Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

djDaemon:

So I don't think it's a stretch to imagine that something as "simple" as new trains/launch/controls would make a complete station teardown the preferred plan of attack.

But... that pesky little thing going on in "Iron, Draggin'"s infield.

Lagoon maintenance.

I was responding only to Frog Hopper's assertion that new trains wouldn't explain demolishing the old station.

Maybe read more, and post less.

djDaemon:

Maybe read more, and post less.

Bitter, party of one, your table is ready.

JH(f)CA, get a freaking GRIP. Take a metoprolol, or a dozen.

Incredible.

Jesus. I'll delete it if you'd like. Would that help bring down your temperature?

Twisted, I do not know. If I had to guess, it’s that the barrier to the pump was there for when PE ran the lagoon too.

3, 2, 1...he gone

Who? For what?

Ooops, I quoted when unnecessary. I'll fix that.

...there.

Dude, keep that up and you will not be long for this forum. You DO NOT attack long term, highly respected members after only being here less than a month. Dial it down.

Read more, post less, and integrate yourself into the community before puffing out your chest.

Occasional lurker, here....

I gotta be honest -- I initially had some serious doubts about any back spikes or additions. I thought new launch system, trains, and theme only.

However, the instant I saw the removed ID track, I thought that pointed to something more than Tony's "lagoon maintenance" comment.

These new photos are highly, highly suggestive of footers: they align perfectly with a reverse spike, and appear to be the dimension and location of what you would expect for a foundation of something like a back spike. Plus, swing launches appear to be the "new" thing, and this comports with it, especially if Intamin ends up doing this).

I think you really have to contort yourself, cognitively, --at this point -- to maintain this is anything other than a significant extension of some feature to the former TTD.

My guess is that it will be a 300-footish back spike and the launch trajectory over the tophat will be on the same pathway as before.

Now, the super fanboy idea /marketing bonanza would to have the new launch go up the former brake run, over the top hat and down into a second launch into a new 500 foot top hat over Iron Dragon with a new brake run into the now vacated infield (where the line used to be). Conceptually, that actually might be the "cheapest" way to create a world-record breaker at that height because you already have the preexisting launch tracks and a top hat/ 120mph entry into the second launch - so you are essentially "merely" adding a 500-foot top hat (lol) and the brake run. The main incremental capital cost is the difference between a 300-ft-ish back spike vs. a 500-ft top hat (and a stronger initial launch), plus the new brake run. Still, probably another $10-15M on top to do this, not to mention it's unclear whether they have the footer space to replicate the foundation needed to build a full top hat over Iron Dragon (I don't know how this new footer compares dimensionally to TTD's top hat footer size). But one can dream.

Bozman:

Dude, keep that up and you will not be long for this forum. You DO NOT attack long term, highly respected members after only being here less than a month. Dial it down.

Long term, yes.

Highly respected?... For me, respect must be earned. And THAT one certainly doesn't get it.

Suggesting to other people what they "should" do doesn't cut it for me. Long-term, mod, owner, whatever, whomever pays for the URL. This is only an online internet forum. Perspective.

Now, If you, yourself, bow down to a long-term member... have at it. I see it as sad, really.

See what happens when you don't sit tight, fellas?

Top Thrill Dragster isn’t getting a spike. I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but those if you who were at winter chill out and saw the piece of track from Iron Dragon missing; that particular piece of track will be back in place on Iron Dragon soon because at WCO they said it would be ready for opening day .

I have lost track - do we have "proof" that Zamperla is doing new trains? I know it seems plausible, but do we have something tangible that says that is the case? The same goes for the new launch system. Again it seems plausible, but what is the basis for saying that is what is happening?

Top Thrill Dragster isn’t getting a spike. I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but those if you who were at winter chill out and saw the piece of track from Iron Dragon missing; that particular piece of track will be back in place on Iron Dragon soon because at WCO they said it would be ready for opening day .

Well, let's see about that spike.....

It's quite possible they only needed to remove that section of track to set the foundation structure and pour the cement, which, we know from TTD, takes a long time to cure. They then can re-remove the same section at the end of the season and bring in the equipment to raise the structure for the spike.

I have lost track - do we have "proof" that Zamperla is doing new trains? I know it seems plausible, but do we have something tangible that says that is the case? The same goes for the new launch system. Again it seems plausible, but what is the basis for saying that is what is happening?

I have not seen anything other than ElToroRyan's statements, which, so far, seem to be accurate.

That said, if this were just a new launch, Zamperla might seem reasonable. Given the new back spike possibilities, this project is starting to look really big, and I'd be mildly surprised if Cedar Point rolled the dice with Zamperla of something of this dimension/cost..... but the Vancouver Playland coaster sure makes me think this is Zamperla..

Jake10, you seem very sure for someone who, just like everyone else here, doesn't actually know. Also, just because that piece of track will be put back for opening day doesn't mean TTD "isn't getting a spike". I'm very unsure about this either way. But you're way to sure for something you can't be sure about.

PS...if you're lurking, casual observer, I called it!

Shades:
I have lost track - do we have "proof" that Zamperla is doing new trains? I know it seems plausible, but do we have something tangible that says that is the case?

Zamperla's involvement is merely speculation at this point. A few months ago, it was rumored that they were going to be involved. Around that same time, we found out that Zamperla was involved with a new launch coaster going to Playland in Vancouver. The coaster in question is an Intamin hydraulic coaster from Italy called Senzafiato that Zamperla bought and is retrofitting into an LSM launch. They also revealed their new trains at IAAPA that will be debuting on the new launch coaster. Also, a representative for Zamperla has made comments that indicate their new train model could be launched over 100mph. Also also, some internet sleuths figured out that the launch sections removed from Dragster were being shipped to a port in Italy (I think).....which is where Zamperla's headquarters are.

So, it's enough evidence to logically assume they could be involved.

I believe that same port in Italy is where Intamin ships through as well. The main reason I don't think it is Zamperla is because the PNE Playland coaster is barely 60 feet tall and Zamperla's tallest coaster is under 200 feet. I just feel like it would be a much bigger risk to go with Zamperla than going with Intamin who has experience at that height.

All evidence pointing to Zamperla is circumstantial. Statements made by Zamperla officials sound an awful lot like, “Tell me you’re doing the Dragster overhaul without telling me you’re doing the Dragster overhaul.” The track shipments are surprising but don’t tell us much. The Lightning train design is intriguing but ultimately not especially meaningful. Perhaps the most convincing argument in favor of Zamperla’s involvement is the fact that nearly ALL of the new rides Cedar Fair bought this year (Zambezi Zinger being the notable exception) are Zamperla products suggesting the beginning of a significant relationship between Zamperla and Cedar Fair.

But then, Zamperla has never done anything on this scale. But then, you could say the same for Morgan when Cedar Fair tapped them to build Wild Thing at Valleyfair!. Sure, Morgan had hired engineering staff from Arrow, but they had no track record of fabricating or managing a hyper coaster project. They still went back for Steel Force and Mamba.

—Dave Althoff, Jr.

Jake10, you know just about as much as the rest of us. You have no proof against it just as nobody has proof for it. They very well can pour the foundation for said spike, and reinstall the ID track all before the season starts.

Personally, I no longer believe the "lagoon maintenance" swerve ball that TC has thrown at us, and 100% believe that what they are doing with that cofferdam has to do with the rebuild of TTD. Is it a spike? I'm not sold there just yet, I want to see more before making that judgement.