Hi all - new to the forums, but wanted to share some of the Great American Scream Machine's (SFGAdv) final hours. I was lucky enough to attend the ERT event this past Sunday evening to see the coaster officially close. I wasn't on the last dispatched train, but got in 10 great rides - some of the best I've ever had on GASM. Sad to see it go!

For anyone interested, I've included about six and a half minutes of (more or less) unedited video I took during the ERT event. (And, shameless plug - check out my other music video mix of the Scream Machine, about a week and a half prior to its closing. It is the other video under my account, JBE676, on YouTube)

Enjoy!

Hmmm, I created a news story for the first mention of closure but I don't think there was a thread for this. Ok. I would have been at the park Sunday but I was at SFGAM for the first time. GASM ran awesome its last two seasons. I rode off with it into the sunset with good memories then. Close to 10pm closing at SFGAM which would be at 11pm EST I was at the site of GASM's brother coaster that already part from us: Shockwave.

The view from the lift of the whole park and the sound of the lift I will miss. I felt a warmth in hearing the last send off there.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

Within the week of closure already the transfer track, station, and brake run are gone! I have just seen a pic of the end of the S turn after the double corkscrews that would lead under the lift into the final brake run is also gone. WOW.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

At this rate, by the end of September should be seeing parts of whatever is GASM's replacement show up in the parking lot. Of course there are guesses on what it is, but I'd love to see that yellow track there to confirm it!

Also, how much of a footprint does Chang have? I've seen pictures of GASM and the markings that are posted. They extend all the way into the parking lot. It has been a good 7 or 8 years since I rode Chang, so I can't remember how stretched out it is. If it is in fact Chang, looks like SFGADV will be losing some parking spaces, which isn't new.

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It shouldn't be any wider than the space the two consecutive GASM loops already takes. It's the 2 or so rows of parking spaces near S:UF's lift that would be needed. GASM's departure will free up some parking spaces by Kingda Ka.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

I saw photos today revealing the consecutive corkscrews stand alone! The s turn after them are gone. The curve connecting the corkscrews to the batwing are gone as well. The whole second half of the ride will probably be gone Monday afternoon.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

Corkscrews: gone! Half of the batwing is crunched up and down.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

They are tearing it apart QUICK! I could be speculating, but looks like they are factoring in a lot of time to add a large ride and surely not a kiddie one which only takes a short time to install. I smell a Chang gang.....

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Too bad they aren't saving the corkscrews and using them as art like that European park did.

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ThrillNetwork Editor - Formerly known as bgwfreak
My site: SouthernScream.net
Intimidator Ride Count - 130
2009-2010 Carowinds Ride Photo Associate

Batwing: all but a 1/4 gone. Now I have an idea with GASM's drop off the MCBR falling into nothing now how Drachen Fire looked when they removed the first corkscrew after the MCBR. GASM is now just a 3 looper.

The park is posting these deconstruction pics on their facebook page.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

Nice overview video from GADVOutpost.com

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Most of the rumors are pointing towards Chang. but Change uses a lot of space. if it's barley going into the parking lot I believe it will need to stretch further into the park.

Has the park even applied for building permits for a new ride/ Dose any one know at what height they need to seek permission to build over?

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Michael C

^ If it is Chang, it would likely not reach far into the parking lot in terms of width, but rather in length. When last there, I saw a pink survey mark and pin in the concrete just past the base of the "Sylvester 2" parking locator. In relation to the rides, that marker is only about two rows in width out into the parking lot, but lines up almost with the S:UF station.

Again, assuming Chang, it seems like minor parking lot loss would be for the lift, first drop, and loop, and the rest of the coaster would fit in GASM's area. On a different forum (can't remember which), someone superimposed an aerial shot of Chang over an aerial shot of the Boardwalk area as it currently exists. That image supported the lift/drop in the parking lot with the rest of the layout fitting in GASM's footprint.

I wonder if the trains will fit the Loch Ness Monster? They seem to be in decent shape.

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"I'm going off the rails on a crazy train"

I guess I'm a OS X, Windows , Solaris 10 , Linux, and Unix fanboy. Did I miss any OS?

I talked about that in our rumor thread for construction for SFGADV '11, the super imposed Chang. I bet it will not extend past GASM's 2nd and 3rd loop and that green fence on its perimeter. They shouldn't even touch the green fence there I'm betting.

http://www.thrillnetwork.com/boards/...ture-11-a.html

Chang's first drop would be by SUF's lift hill I was betting.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

The Six Flags Great Adventure (GADV) Discussion Thread - Page 42 - Theme Park Review

KDcoasterMAN put together some aerial images of how Chang might fit in over at ThemeParkReview a while back.

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^^That first photo on there seems to fit the best. Like many of us had guessed is the lift hill would be next to S:UF and the rest of the ride would occupy where GASM was at. All the other scenarios just seem a bit out of place and I don't think a coaster blocking a clear view of Kingda Ka while entering the park would look very nice.

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That photo was done awhile ago but recently with the temporary pink spots all over the parking lot earlier in July I verified the potential for how far it could stick out by S:UF's lift laying side to side parallel basically. I couldn't believe how one early pic had the ride really close to Kingda Ka and thus the lift will be at a 30 degree angle out into the parking lot: no way.

SFGADV posted on Facebook today: GASM down to 3-2-1 loop. I have not seen the picture yet.

Let's keep this thread focused back on the GASM closure and demo. We can continue on the 2011 construction in its thread.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

gadvoutpost.com has the most recent pictures I've seen. There is no shot there of the ride standing with both loops gone, but there is a picture of the second loop leaning as it was coming down.

The track on the apex of the lift is starting to come down. They must be using a crane at night. The first loop is still up.

Today reading the Wikipedia entry about the park I noticed GASM's corkscrews were the first for the park. Until then the park only had full loops in Lightning Loops and barrel rolls with Ultra Twister. When many parks had the basic Arrow corkscrew models and the one, two loop to dual corkscrew models like Cedar Point's Corkscrew and The Great Escape's Steamin' Demon, GASM was pretty lavish back then with its three loops, then a batwing, all before the corkscrews. Vortex already broke the ice by the late 80s but realizing that just pushed the significance of the Arrow loopers on the whole industry by the end of that decade.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood

I saw the workers cut off the top most support structure piece on the lift hill today. The platform that would hold the chainwheel is now the highest point left. There's a gap down the lift hill. I would say half of the lift is still up. Most of the first drop is still up but the first few feet of track down it are removed finally.

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Thrillnetwork Moderator - Intermediary - Original sn: CHILLERLC1
Labor Day: #400 Blue Streak Conneaut Lake, Fun For All, Kennywood