News Cedar Point Project 2024: Top Thrill 2 (Top Thrill Dragster Renovation)

[Jonesta6]

I know some folks on here are great with applying physics principles - what would be the height of the spike and length of the launch segment for a swing launch to get the train over the top hat?

Going backwards from that, would these modifications change hourly capacity?

 

[Bring Back Questor 87]

Let Six Flags handle the refurb since they have Kingda Ka. I hear their CEO loves changing things up...

 

[I305Evan]

For reference, according to rough Google Earth measurements. Red Force at Ferrari Land's launch (which is 111 mph with 367ft top hat) is roughly 125ish feet longer than Top Thrill's current launch. Also Red Force's train only holds 12 riders compared to 18 riders for TTD.

 

[BGWnut]

I don't realistically see any major track modifications on this ride - perhaps maybe adding some bracing or modifying the cross-section a little if they do implement some other kind of propulsion system.

Still though, unless they put LSM stators up the top hat pull-up, I don't see how they're going to fling the trains high enough. Also, that would likely dramatically increase power consumption in the park.

Maybe they get different trains and a revamped cable launch system?

This is why Drachenspire was going to have and Pantheon has a swing launch. It consumes less power because it doesn't need to have as much force to get over the top hat by doing that.

Just think about how it would look having a 200-250 ft spike on the other end of the top hat. Plus it would make it less of a one trick pony.

We'll have a better picture soon when it's apparent if they are taking it down, but this is what I would bet money.

 

[rswashdc]

We'll have a better picture soon when it's apparent if they are taking it down, but this is what I would bet money.

My hypothesis at the most likely scenario is converting the ride to a drop tower or scenic tower of sorts. 2nd would be taking it down and 3rd would be the spike/LSM revamp

 

[vacoasterfan229]

Idea-
World's largest swing launch, using LSMs and a new spire behind the station.

what of they also add a turn table like the one on fury. Imagine going backwards on dragster. Idk if its possible tho bc the height and speed.

 

[CoasterMac]

Just think about how it would look having a 200-250 ft spike on the other end of the top hat.

Try double that. All of the full-circuit swing launch coasters Intamin has done feature a spike that is taller than the top hat. Can't say for certain that that logic would apply here, but precedent would say that a hypothetical spike on TTD would be well over 400ft. Would be a hell of a way to reclaim the world's tallest coaster record...

 

[BGWnut]

Try double that. All of the full-circuit swing launch coasters Intamin has done feature a spike that is taller than the top hat. Can't say for certain that that logic would apply here, but precedent would say that a hypothetical spike on TTD would be well over 400ft. Would be a hell of a way to reclaim the world's tallest coaster record...

That's not what it was going to be on DS though and Pantheon's is largely the same height.

I was just throwing out a number that could be plausible, though it could be closer to 300 ft. I just don't think they will need that much height to get some speed up to get over the top hat with the length of track they correctly have.

 

[Fishels]

I’m devastated. Never rode it because Covid

 

[Zachary]

That's not what it was going to be on DS though and Pantheon's is largely the same height.

I'd caution against using Drachen Spire as an example here. The terrain differences and the valley launch make it a really complicated case study.

As for Pantheon, its spike is 178ft tall and it's top hat is notably shorter than that. Drop height off of it is 180, but that is due to the terrain.

 

[BGWnut]

I'd caution against using Drachen Spire as an example here. The terrain differences and the valley launch make it a really complicated case study.

As for Pantheon, its spike is 178ft tall and it's top hat is notably shorter than that. Drop height off of it is 180, but that is due to the terrain.

I'm more using it a proof of concept that Intamin has previously designed a ride using the similar concept of a spike to help build up speed for an incredibly high climb post spike.

 

[Zachary]

Oh, yeah, I get that. I'm just saying that I think @CoasterMac is probably right that, for some reason, Intamin seems to want to design swing launch spikes to be notably taller than the element meant to be traversed at the other end.

 

[b.mac]

I know some folks on here are great with applying physics principles - what would be the height of the spike and length of the launch segment for a swing launch to get the train over the top hat?

Going backwards from that, would these modifications change hourly capacity?

Generally a longer cycle time would result in less capacity even if you're running the same capacity per train. The added minus of a swing launch system is that you can't really just have a fully loaded train waiting behind the one ahead once it clears the top hat to move in so capacity would be reduced even further in that regard.

 

[Dave / Pink]

Generally a longer cycle time would result in less capacity even if you're running the same capacity per train. The added minus of a swing launch system is that you can't really just have a fully loaded train waiting behind the one ahead once it clears the top hat to move in so capacity would be reduced even further in that regard.

Why not? A theoretical swing launch would be parallel to the dual-loading station (with a waiting block before the switch track), and once the train clears the top hat, the switch track moves and the train in the waiting block advances.

 

[Fishels]

So guys should I be optimistic? Will they tear down the tower! I want to ride this thing in some capacity.

 

[rswashdc]

So guys should I be optimistic? Will they tear down the tower! I want to ride this thing in some capacity.

Considering any major change to the ride, including launch system, involves CF working with Intamin I would not be too optimistic. Far more likely is reusing the tower in some manner for another ride or attraction, or possibly a suite of attractions.

 

[EdK]

I really enjoyed that coaster. When I visited in 2019 it was running perfectly the three days I was at the park. At least Kingda Ka is still around.

 

[ControlsEE]

At least Tony didn't write "there's really more coming"

He did talk about a new and reimagined ride experience, so that could be anywhere from just rethemeing to a completely new ride that has never been built before

 

[madmax]

At least Tony didn't write "there's really more coming"

He did talk about a new and reimagined ride experience, so that could be anywhere from just rethemeing to a completely new ride that has never been built before

I wouldn’t call a completely new ride a “re-imagining”

 

[Gavin]

Watch it just be new trains with OTSRs.