A recent article in the Spokane Journal of Business profiled a newcomer to the business of roller coaster design and manufacturing: Rocky Mountain Coasters of Hayden, Idaho. Rocky Mountain has raised eyebrows recently with the completion of a massive re-build of Six Flag's Over Texas' Texas Giant wooden coaster using the company's revolutionary "Topper Track" technology that involves utilizing steel rails on a traditional wooden frame. The firm has gone on to apply their new track to several existing coasters with much success, but as the linked article explains, the firm has their sights set higher than simply refurbishing existing coasters. The company will apparently open their first coaster completely designed and built from the ground up right here at Silver Dollar City in 2013.
The article says nothing specifically about the Silver Dollar City coaster, but goes on to note more of Rocky Mountain's innovations, including a new train design the firm says will be "revolutionary for the industry." Furthermore, Rocky Mountain's combination of track and new trains will allow for their wooden-hybrid coasters to go upside down and perform maneuvers unheard of for wooden coasters heretofore.
The final detail the article gives in relation to the firm's 2013 projects is that they have a combined investment total of $12 million. With the other project being a refurbishment of Six Flag's Fiesta Texas' existing Rattler wooden coaster, the bulk of this total will obviously be going to Silver Dollar City. One would estimate that if the refurbishments to Six Flags' coaster are no more than a few million to replace their troublesome first drop, then $9-10 million would be spent on Silver Dollar City's new coaster, nearly what it cost to transform the Texas Giant into the hulking thrill machine it is after the Rocky Mountain make-over.
Further speculation will certainly revolve around how much of a thrill this new coaster will provide and whether or not it will include the new trains and inversions the firm is obviously eager to show off. One has to consider that Silver Dollar City and its parent company are usually more conservative with their ride choices, but anything seems to be possible at this point.
