Defunct Roller Coasters: What Would You Pick?

[Marcus]

If you had the chance to ride any modern defunct or SBNO roller coaster, what would you chose?
Poll is:
*Restricted to North America
**Only looking at more modern roller coasters that operated some time in the 90's or later
***Yeah I probably missed some obvious ones, please use the Other Selection
****This doesn't include roller coasters that are in operation elsewhere
*****You can also list the non-modern coaster you'd like to ride if you want

I bet this wasn't as easy for everyone once they saw all the choices.

[Katie]

For sure I would be riding Drachen Fire. That ride was so ahead of its time and really unique!

I miss it!

[Antoine]

Without question, Drachen Fire. I think this is one coaster than many younger enthusiasts out there never had the opportunity to ride since it was dismantled so long ago. I wish I had the opportunity to ride it.

[koasterkid14]

I remember when I was younger and had a roller coaster book that featured a picture of Drachen Fire, not to mention seeing it on television programs and thinking it was such a thrilling looking ride. Unfortunately I never got a chance to ride it, even though I have family up there, we always went to King's Dominion. I would have voted for it I'm sure otherwise. So I choose Big Bad Wolf. I still can't believe they took it out, it was perfect for its location. The finale over the Rhine river is spectacular. I'm glad I had the opportunity to ride it.

[Michael C]

I chose Schreechin' Eagle (Lesourdsville) it looked like a solid coaster and Missed out on it.

In the list I rode Drachon Fire, Big Bad Wolf, Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon, Batman side of Chiller,

THE Texas Cyclone while well reserved was a CI Cyclone clone and I have ridden the Ci cyclone.

[Brian F]

By your "90's or newer" standard- I would go with Drachen Fire. Mainly out of a general love for Arrow coasters, and the fact that it looked to be a great ride.

However, if you pushed it back by ten years, I'd love to ride the Bat again. Picture any suspended coaster you may have ridden, but with the wild swinging that you wish it had. That is what the Bat was like. Of course, it was that wild swinging that caused its' demise, and for all following suspended coasters to not swing much. It was extremely expensive to maintain- the swinging gave the shock absorbers a VERY short lifespan.

Another older defunct coaster I'd love to ride would be the Beast. Yeah, yeah- I know it isn't technically defunct. But, if you rode it before it was trimmed to death- you know what I mean.

[DisGardeVersal]

Oh man. Do I pick Drachen Fire because I was always too short until years into its SBNO time or revisit Big Bad Wolf?

Or do I go to a completely different park and add Hercules to my sorry list of Wooden Coasters. From what I've heard of this ride its definitely right up my alley as far as wooden coasters go.

This decision will take a while.

[nayaugpark52]

William's Grove Cyclone. Everything a small park wooden coaster should be. Peeling paint, rusty track, sandbags in the cars to keep it weighted. You would have to wait until enough people wanted to ride because if it was too light the ride attendants were afraid they'd have to climb the lift hill to push it around the first curve. You just don't find them like that anymore.

[Marcus]

William's Grove Cyclone. Everything a small park wooden coaster should be. Peeling paint, rusty track, sandbags in the cars to keep it weighted. You would have to wait until enough people wanted to ride because if it was too light the ride attendants were afraid they'd have to climb the lift hill to push it around the first curve. You just don't find them like that anymore.

For a brief moment I thought of adding the WG Cyclone to the poll options, but I never thought someone would actually pick it. My favorite part about the ride was the way you could feel the train bending and flexing as it travelled over track sections where the rails may not have been perfectly parallel. I actually convinced the park to sell me a William's Grove Staff shirt and, amazingly, it was stolen out of my car a few years later when I worked at SFGAM.

[Leo C]

A banned member would have picked the WG Cyclone. Him talking about it got me on it. I was on it Labor Day 2005 or 06. I calculated I had to be at the park on its last operational day ever and what a ride that was! I'm pretty sure on that back stretch the train pinned down rails and nails popping up as it passed over. That was quite a stretch of track.

I would want to pick Drachen Fire because I only recall the ride when it was in SBNO status and visiting the park then. Our school had a picnic by the cutback. I rode the park train to see the lift and the front of the ride with the cobra roll. I also would choose Orient Express. I have no desire or curiosity with King Cobra.

[nayaugpark52]

We were there the last operational day, too, Leo. Probably saw you there. I was taking my daughter up to Messiah college and we had a little time and stopped into the park just before it closed to get two rides on the Cyclone. She didn't want to go on the Wildcat as we'd been on it before and it looked like it was held together by duct tape and would take a scary bump up the lift hill as it transferred from the first to second chain which she didn't like.

[Leo C]

Remember it was actual chains you would use for a gate? That was something. Yes that Wildcat had duct tape lap bars.

[nitro4ever]

I wanted to ride Batman and Robin The Chiller really bad, unfortunately I was 1 year too late, the bright side was I got to ride the Dark Knight (just kidding, that is under no circumstances a bright side).

[Antoine]

Chiller....the only roller coaster at Great Adventure that I have not ridden. I got in the line for it a number of years ago but when it came to being locked into the restraint, I just could not fit. It would not go over my legs no matter what I did. Which is kind of weird, because I have ridden Premier coasters before and been able to fit the restraint over my legs. Granted it was a TIGHT fit, but I still made it in. Sometimes I hate being 6'4.

[sclisso]

Definitely Big Bad Wolf and Drachen Fire. I didn't get a ride on either unfortunately. Which, I was probably too young when DF closed and I wasn't into coasters then. I still wish I could've tried it out though. I can't think of any others right off.

[Thunderhawk]

Leo, I think I'm the one who talked you into the WG Cyclone. I went to William's Grove about two weeks before it closed forever. It was easily the most ridiculous ride I've been on. It looks like it should have been closed for safety reasons long before the park ever closed.

I posted a trip report about this ride right before it closed. Here it is, the aptly named "Confronting the scariest coaster ever 9/3/05". http://www.thrillnetwork.com/boards/...-9-3-05-a.html. I talk about how there was a fire in the station the morning that I got my first and only rides on the WG Cyclone.

Despite this, I'd pick Hercules. It was the ride that got me into roller coasters in 2003, a few months before it closed. I wish I could ride it today to see if it was as good as I remember, or if it was as bad as people remember it now.

[Leo C]

Wow it was you Thunderhawk. I did read your TR. I did talk as well to the banned James about getting to the park and riding the coaster. What a special old ride Cyclone was.

Antoine, you were probably trying to get on the Robin side of CHILLER. Please tell me you were waiting for the Batman side.

I wish I could go back ride Hercules in the early 90's when it first debuted. The prelift of Hercules being the best part of the ride after its renovation told you it was a terrible ride.

[Pikapower]

I could ride any defunct roller coaster that was in North America it's got to be the Steel Phantom that was at Kennywood.

[Antoine]

Antoine, you were probably trying to get on the Robin side of CHILLER. Please tell me you were waiting for the Batman side.

You know, I'm honestly not sure which side it was. I actually never knew the differences between the two and didn't pay attention to the signs leading up to it. I was so busy talking to my brother at the time. I know it was the track that launches from the right side.

[coasterqueen]

Screechin' Eagle for starters.

The massive ejector air on that little woodie was indescribable. It was definitely one of the most underrated wooden coasters out there. I miss it!

I am glad I got to enjoy it when I did. The last time I saw it (about 2 or 3 years ago) it was literally falling apart. So sad. They just don't build them like that anymore.

Big Dipper, Hypersonic, BBW and the Chiller are also very missed. I loved them! There are just so many. If only there was a special park out there where all the retired, replaced, and unwanted coasters can go to live out their days and continue to be enjoyed by all, even the sucky ones.

Led Zepplin was pretty cool, but Hard Rock Park in general is VERY missed. I would bring it back in a heartbeat if I could, even if it was for my own personal enjoyment.

William's Grove Cyclone. Everything a small park wooden coaster should be. Peeling paint, rusty track, sandbags in the cars to keep it weighted. You would have to wait until enough people wanted to ride because if it was too light the ride attendants were afraid they'd have to climb the lift hill to push it around the first curve. You just don't find them like that anymore.

Tell me about it! I don't think there was another woodie that scared me more than the Cyclone! I swore I thought it was going to collapse a few times, especially during the last season the park was open!



-Tina

[Leo C]

I think the CHILLER top hat was more memorable than the St. Louis Mr. Freeze I finally got on last year. I think the supports of the surrounding Robin cobra roll and looking down at the boats of the Movietown Water Effects while going in reverse padded the whole visual experience.

I thought Astroworld was the collection of old unwanted rides. I've mentioned before it would be cool to get Batman: The Escape because of how it ushered in standup coasters as Shockwave at SFMM and SFGADV.

[Antoine]

Trust me, you weren't missing much with Batman: The Escape. It was a rough one. But it did usher in a wave of new standups though. I was never really impressed with Astroworld. When I went there, it kind of reminded me of a used car lot of rides there. I think the only one I even remotely enjoyed a little bit was XLR-8. I do regret that I totally overlooked Mayan Mindbender and never got to ride it.

[Katie]

Beech Bend has the same feel, except with flats not coasters. They are a quite small park but what they have is good and it just has more of a carnival type feel than an amusement park.

Don't get me wrong, I had a great time there with Steve back almost 5 years ago.

[Leo C]

I've done the layout Antoine but on Le Cobra at La Ronde. It's the same layout as Batman: The Escape. After the helix it's a snoozer going back to the station.

[Antoine]

Yeah, pretty much. I know Batman: The Escape was extremely rough back in 2003. I could only imagine what it would be like if they rebuilt it somewhere in 2011. It is an early model stand up, so I guess we can't expect much from it though.

[KodiakAaron]

Nighthawk needs to come back to CGA. I wouldn't have ever experienced it there. Sigh...

[AlterockSV21190]

Another that I can think of is "The Bat" at Kings Island. The first prototype suspended roller coaster build. Opened 1981 and closed after 1983 season.

[Christina87]

Hercules I miss it so much

[Chris H]

I would ride King Kobra if I could. I was at the park when it was still operational but never rode it

[Brian F]

Chris, it wasn't that great. It wasn't terrible, but no great shakes.

My choice for defunct coaster to ride again- THE BAT! If you watch Iron Dragon at CP run, you notice that cool swing it does at the final turn into the station. The Bat did that on every turn. Of course, that's why it only ran two years, but it was still cool while it lasted.