since this track is still in place, it would seem as though little will be done with the current design of these.

Part of the allure of TTD is being close to the launch track as it whizzes by. Launching up the other side would take away that uniqueness.

I do think CP is trying to get guests away from the launch after last year's incident though. It would only make sense to limit that potential again

Wasn't it the return side that had the incident?