Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

I wasn't necessarily saying that trains built for TTD couldn't be longer, just interesting that lighter trains would greatly facilitate an LSM achieving the proper launch speed, and that this could be a solution.

Also...on the aluminum frame aspect. Is this something new or have other train frames been made of aluminum prior to the Lightning trains?

Right in time for Festivus.

MagnumMatt:

It was a weight issue correct?

More like an attempted-manslaughter issue. Luckily it missed.

heric:

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

I'm in the 2024 camp. I think that if this new experience were to open next season track would have to be arriving very soon and repainting already be underway. That very well could be happening, but also from a marketing perspective, I would guess CP wants to use this for next season and focus on the boardwalk for this season.

Millennium Force had very little complete in November and still opened in May.

Interesting I didn't know that.

Do you think this is opening next season?

IF the track is being repurposed then it still needs to arrive overseas, be modified, be returned, and be installed. I guess I just don't see that happening before the start of next season. That is too if they aren't removing any more track to be repurposed. You yourself pointed out that it took them two entire off-seasons to paint the track, so I just assumed that this whole project will take longer than some may expect.

It's not impossible, but I thought maybe improbable. I could be wrong tho.

I just don't think it's happening next year because it would be too much of a distraction from the boardwalk improvements. That is what they want to market for next year. And we do not know the scope of what the TTD 2.0 project will be at this point. It would be better for the TTD 2.0 to have it's own place in the spotlight for 2024.

I’m still in a bit of shock if Zamperla is involved with this project. Crazy how life can twist in unexpected ways.

I don't see how it would benefit the park to open it in '23 rather than '24 or even '25. As others have mentioned, a '23 opening takes some attention off of their announced new-for-2023 additions.

Plus, there's a saying in engineering: fast, cheap, good - pick two. It's always best to choose cheap & good when time is on your side, and time is on CF's side with this project, considering TTD has been closed for a year and a half, and that hasn't stopped the park from succeeding in virtually every metric, so why hurry?

djDaemon:

Plus, there's a saying in engineering: fast, cheap, good - pick two. It's always best to choose cheap & good when time is on your side, and time is on CF's side with this project, considering TTD has been closed for a year and a half, and that hasn't stopped the park from succeeding in virtually every metric, so why hurry?

Totally agree here. Let the boardwalk have the spotlight this season and as the summer starts winding down, start building hype for the reimagining of TTD for 2024.

First, if it's not more intense than the original, I won't really care. I'll just ride Kingda Ka.

As far as it stealing attention away from the Boardwalk by opening in 2023, it seems like 2 very different crowds so, this could help attract both.

I just want ALL of their rides running to help keep lines for other rides more manageable. At times, this October, there were 6 big coasters down.

Another reason I could see 2023 is the overall marketability of it if it's just trains and a new launch. It would seem really odd to pretend it's a new ride as its more of a return. But then again reading the September announcement comments the GP thinks the ride is getting tore down. I guess the closest comparison to this situation would be X to X2? I guess it depends really on how much the park wants to make a big splash about its return in its marketing materials.

The fact they immediately started as soon as the park exited full-time operations is super interesting if they still in theory have another roughly 17 months for a 2024 launch.

Also, lots of rumors that this is corkscrew's last year. 2024 announcement could include the new dragster and announcing a revamp section/midway - similar to the Boardwalk.

If everything pans out the way we generally expect, I doubt that the "marketing" is anything beyond a footnote that the ride has been improved with a new launch system that will be more reliable. The theme isn't likely to change, given the surgical precision with which they kept the existing stuff.

I agree with Jeff. They are pretty much going to reinstall the updated pieces of track with the new launch and brakes, install the new trains and change the name. I even think they will keep the same theme and color scheme. This is on the level of re-track on part of a wooden coaster rather than a whole new ride like SV.

They did pretty well gut the station though which leads me to believe there may be some extensive work required there. I wonder if these trains are wider than the Intamin ones or something that would require reworking the platform itself a bit.

^It could be something as simple as the drive wheels needing to be in different locations due to the new launch pieces under the trains being in the way. As far as the air gates and queue in the station goes, people seem to have a hard time following arrows on the floor like with Stormchaser.

The station being gutted makes a lot of sense if, as expected, the ride is getting a completely new controls system. Much easier to just rip everything out and start from scratch than to try and splice into and around Intamin's over-engineered mess.

As far as their removing track immediately after the end of 7-day operations, I don't think that gives any indication as to whether this is coming in '23 or '24, especially considering we don't know the extent and timing of the work that needs done, and especially in an environment where lead times are extraordinary.

NOW WITH 80% LESS PROXIMITY SWITCHES!

80% of too many is still a lot.

I dunno about you, but I would want my engineers to select fast and good, not cheap and good. Cheap things break.