Seems as though Intimidator 305 has been closed since Monday due to need for a custom gear box part for the lift. Also seems like there may be an issue with getting the part into the building that houses the gear box. Also the train stuck at the top may need to be taken down by a crane.

Seems like I305 might be down for awhile, oh the problems for Intamins continue...Any guesses how long until it will be before its back up and running?

Picture via Screamscape

Once again. Poor Intamin.

Given that it's an Intamin I'd say 2 weeks, tops..

Ouch. Reminds me of when Millennium Force's cable lift broke a few years ago...granted chain lifts can break too, but that rarely happens on new rides, and here's a coaster that opened in 2010...well then again even Diamondback went down several days a while back, due to a broken footer or something...

Ouch. Reminds me of when Millennium Force's cable lift broke a few years ago...granted chain lifts can break too, but that rarely happens on new rides, and here's a coaster that opened in 2010...well then again even Diamondback went down several days a while back, due to a broken footer or something...

Chain, it was a broken chain

Chang's chain broke...during its Media Day.

Ouch. Reminds me of when Millennium Force's cable lift broke a few years ago...granted chain lifts can break too, but that rarely happens on new rides, and here's a coaster that opened in 2010...well then again even Diamondback went down several days a while back, due to a broken footer or something...

Chain, it was a broken chain

Nope.

Right. Millennium Force doesn't even have a chain.

Chang's chain broke...during its Media Day.

WOW...a freaking B&M breaking on its MEDIA DAY (aka first day)!?!? I'm hoping they fixed that quick...

As for the Diamondback breakdown, I was talking about the kinda-well-known 2012 breakdown, I think it was May. They were able to do a quick fix of some kind, re-open the ride with 2 trains running or something, and then closed it for a week for repairs. Beast was put on ERT duty that week, since 2012 ERT was Diamondback & Invertigo. This was really horribly timed- WindSeeker had yet to open for the 2012 season, Delirium was having major issues, Drop Tower had been struck by freaking LIGHTNING...

And the Millennium Force cable incident, I found this, it happened in 2009:

http://pointbuzz.com/Forums/Thread/24106.aspx

Superman at Six Flags America broke TWO chains in its first couple of weeks.

^

Uh-Oh. That inspired a joke.

Six Flags Management: Uh, Superman: Ride of Steel...you broke your chain.

Superman: ME NO SUPERMAN RIDE! ME HULK!!!
Six Flags Management: ........uhh......we're Six Flags, not Universal Studios........

Superman: HULK NO CARE!!!
Six Flags Management: Fine, just don't break this chain lift.

(Gives Superman a new chain)
Superman: HULK RIP!!!
SNAP!!!
Six Flags Management: (Facepalm)

Sorry, I couldn't resist that joke...

Good...uh...Story.

Innovative and exciting rides from Intamin...when they work.

The more I learn about the industry, the more I love B&M. Safe, reliable, efficient, cost effective.

I also have quite a thing for GCI's...

The Gravity Group is in many ways to Great Coasters International as INTAMIN is to B&M. This was even more so as to CCI.

...but then...who are Intamin and RMC supposed to be!?!? And is PTC the Arrow Dynamics of the wooden coaster world? Is RCCA...Vekoma? Where do CCI and Dinn Corporation fit in!?!? And what about Harry Tarver, and all those numerous OTHER wooden coaster builders!?!?

Sorry...kinda had to...

Keep that up and I may just have to Schmeck you.

I have noticed that similarity recently. Intamin and The Gravity Group both make coasters that could be called experimental or innovative, and both suffer from it maintenance wise. And I find my preference from a ride experience standpoint parallels in both steel and wooden coasters. I could ride Thunderhead and Kentucky Rumbler all day long.

Although, in the end, no one will ever be what Custom Coasters International was.

Both GCI and B&M build premium products, and charge accordingly. CCI, in particular, had amazingly low first costs. Maintenance, on the other hand... See also Voyage. Or Hades. Or Cheetah, which was darn near unrideable in its last days. Or Villian.

Life cycle costs matter, which is one reason you saw Cedar Fair buying GCI's and not CCI's, except the inherited Ghostrider. About which...

Though if you can keep your CCI running in good condition, it will reward you. Not all CCI coasters turned into bad, overly-rough rides after only a few years...some did, others did not...the parks themselves actually probably had good influence on this though.

And even some GCI creations didn't end up doing so well in the end...like Gwazi. Granted, that was one of their first ones ever, but still...

Also, a thread about Intimidator 305's cable lift has turned into a discussion about wooden coasters. Welcome to KICentral, folks!

I have the same attitude towards CCI as I do Intamin. I enjoy them at other parks, but I would rather not have Kings Island acquire one. Roller coasters are not purchases, but investments. For them to be practical, both logistically and financially, they need to operate efficiently and continue to attract guests, something CCI, TGG or Intamin seem to fail to do. Cedar Fair seems to understand that as of late, which I'm happy about. Gone are the days of impractical record breakers, and taking their place are the sensible investments. I believe every time an Intamin breaks down at a Cedar Fair park (see the original post here, among others), it stands as a justification for the recent wave of B&M additions.

McSalsa, I can't be the only one who enjoyed Gwazi...very much so, in fact. It did not have the butter smooth quality most people come to expect from GCI, but I found it to be quite a lot of fun. Perhaps I ended up in the right seat.

Gwazi's problems stem from Busch not having expertise in or an understanding of what it takes to maintain a wooden coaster. And Gwazi was far from GCI's first coaster.

It was a smooth delight when it opened.

Hmm...some quick research and, Terpy is right on this- Gwazi was GCI's 4th coaster. Hersheypark's Wildcat was actually the first, and then came the "Roar" coasters at Six Flags, followed by Gwazi, followed by Lightning Racer (AKA the ride that established GCI as a world-class wooden coaster builder)...and then they have made 15 more wooden coasters since, all of which have solid reputations.

http://rcdb.com/r.htm?ot=2&co=6860&page=1&order=10

And wow, of the 20, 19 are still going strong and #20 is only SBNO because the park it was in shut down. Go GCI...hmm, to compare with CCI...

http://rcdb.com/r.htm?order=10&ot=2&co=6868&page=1

Lots of good coasters here, but also a few that aren't nearly as beloved, or have fallen from grace. A couple of SBNO's and some defuncts too, but nearly all of these are because the park they were in shut down as well. And they have 34 coasters built over a 10-year peroid (CCI lasted from 1992 until 2002 according to RCDB), versus 20 over a 17-year peroid for GCI...overall CCI has a good-looking track record, but GCI seems to have a slight edge when it comes to the odds of their rides coming out and staying high-quality...then there's the "GCI did an overhaul on Boulder Dash, considered by many one of CCI's best's coasters" thing which helps GCI...

And GCI has done rehabilitation on many other wooden coasters.

I don't have to go check the web on stuff like this, as I was at many of the openings, and knew Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty. Dennis was responsible for many of the most aggressive features of CCI rides.

Why has Tiger been shut down on Gwazi?

Theory among some is SeaWorld cost cuts. Europe In The Air is closed at Busch Gardes Williamsburg.

^
(Crypt)
I'm not sure, but I think it was for maintanance reasons. The ride was getting rough again and tearing itself up. It's rumored Gwazi is in line for a Rocky Mountain Coasters overhaul. UPDATE: Terpy beat me...cost-cutting? Ouch...what's up with you SeaWorld?

(Terpy)
I would have liked to have met those two...I've only been on two of their coasters (Raven & Legend at HW) but from those two already I can tell I enjoy their aggressive designs... UPDATE: Make that 3. I forgot I rode Hoosier Hurricane at Indiana Beach way back in 1999. Recall enjoying that one, too...Indiana is so good if you like CCI coasters.

Its a freak accident, even the best products have a failed part now and again.

Cedar Fair knows their flag ship park Cedar Point would not be what it is today without Intamin.

I'm with you, McSalsa. CCI is hands-down my favorite company, though I guess I haven't really ridden any of their rides with rough reputations. I've been on Hoosier Hurricane, Zach's Zoomer, Raven, Shivering Timbers, Boss, Legend, Cornball Express, and Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain, and the only one I genuinely didn't care for was Shivering Timbers. I thought Hoosier Hurricane was a little forceless, but I'd sooner attribute that to the roughness of the ride slowing it down than poor design. The rest were all decent-to-fantastic rides for their target audiences.

I, also, would love to meet Larry Bill and Dennis McNulty. I know Larry went on to start and work at The Gravity Group, but what is Dennis doing? I've never heard much of anything about him after Custom Coasters.

Dennis is a civil engineer designing streets in New Jersey.