And this rare photo showing the one season Anaconda coexisted with the full-sized Lake Charles:
Anaconda next on chopping block?
- Thread starter Jason
- Start date
It actually was kinda cool at the time to see the loops seemingly stranded out there surrounded by so much water. Riding it felt a bit more like a journey, since you were truly way out there in the middle of the lake. Nothing nearby but the Rebel Yell.
But it also kind of begged the question: "What are they going to do with the rest of the lake?" The utilization seemed a bit odd. The next year the park provided an answer!
The summer before Anaconda opened, it stood for a while in a partially-constructed state, built only through the exit of the sidewinder. It was a huge distraction on the Rebel Yell, as all one could think about was what the hell that big new ride was going to do from there. If only the middle third of the eventually-completed layout lived up to our imaginations...
But it also kind of begged the question: "What are they going to do with the rest of the lake?" The utilization seemed a bit odd. The next year the park provided an answer!
The summer before Anaconda opened, it stood for a while in a partially-constructed state, built only through the exit of the sidewinder. It was a huge distraction on the Rebel Yell, as all one could think about was what the hell that big new ride was going to do from there. If only the middle third of the eventually-completed layout lived up to our imaginations...
Did Anaconda open with 3 trains or was it always a 2 train ops ride?
The sheer fact it has an MCBR confuses the hell out of me right now.
The sheer fact it has an MCBR confuses the hell out of me right now.
I've always wondered that too. Considering that Nessie doesn't have a long enough final brake run to run all of its trains...well, I wouldn't be too shocked to see that Arrow did it again with Anaconda.
Nessie can run with trains stopping on the final brake run. Or at least it has in the past. Originally it was designed to run with 4 6 car trains and they realized that it actually didn’t need the 4th for capacity due to load times, so they added a car to the other 3 trains.
I know, I was alluding to the fact that Nessie only has one space for moving trains to stop before the station as opposed to having two spots. There is no way for Nessie to stack like most other coasters with more than two trains.
Don’t see how that has any effect on the number of trains you can run. Spitballing here but perhaps the Mcbr for anaconda is meant to guarantee a certain speed going into the following elements. Sorta like an Uber trim. Seems like something arrow might have done.
Thanks for the clarification. I know Arrow offered up 3 train / 4 block rides (Magnum, Corkscrew, etc.) and 3 train / 5 block rides (Runaway Mine Train), it's weird as hell to me seeing a ride with a devoted MCBR only running two trains even if the brakes can't accomodate a full stack.
From the official Busch Gardens blog dated August, 2010-
"The manufacturer planned to operate the ride with 4 trains, each with 6 coaches, but realized there would not be enough time to dispatch the trains. Instead, the ride was modified to 3 trains with 7 coaches each. There is still the body of a 4th train underneath the ride, that can be switched with another train if necessary."
"The manufacturer planned to operate the ride with 4 trains, each with 6 coaches, but realized there would not be enough time to dispatch the trains. Instead, the ride was modified to 3 trains with 7 coaches each. There is still the body of a 4th train underneath the ride, that can be switched with another train if necessary."
I know nothing about this. Would love to hear more!
Every day, I take quiet solace in knowing we're a day closer to ripping this atrocity out of the park.
As somebody who rode it two hours ago and is still feeling it, please tear it down.
Anaconda's days have got to numbered. Historically sad but definitely necessary. I hope its destruction and/or replacement sees the lake continuing to exist. Especially after the mountain removal, the only significant landmark that would be left from the "old days" if they completely filled the lake would be the eiffel tower (excluding coasters). I personally would love to see a roller coaster type that would make the best use of a lake environment. Can't imagine a better coaster type for that then a flying coaster.
I think it would be admirable if they left a portion of track at the bottom of anacondas first drop, entering and exciting the tunnel. They could even weld the tips of the track to resemble an anaconda.
Having said all of that… Tunnel height permitting, an RMC raptor might be able to reuse the tunnel for the actual ride… ideas for the universe.
I think it would be admirable if they left a portion of track at the bottom of anacondas first drop, entering and exciting the tunnel. They could even weld the tips of the track to resemble an anaconda.
Having said all of that… Tunnel height permitting, an RMC raptor might be able to reuse the tunnel for the actual ride… ideas for the universe.
If they keep the lake (they should) I hope they make it a lot prettier than it is now.
The saddest part about the current state of Lake Charles is that I feel like it would be so easy to make it look nice. If they trimmed away the overgrown shrubbery around the lake, dredged out the algae and cattails, landscaped the shoreline a bit, and put in a large fountain or two, the lake could instantly transform from a murky oversized pond into a beautiful, photogenic landmark for the park. It's a shame they won't invest the few thousand dollars necessary to do it.