Existing Roller Coaster Dominator
- Thread starter I305Evan
- Start date
The supports in the second to last turn around have minor extensions from them that used to hold up the catwalks when it was at Geauga Lake. There is also a rare kink in the track, likely from shipping between Ohio and Virginia, in the beginning of the loop. A very rare occurrence for a B&M coaster.
[tweet=https://twitter.com/kingsdominionva/status/312620520870916097]
Dominator will be looking fresh in front of the fresh Planet Snoopy this year!
Dominator will be looking fresh in front of the fresh Planet Snoopy this year!
One thing I do remember was that B&M told Kings Dominion that there was an issue with one of the pieces of lift hill track that was discovered when it was installed at Geauga Lake (alignment issue?) B&M suggested that the piece be sent back to the factory to be re-worked before it was re-installed at KD. The park did send the track piece back to the factory to be repaired (4-6 weeks). The issue was then supposed to be resolved.
The kink in the track at the base of the loop is news to me.
The kink in the track at the base of the loop is news to me.
Although Dominator was repainted this year, the trains didn't seem to receive much or well any love this off season. Now i'm not bothered by it too much, but still looks bad. Here is the picture that i'm about to refer to:
Now, I don't know about ya'll, but the back of the seats are suppose to be purple... it looks really bad because it shows how many heads have rubbed against that headrest...
you might want to: right click -> open image in new tab, to see what i'm referring to.
Now, I don't know about ya'll, but the back of the seats are suppose to be purple... it looks really bad because it shows how many heads have rubbed against that headrest...
you might want to: right click -> open image in new tab, to see what i'm referring to.
I think the more interesting thing is the difference in size between all the wear marks. You'd think with the consistent ridership that the wear marks would be somewhat even between all 4 but the outside right (while riding) has a wear mark twice as profound as the left outside. Even the ones in the center are different, and are much smaller than the outside ones.
I agree, the trains need some work. Look at the back of each car in front of you while you ride (the yellow part over the wheels). The yellow is now horribly faded and there is dirt all over it. Blech.
By the way, I'm just reading the above posts now, could somebody elaborate on the "kink" in the track? That's possibly one of the few coaster terms I'm unfamiliar with.
By the way, I'm just reading the above posts now, could somebody elaborate on the "kink" in the track? That's possibly one of the few coaster terms I'm unfamiliar with.
I find it to be a little smoother than Alpengeist.
xpert98 said:
Well, you got me on that one. I will say though, that the reason for the jerkiness of that ride, is because the park didn't want the company to alter the terrain at all, if possible. They have one element of Alpengeist that feels very forced. I'm talking of the brake run, right after the cobra-roll. B&M actually sacrificed a smooth transition on the ride just to save a few trees. So that's one thing, but when you have a roller coaster that is built on completely flat land (parking lot), that is a completely different matter altogether. I think the problem with both roller coasters, as far as roughness is that they just have one jerky point. Thankfully, the block brakes don't ruin the entire experience, but once you're jerked in one direction, you keep getting jerked in different directions throughout the ride. That being said, Dominator is still one of my favorite roller coasters at Kings Dominion, along with Avalanche for its uniqueness.
Fair note: Dominator was built on a swamp with awkward terrain. There's a reason why some footers are taller than others, and it isn't because KD has varying terrain in that area.
I don't know why the kink is there in the loop, and I don't know if it was there when it was built in Geauga Lake. I can tell you, however, that Dominator is a heck of a lot smoother than Hydra at Dorney Park.
I don't know why the kink is there in the loop, and I don't know if it was there when it was built in Geauga Lake. I can tell you, however, that Dominator is a heck of a lot smoother than Hydra at Dorney Park.
Dominator is a very good coaster.
Other than Avalanche, it is my favorite coaster at KD (with the exception of riding Rebel Yell at night, which is still a sublime experience to me despite my back issues).
I do wish they could do something about the area around and below Dominator's track though. Its plot of land is just so devoid of theme or even surrounding natural elements like shrubbery. It still has that odd Roller Coaster Tycoon just-plopped-into-the-park look.
Other than Avalanche, it is my favorite coaster at KD (with the exception of riding Rebel Yell at night, which is still a sublime experience to me despite my back issues).
I do wish they could do something about the area around and below Dominator's track though. Its plot of land is just so devoid of theme or even surrounding natural elements like shrubbery. It still has that odd Roller Coaster Tycoon just-plopped-into-the-park look.
I saw a few pictures of Dominators new restraint color. It looked like vest at first though it needed new paint anyways. Does anybody have pictures?!? < Turns on the Evan light>