Cedar Point | Steel Vengeance | RMC I-Box (Mean Streak Conversion)
- Thread starter GuyWithAStick
- Start date
Matt N
CF Legend
Now I've never ridden any RMCs, but the level of hype implies that this will probably be better than Storm Chaser!
tomahawk
Strata Poster
Considering Storm Chaser was the least hyped RMC to date, not the best measurement. Where this thing is will throw off how good it really is, see Millennium Force. That said, it has everything an RMC has done to date and more. As great as the pre MCBR section is, the interior of the structure will determine if this is best RMC to date.
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Lofty
CF Legend
That doesn't really stand? Hype has nothing to do with the actual ride experience (see Thirteen).
Storm Chaser is a massive underdog as one of the best RMCs. It's one of the least talks about but provides a great experience. Wildfire at Kolmarden is on a somewhat similar scale to this (I'd say the closest out of all the other RMC's) with its elements etc., and it's really graceful and elegant during the ride - it does not pack as much of a punch as Storm Chaser does, or even Goliath for that matter, far from it. Steel Vengeance looks to be split between the two types of rider experience that Wildfire and Storm Chaser give - the first half is these long, large, stretched out hills and overbanks with a few smaller hills in (Wildfire) and then you have the second half which looks fast-paced, relentless and full of airtime (Storm Chaser).
So yeah, it's really up in the air as to which of these it's going to be more like - if it's a combination of both, it'll be one of the best coasters on earth.
The one thing RMCs need to be is ferocious. Any of the RMCs that fizzle out simply don't hold their own compared to the ones that almost "stop short".
Iron Rattler has that dead section in the middle, Twisted Colossus has the second lift hill, Wildfire drags on a bit, etc.
Storm Chaser is so small that it can't spend it's final portion meandering around - it simply doesn't have the height. Lightning Rod hits the brakes going flat out, as do Outlaw Run and Goliath.
There's no doubt that the first half of this coaster is going to be insane. What's going to make or break it, however, is whether the second half makes it feel like it's dragging. Granted it will be underneath the structure, which should help up the excitement, but if it ends up feeling like Iron Rattler's middle portion at the end, then it could taint the overall ride experience.
Iron Rattler has that dead section in the middle, Twisted Colossus has the second lift hill, Wildfire drags on a bit, etc.
Storm Chaser is so small that it can't spend it's final portion meandering around - it simply doesn't have the height. Lightning Rod hits the brakes going flat out, as do Outlaw Run and Goliath.
There's no doubt that the first half of this coaster is going to be insane. What's going to make or break it, however, is whether the second half makes it feel like it's dragging. Granted it will be underneath the structure, which should help up the excitement, but if it ends up feeling like Iron Rattler's middle portion at the end, then it could taint the overall ride experience.
... And Storm Chaser has gotten all the more unforgiving with the faster wheels that were installed last year. Agreed on Steel Vengeance - unlike it's other Dinn Corp.-converted-kin (lulz for alliteration) - it must keep the pace in the second half of the ride. NTG lags, Iron Rattler has the dead middle section, Twisted Cyclone (the Georgia Cyclone conversion at SFOG) has totally eliminated a lap of the previous layout - Steel Vengeance must buck the trend.
Also worth giving a shout out to the construction photos at the bottom of the Steel Vengeance page. Fun to click through as refresher for how long a process this conversion has been.
Antinos
Slut for Spinners
I'm hopeful that the ride won't die until the last few hills before the brakes. There might be a dead section just after the MCBR if those few hills and the overbank over the final brake run aren't quite up to snuff, but the rest of the final lap looks unique and intense enough (with the wave turn, barrel roll, and last overbanked turn) to at least keep things interesting.
Another perspective (notice no chain lift installation yet)
CrashCoaster
CF Legend
The lift gearbox has arrived:-
Some additional shots of the lift hill install (You can see conduit for the lift chain now on the lift hill) and views from the MCBR.
Antinos
Slut for Spinners
Here's some information and photos from Winter Chill Out:
Steel Vengeance's trackwork is 100% complete and the structure is about 90% complete. In addition to electrical work, the crew has been climbing through the entire structure and bolstering the joints and fasteners throughout the support structure (which partly explains why this "boring" stretch of work has lasted so long). Brake hardware does not appear to be installed, but the chain trough and anti-rollbacks are nearly complete. Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, and RMC all coordinated on project schedules to complete both rides - once the crew finished trackwork on Steel Vengeance, they headed down to Virginia to work on Twisted Timbers trackwork (which explains another part of why the boring stretch has lasted so long). When asked if the project was still on budget, the representative stated that he could not say, but he did say that they were "controlling it."
The ride will have two photo locations, but both will be close to the original location on Mean Streak. One camera will be static and face the outerbanked hill and the other will face the roll and record a short video. The plan is to reuse as much of Mean Streak's remaining queue as possible. The haunted house in the infield will remain, thus the park will modify the queue accordingly to ensure it's big enough. The queue will also have ample shade and Fun TV. The park is also planning immersive sound effects for the entire ride experience - they're still trying to figure out exactly what they're going to do and how they're going to do it though. Finally, the Emporium shop outside the train station will become the Steel Vengeance gift shop.
Lastly, the information everyone wants to know. Although the trains had not yet arrived for the event, they will arrive shortly. Testing will begin in Late March. Yes, Tony was completely joking when he tweeted about testing in December. I'm sorry you bought it hook, line, and sinker - don't shoot the messenger
Now for some of my own thoughts. You can begin to see the ride over by the petting zoo: it's absolutely enormous. The ride appears to grow as you approach it and with the steep lift, sharp crest, vertical drop, and dense support structure, it's actually a little intimidating for a seasoned enthusiast. The photos don't really do justice - you have to be standing next to the ride to really get a feel for how big it is. I know many people are worried about the third lap - they built it as close to the ground as they could. There are sections where the track is three feet from the dirt below it. Both RMC and Cedar Point are really trying to squeeze every ounce of speed out of the ride and if the third lap ultimately feels lacking, the ride is simply too long. With that being said, consider me all aboard the Hype Train.
Walking up to the ride from outside Maverick's entrance:
This has become a commonplace photo for behind the scenes tours already, but it's such a good shot!
This might be the only photo that somewhat does justice to the ride's size. It towers over everything else.
This valley is located where the ride reenters the structure under the outerbanked hill. As tall as the ride is, the third lap really hugs the ground. My phone was probably about head height - this valley is easily three feet off the ground:
I like the makeshift machine shop that was set up by the crew:
Take note of the final stretch before the brakes. Although the ride will surely be running on fumes by this stretch, these hills aren't more than a dozen feet high:
Finally (as long as I copied the correct link), a photosphere from the infield:
I will be posting a full update from the rest of Winter Chill Out shortly for those interested. It'll be quite a meaty update - they announced a ton of stuff yesterday.
Enjoy the photos!
Steel Vengeance's trackwork is 100% complete and the structure is about 90% complete. In addition to electrical work, the crew has been climbing through the entire structure and bolstering the joints and fasteners throughout the support structure (which partly explains why this "boring" stretch of work has lasted so long). Brake hardware does not appear to be installed, but the chain trough and anti-rollbacks are nearly complete. Cedar Point, Kings Dominion, and RMC all coordinated on project schedules to complete both rides - once the crew finished trackwork on Steel Vengeance, they headed down to Virginia to work on Twisted Timbers trackwork (which explains another part of why the boring stretch has lasted so long). When asked if the project was still on budget, the representative stated that he could not say, but he did say that they were "controlling it."
The ride will have two photo locations, but both will be close to the original location on Mean Streak. One camera will be static and face the outerbanked hill and the other will face the roll and record a short video. The plan is to reuse as much of Mean Streak's remaining queue as possible. The haunted house in the infield will remain, thus the park will modify the queue accordingly to ensure it's big enough. The queue will also have ample shade and Fun TV. The park is also planning immersive sound effects for the entire ride experience - they're still trying to figure out exactly what they're going to do and how they're going to do it though. Finally, the Emporium shop outside the train station will become the Steel Vengeance gift shop.
Lastly, the information everyone wants to know. Although the trains had not yet arrived for the event, they will arrive shortly. Testing will begin in Late March. Yes, Tony was completely joking when he tweeted about testing in December. I'm sorry you bought it hook, line, and sinker - don't shoot the messenger
Now for some of my own thoughts. You can begin to see the ride over by the petting zoo: it's absolutely enormous. The ride appears to grow as you approach it and with the steep lift, sharp crest, vertical drop, and dense support structure, it's actually a little intimidating for a seasoned enthusiast. The photos don't really do justice - you have to be standing next to the ride to really get a feel for how big it is. I know many people are worried about the third lap - they built it as close to the ground as they could. There are sections where the track is three feet from the dirt below it. Both RMC and Cedar Point are really trying to squeeze every ounce of speed out of the ride and if the third lap ultimately feels lacking, the ride is simply too long. With that being said, consider me all aboard the Hype Train.
Walking up to the ride from outside Maverick's entrance:
This has become a commonplace photo for behind the scenes tours already, but it's such a good shot!
This might be the only photo that somewhat does justice to the ride's size. It towers over everything else.
This valley is located where the ride reenters the structure under the outerbanked hill. As tall as the ride is, the third lap really hugs the ground. My phone was probably about head height - this valley is easily three feet off the ground:
I like the makeshift machine shop that was set up by the crew:
Take note of the final stretch before the brakes. Although the ride will surely be running on fumes by this stretch, these hills aren't more than a dozen feet high:
Finally (as long as I copied the correct link), a photosphere from the infield:
I will be posting a full update from the rest of Winter Chill Out shortly for those interested. It'll be quite a meaty update - they announced a ton of stuff yesterday.
Enjoy the photos!
It's been a very long time since I rode Mean Streak, so I can't remember the specifics of the queue - will the mid-field area be accessible (even if just from the queue) normally?
Looks like there could be some fantastic photo opportunities this summer if you can get to those areas!
Looks like there could be some fantastic photo opportunities this summer if you can get to those areas!
CrashCoaster
CF Legend
The trains are arriving!
Matt N
CF Legend
I really like the style they've gone for! These could potentially beat Twisted Timbers as the best RMC trains depending on what the zero car looks like! Also, as the ride is themed around rebels, are they doing a different rebel for each train e.g. one train is Blackjack, another is Chance etc.