Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

Jeff:

Cedar Pointer:

I know people that built Shivering Timbers and they are currently building wooden decks now.

You may know carpenters who worked on the ride, cool, but I know the guys who designed it, and they're still quite employed, innovating and profitable.

My uncle works for Nintendo

I have a feeling the Premier deal is with Montezooma's Revenge at Knott's and not Dragster. It makes far more sense.

Cedar Pointer:

My uncle works for Nintendo

Zamperla released their new LSM train. https://twitter.com/TPArchive/status/1592590290392846337

“The Lightning vehicle also has different road wheels, made to be low maintenance and withstand high acceleration: they will soon be seen on some of the world’s fastest attractions!”

@AmusementInside
The Lightning Train from @zamperlarides
. Aluminum chassis. No steel, no welds.

You beat me to it. That last line really makes me think that this could be for dragster. THE PLOT THICKENS!

That train is for PNE Playland, but Antonio Zamperla seemed pretty much all-in to be a significant player among roller coaster manufacturers. They're investing pretty heavily.

I'm impressed by how few parts are involved in that car, and they seem to be living up to the design objectives mentioned in their press release.

If only we knew more!

FWIW, those who were waiting on the Premier Rides announcement, it was just them partnering with Schwarzkopf to make a "Retro Wildcat 2.0". So we can scratch them off the list of potential TTD suitors.

Just to clarify, I did know that these trains are for a different coaster.
It is interesting how these trains look similar-ish to velocicoaters trains.

"This is when the fun begins"- Anikin Skywalker

All aluminum car frame? So absolutely no chance of any steel parts sloughing off and flying down the midway…

Seriously, the comments read like, “Tell me you’re doing the Dragster refit without telling me you’re doing the Dragster refit.”

—Dave Althoff, Jr.

If what looks to be true is true, these trains look great! I know there was a bit of fear that any major changes to Dragster would also come with over the shoulder restraints similar to Kingda Ka. But these cars seem to give a great deal of freedom. Reminds me a lot of the VelociCoaster trains, but with the lap bar coming from the top.

I like it! I hope its true, because I hate those Intamin seat belts on MF and TD, they are a pain!

RideMan:

All aluminum car frame? So absolutely no chance of any steel parts sloughing off and flying down the midway…

Except for those that would need to be mounted to it to facilitate an LSM launch and magnetic braking system.

I think it's an important distinction to make that these Zamperla restraints, or really even those on Maverick, are not OTSR's, they're lap bars that happen to come from overhead instead of the floor.

I think that's an important distinction. They may come down from the top, but the restraint works the same way a lap bar would work. Kingda Ka has OTSR, but they allow for far more movement than something like Corkscrew.

Is the belt bucked between the legs and attached to the lap bar or is there a sperate seatbelt? Hard to see in the pics.

So the Lightning trains for PNE Playland are 12 passenger (3 cars, 4 seats per car). TTD was 18, so there is a weight reduction. The aluminum frame has to be a weight reduction as well. It has been discussed earlier that a limiting factor of an LSM launch on TTD was the weight of the trains (15 tons if I recall correctly). Very intriguing....

Assuming these are the trains and no layout changes - what is everyone thinking toward 2023 or 2024?

They can make the trains any length they want, if they can tune them well enough to launch at the target speed. Kids don't seem to remember Dragster when the back seat was occupied by projectile tires.

I remember those tires. How long did they last? It was a weight issue correct?

Jeff:

They can make the trains any length they want, if they can tune them well enough to launch at the target speed.

On a new coaster I would agree. But for an existing coaster it won't be that simple. Pairing a train that holds 36 people with a motor that can only get an 18 person train up to speed doesn't work. Neither does a train that exceeds the power that can be generated in the available space with the LSMs.