See the restraint systems to be installed on certain new rides next year...not all of which can be discussed at this point. And over the shoulder restraints are not always needed. Many older steel looping coasters, especially ones from Anton Schwarzkopf, had no such over the shoulder restraints, and operated just fine. Any restraint system demands that the ride operators be certain the riders are restrained properly before leaving the station, though some modern rides also have electronic backup systems to double check that. Put another way, at least some of the riders who were not adequately restrained in those incidents left the station in that condition. That is not acceptable.

totally agree I read that I believe it was the Mass. incident no one checked the rider in the front.... with that being said I understand some rides dont need to operate with OTSRs..... even a little added safety cant hurt right?.....

Every restraint system is a tradeoff between certain factors...from rider enjoyment to the possibility of restraints causing injury (old Flight of Fear OTSR's, anyone? Perhaps even the Invertigo restraints?) to additional weight, etc.

There is a lot of KIC info running around my head, but SoB was built with a non-standard track gauge, right?

I assume that the trains acquired from the Myrtle Beach park required some modifications to fit the track. I'm guessing that saved a bit of money as opposed to purchasing a train or two from, say, Gerstlauer ... just speculation, but I personally wonder what different trains would have done for the ride. Perhaps nothing ... perhaps a great deal.

~ Bc9755, who has learned a great deal from you all lately.

^My guess, and this is pure speculation, is that it was cheaper to modify existing trains as opposed to purchasing new trains.

Combine that with: why purchase new trains if the ride still has the potential of still not giving a good ride?

I would be surprised if these questions were not brought up during the planning stages of SoB's re-opening.

For those who are interested in any movement around SOB, trains have been running for at least the last 20 minutes or so.

That is interesting. Maybe they have decided to open SOB for the Haunt. Or not. I'm sure we will all find out in a little over 24 hours.

Son of Beast is closed for the 2009 season.

^

Well, I'll be!! Whoda thunk it!

I was merely making a statement that had no real merit. It is interesting that they are running the trains though. And, while the park may have said that SOB was closed for the 2009 season, remember there were no skeletons of McNair or Kazemi at the park either.

I was merely making a statement that had no real merit.

Ever have one of those moments where you wish you wouldn't have said that?

If not, here's you first experience.

Oh yes, that happens all too often it seems. I should have left it at "thats interesting that they are running the trains". My attempt at sarcasm didn't work out all that well.

This post will probably be flagged down for engineering, cost, and maintenance reasons, but why couldn't some form of suspension be added to all these harsh wooden coasters around the world in danger of removal? Whether it be modifications to existing trains or simply an all-new adaptable universal train to retrofit the many dying wooden coasters...

Suspension wouldn't have to necessarily be added to the wheels, but even the seats... Are there any coasters out there that exist with suspension, and did they solve harshness problems? Just think if our cars were wagon wheels on roads...

Anyway, perhaps this still wouldn't address the lateral forces of the rose bowl, but just a thought...

haha dont you mean this.

haha dont you mean this.

Awesome! Now Cedar Fair... invest in a set PLEASE! If they don't work out on SoB, send em over to Mean Streak!

It wouldn't surprise me if the cycling of the trains has something to do with engineers studying SOB to try to fix the ride.

yeah. i dot think it really would surprise anybody. the fact is, if they have truely given up all hope on the ride, why pay a ride op, a few workers, and some maintenance staff to sit around and test this thing for a few days?

I will stick to my thought that the park will do whatever is financially better for the park.... with that being said those new coaster cars do look like they could improve the roughness of the ride on sob...... but that still does not fix the other issues with the ride.........

It wouldn't surprise me if the cycling of the trains has something to do with engineers studying SOB to try to fix the ride.

Or deciding whether or not to fix it.

Either way, this signifies to me that the decision has not yet been made, or that the decision has been made to keep it.

They could just be satisfting insurance companies' questions as well.

Whether it is insurance for guests that were injured, or KI's carrier. If there are pending lawsuits, the insurance companies may be forcing KI to operate the ride and do tests.

something i should note. if they were to put in timberliners, which i would say is doubtful... anyways, if they were, from waht i can tell from them testing it on the raven is they glide along the track, a lot faster than other trains do... would Kings Island really want to have Diamondback lose its speed record? i mean its only got to go 2 mph faster to beat it....

I wouldn't doubt that even if it did, Kings Island would probably not publish so, saying it's 79 MPH as usual.

^Or they may change it to 79.99 MPH.

Or just install some metal fins along the track to keep the speed down...

I doubt they would slow it down unless it needed to be for safety or durability. More likely they would fudge the number or maybe even not and have something new to brag about next year to draw in guests.

^We were joking about the fact that KI would want to keep DB as the fastest coaster at KI

haha dont you mean this.

Awesome! Now Cedar Fair... invest in a set PLEASE! If they don't work out on SoB, send em over to Mean Streak!

uhhhh thats says launch system capable. That kinda scares me about that.

haha dont you mean this.

Awesome! Now Cedar Fair... invest in a set PLEASE! If they don't work out on SoB, send em over to Mean Streak!

uhhhh thats says launch system capable. That kinda scares me about that.

What scares you about that? It means it's safer to use than normal trains.

What I mean by Wood isnt always the straightest You can have bumps init which would make the ride kinda painful. Unlike steel like FoF it does not hurt that much(till your in the loop). But Yea its not that I am scared its just that I dont think I can trust a big burst of speed at random on wood.

The track and rails upon which the ride runs are steel. Only the laminate support system under the steel railing is wood....