^ You really are cracking me up today! No Amber alert has been put out... I've lost them and don't want to find them again, so if you see them wandering around somewhere, just look the other way and keep walking!

^ You really are cracking me up today! No Amber alert has been put out... I've lost them and don't want to find them again, so if you see them wandering around somewhere, just look the other way and keep walking!

Just kinda look up into the air, whistle and think nostalgically!

I get it!

<G>

And Congrats, by the way!

Thanks! You know the real reason I'm losing weight is to fit in with the whole nostalgia concept for this year. But I think that if I try to get my weight down to what it was the last time Racer South went forwards, I might need some serious medical attention, considering I was 10 at the time!

Congrat's on the sucess!

Once they made the switch they raced backwards verse fowrwards, and then they stopped caring. I feel like they will stop caring after a year or two and in a couple of years it will be the same thing as it is now without the option of going backwards. I do however think that for atleast this year the racing will spark a new intrest in the ride even though many people are resisting the change.

Different management.

Different operations people.

Different company.

What Taft/KECO did was different from what Paramount Parks did which is different even from how CBS handled things at the end which is different from how how Cedar Fair does things. Even Cedar Fair does things differently now than it did prior to the Paramount Parks purchase, as circumstances are far different.

Kind of odd that a stated reason for doing this is nostalgia, given all that. No?

It's harder and more expensive to race them, will they take the time and money? Who knows.

...and even if that who does know, that decision may change based on factors that may or may not be able to foreseen at this time.

It's harder and more expensive to race them, will they take the time and money? Who knows.

Harder and more expensive?

Are the current crop of ride ops more lazy?

Hell, they used to race the coasters when the ride ops used hand brakes!

Are the current crop of ride ops more lazy?

Exactly. I have seen ride ops who literally doze off, then people scream in anger, and he wakes up and starts the ride.

Are the current crop of ride ops more lazy?

Exactly. I have seen ride ops who literally doze off, then people scream in anger, and he wakes up and starts the ride.

Hmmmm,That would scare me if he had to do the brake run.

Are the current crop of ride ops more lazy?

Exactly. I have seen ride ops who literally doze off, then people scream in anger, and he wakes up and starts the ride.

Hmmmm,That would scare me if he had to do the brake run.

What do you mean had to do the brake run? The breaks are automatic.

Breaks are automatic ONLY if you are a minor.

Now the brakes are automatic, and have been for years....

Sorry I'm still getting the hang of typing w/o looking and I try to do it quickly. My bad.

I meant,if they had to press a button to start the brake run

I meant,if they had to press a button to start the brake run

That would suck I wouldn't trust a 16 year old kid with the brakes any way. I'm pretty sure you would need some more training to do that.

In the days of manual braking, it was not just pushing a button...it was modulating the brakes at the right time, every time....peoples' lives were literally in your hands. Parks, I am quite sure, were very glad when this process became automated.

I am very glad myself that the braking is all automatic now.

In the days of manual braking, it was not just pushing a button...it was modulating the brakes at the right time, every time....peoples' lives were literally in your hands. Parks, I am quite sure, were very glad when this process became automated.

Come on Interp, I'm certain you have ridden more coasters than I with hand brakes.

Never had a problem on a coaster that way.

That's because back then only very trusted and reliable ride operators were trusted to operate those big old brake levers. In most small parks, they were generally older, retired men. You seldom saw a kid or a young person operating the brakes. Theme parks were a different story, but I doubt many young people worked their first season at Kings Island operating the brakes on Racer.

How many of the rides at KI use to have manual brakes? I'm guessing maybe just The Racer and some of the defunct rides?

That's because back then only very trusted and reliable ride operators were trusted to operate those big old brake levers. In most small parks, they were generally older, retired men. You seldom saw a kid or a young person operating the brakes. Theme parks were a different story, but I doubt many young people worked their first season at Kings Island operating the brakes on Racer.

Well, there was a time that very few first season folk operated any rides.

I think the first season people were just responsible for hyping the brand new decals on the front of The Racer. <G>

ALL the rides had manual controls in the old days. Now, even the Scrambler is electronically controlled, as were the Flying Eagles in their final seasons.

I guess what I should have said was which coasters? Racer, Bavarian Beetle, and maybe Screamin Demon im guessing.

The Beast opened with semi-electronic controls that were state of the art for its day...if that is what you asking. All the other coasters were manually controlled.

Thats exactly what I was asking. Thank you Interp if I may call you that?

Of course you can....some here have called me far worse, I am quite sure.

There are times it is good to be old, and to be nostalgic.

Of course you can....some here have called me far worse, I am quite sure.

There are times it is good to be old, and to be nostalgic.

Well this has not been confirmed, but a rumor is that they're gonna plant you right in the middle of the band stand this season.

We're bringing Nostalgia Back. <G>

I liked the Idea of "Modernising Nostalgia" . . . . . . . .

Here's a photo of the testing of the Red Racer:

did anyone catch that the "keep hands arms legs inside thecar at all times" sign is still facing backwards, i wonder if they'll change that before opening day