That tricky little Public Relations Area Manager!

on the auction bid board, is "a k" a k steel?

on the auction bid board, is "a k" a k steel?

Makes sense to me...

New Blog Post:

Diamondback roars through initial test runs

February 26, 2009

The moment all of us at Kings Island had been anxiously waiting for happened this afternoon as the first test run of Diamondback took place.

The train, filled with a Water Dummy in each of the 32 seats, began its climb up the 230-foot lift at 4:41pm, rising above the park, above the trees. It roared down the 215-foot first drop at 74-degree angle, and made its way through vertical drops of 193, 131, 129, 110 and 106 feet; two helixes and the splashdown ending (without water) before stopping on the break run outside the station. The ride worked the way it was supposed to the first time!

The sound of the ride was amazing! You can feel the power of this 5,282-foot monster as you stand and watch it from the midway.

We told you we'd have the ride ready for testing by March!

- Don Helbig

YAY! That is some amazing news!

Yay!

I wonder how long it will take for Don to stick a POV on the front of one

Happy Webcam Watching!

Is anyone else mad? Didnt he say to the people who emailed him that they were only testing new camera angles for the season and NOT testing?

Well DB will began daily testing tomorrow So he could stick a mounted camera on anytime.

Is anyone else mad? Didnt he say to the people who emailed him that they were only testing new camera angles for the season and NOT testing?

I think that was something he had to do for the sake of his job. We will be able to see it soon enough!

I emailed Don Helbig and didnt expect anything back but he emailed me right away.

Cory,

Please be advised that Diamondback has not been testing. Nobody has missed anything. Testing is scheduled to begin in a matter of days. An exact date and time has yet to be determined.

Sincerely,

Don Helbig

Area Manager, Public Relations

Kings Island

Wow a couple of days went by pretty fast...something tells me that no one told Don that they were planning on testing it until they were just about to test it. Just a though...

After what Goofy just said, I'm pretty sure im incorrect in my statement.

I wish I could of Had my 2/3 School day tomorrow instead of today... I guess I could try to get a pass to the IMC and Get online and watch it?

Is anyone else mad? Didnt he say to the people who emailed him that they were only testing new camera angles for the season and NOT testing?

I think that was something he had to do for the sake of his job. We will be able to see it soon enough!

I agree. I do not think Don was trying to be sneaky at all. There is good reasons for not relaying everything to general public.

~Josh

Mr. Helbig seems to have been straight up (up and above anything expected, for sure) with this site. I can't see this being any different of a case.

Is anyone else mad? Didnt he say to the people who emailed him that they were only testing new camera angles for the season and NOT testing?

Oh give me a break. Don was relaying the information to everyone that he was given. It was obviously a last minute decision to do a run w/ one train, and Don found out when everyone else did. It also blows my mind that some people would think the park was trying to 'hide' any testing of the ride. What purpose or benefit does that serve the park? None.

ya, imagine if the first test run went bad?!? that would be a killer for pr and Diamondback if it was viewed on the webcam. i'm sure we'll see some action here soon.

I couldn't blame them a bit if they didn't want the public to see the initial run. One minor hiccup could mean many less riders on their newly installed apparatus.

I can't believe this. Me and my friend were supposed to head down to take some pics. We were gonna leave my house at 4 so the timing would have been perfect. But she called and said she can't make it. That would've been awesome to look over and see a train heading up the lift

ya, imagine if the first test run went bad?!? that would be a killer for pr and Diamondback if it was viewed on the webcam.

You are looking WAY too much into things. A large amount of new coasters do not have a successful first run, it is not as big of a deal as many on here think it is. Considering B&M has been engineering and perfecting these rides for 20 years now, and have yet to have any incidents, it would be safe to assume that there would be nothing to worry about with the first test run of Diamondback. Worst case, ride valleys on its first run, big friggin deal.

I couldn't blame them a bit if they didn't want the public to see the initial run. One minor hiccup could mean many less riders on their newly installed apparatus.

I'm not trying to gloat about what I witnessed today, but I can say that the machine glided smoothly across the tracks and sounded extremely powerful! Not one hiccup throughout the circuit! I cannot wait to see and hear it up close!

~Josh

What if a steel coaster vallies how do they get the train back into the station?

What if a steel coaster vallies how do they get the train back into the station?

You'll need a crane and alot of cable...

What if a steel coaster vallies how do they get the train back into the station?

They bring in a crane and winch it back to the station. We will see Diamondback valley at least once during its testing procedures. It's all part of testing its safety systems. It's standard practice for the majority of new coasters. There are pictures and videos of Behemoth valleying during its testing.

Can you get a link to those pictures for those of us who haven't seen them?

I'm not trying to gloat about what I witnessed today, but I can say that the machine glided smoothly across the tracks and sounded extremely powerful! Not one hiccup throughout the circuit! I cannot wait to see and hear it up close!

~Josh

Many moons ago, someone said they can't wait to hear the signature B&M roar at Kings Island. I absolutely LOVE that sound, and can't wait for the chills it always gives me when I hear it at my home park for the first time.

I'm not trying to gloat about what I witnessed today, but I can say that the machine glided smoothly across the tracks and sounded extremely powerful! Not one hiccup throughout the circuit! I cannot wait to see and hear it up close!

~Josh

Many moons ago, someone said they can't wait to hear the signature B&M roar at Kings Island. I absolutely LOVE that sound, and can't wait for the chills it always gives me when I hear it at my home park for the first time.

It was beautiful... I'm still smiling just thinking about it

~Josh

Angie, I'm with you. That sound will forever change the atmosphere of Rivertown.

My favorite B&M roar that I have heard would probably be Medusa at SFGAdv and if ours is anything like that then the excitement will fly through the roof. That sound gives me chills and I imagine just the site of it up close will also.

It will sound a lot more like Nitro than Medusa.....

^I was thinking about that but I don't remember much how Nitro sounds. From what I remember you can't here much but the little pre-lift dip but after that I don't remember hearing much because it was so far off in the woods.

What is the difference between the two? Is Nitro's a little bit quieter?

Medusa is much louder than Nitro, but probably due to its siting. Most of Diamondback is a lot closer to the midway than most of Nitro!