Texas Giant opening date confirmed

[RCF]

^Well Mean Streak was made by the same company and the same year so the are quite similar. It really isn't made to be steel. It won't technically be cuz everyone keeps calling it a woodie. Like Six Flags still calls it a woodie, so that's what I go by.

 

[rollermonkey]

ONLY 6F and people with no clue will consider this a woodie.

It's a steel coaster now, just like almost any mine train or Gemini at CP. It just doesn't have tubular steel track.

 

[RCF]

I must not have no clue then!

I just consider it a hybrid rather than a steel at the moment though. And what's with almost every article saying it'll have the steepest drop in the world? Surely they mean on wooden coasters but if that's not what they mean, then the GP don't know what the hell they're talking about.

 

[Tony]

I'm really interested to see how this turns out now! I just thought it was getting some new trains and a little bit of re-tracking work done but definitely wasn't expecting a huge upgrade like this.

It sounds pretty good so far especially with the first drop at around 80*. I wonder what sort of trains this will use. I'd definitely say it's a steel coaster now.

 

[RCF]

^It'll have Gerstlauer trains. Hopefully they still have the Texas Flag design on them like the old trains.

 

[Hyde]

I just consider it a hybrid rather than a steel at the moment though.

It is a hybrid, a hybrid coaster with wooden supports and steel track.

Texas Giant will be a steel coaster.

 

[RCF]

Now that Matt has said it I admit, it will be a steel coaster. Steel rails and no wood bed or track bolts, it will be steel.

Man holding out sucks.

 

[CedarPoint6]

Hey everybody,

This Saturday, I have a phone interview with Mike Sossamon, the Director of Maintenance at Six Flags over Texas. We'll be discussing the transformation of Texas Giant and hopefully getting into the finer points about all the changes going on with the ride. If you guys have any questions you'd like me to try and ask, post them here and I'll add them to my list.

Thanks!

 

[Snoo]

I've been wondering if he would know how much track will be changed along with any changes to the superstructure of Texas Giant.

 

[RCF]

Will the new trains still have the Texas flag design on them like the old trains?

I will try and get pictures of the renovation so far as I'm heading to Six Flags today.

 

[CedarPoint6]

Thanks for the questions everyone. The interview has been postponed since we encountered some... snow... on our trip and the park closed a few hours into the day. But once that interview happens, we'll have a new page up here for you all to read that.

In the meantime, I have some photos and a press release from the park, courtesy of communications coordinator Cassie Threadgill, who's been fantastic about helping to organize this interview.

Six Flags Over Texas Begins $10 Million Texas Giant Renovation
(Arlington, TX)-

Six Flags Over Texas, the Entertainment Capital of Texas, and the parent company’s flagship park, today began the first phase of its highly-anticipated $10 Million Texas Giant enhancement project, unveiling the state-of-the-art track that park officials say will return the Giant to its proper place as the world’s top wooden coaster.

The new Texas Giant will boast a unique hybrid design— combining the classic features of a wooden roller coaster with the advanced scientific capabilities of a steel track fabrication. The renovated coaster will feature:

• The steepest drop of any wooden coaster IN THE WORLD at 79 degrees.
  The steepest bank of any wooden coaster IN THE WORLD at 95 degrees.
  A lift hill that is ten feet taller than the original Texas Giant.
  A top speed faster than the original Texas Giant at 65 mph.
  The world’s first Iron Horse Coaster track™©®. This rail system is made completely of steel and engineered for long term durability.

The track will be constructed by Rocky Mountain Construction Group. Based in Hayden, Idaho, Rocky Mountain is the mastermind behind Six Flags Great Adventure’s “El Toro,” the “Express” wooden coaster in Seoul, South Korea, and “Timber Terror” at Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho.

“This ride is going to take the entire industry by storm," said Steve Martindale, Six Flags Over Texas Park President. “Six Flags has built a reputation for developing original ride concepts and the Texas Giant will be our crowning jewel.”

The existing Texas Giant is more than fourteen stories tall with speeds of up to 63 mph. The ride was added to Six Flags Over Texas in 1990 as the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. The enhancement project will take a full year to complete and the new Texas Giant will make its debut in 2011 in celebration of the company's 50th anniversary.

Click on each of the pictures for a larger version:




















Once again, thanks to Six Flags over Texas and Ms. Threadgill for the pictures and press release. I'll be posting more as the ride progresses.

 

[RCF]

Great pictures and thanks for all that. I went last week but couldn't get any pictures. They've torn up the turnaround above the lift hill and there a few more steel beams waiting to be put into place.

 

[Snoo]

^They could be secretly partnering with S&S.

 

[RCF]

A nice little graphic courtesy of Screamscape concerning Texas Giant structure:

 

[Snoo]

Slowly but surely.

 

[RCF]

Still have about another year so I think they're making good progress.

 

[DannyCoasterJ]

Looking good, shuld be an good move for the ride.

 

[RCF]

Photos from TPR:

 

[Pokemaniac]

^Don't use that word. I get nightmares about Six Flags renaming it.

 

[Snoo]

Texas Gianter.

Perfect.