GCI Introduces New Steel Track
- Thread starter GrandpaD
- Start date
Looks like lift track only? Straight, and unlike RMC open for drainage, riveted and not welded, angles that would make curves more complex to make. Is that rubber sheets on the surface? To allow metal wheels which transition to steel-faced wood track (for proper wood coaster low friction). Their dueling coaster scale model looks so weird with big metal structures with a wood frame on top of that. Just getting rid of the middleman.
The very first piece of RMC steel tracks -- Ibox, Raptor, T-rex -- displayed all featured complex curves.
The very first piece of RMC steel tracks -- Ibox, Raptor, T-rex -- displayed all featured complex curves.
My guess is that they just opted to make a simpler piece of the track to showcase that they now offer it.
Agreed. Though that's up to the parks.
GCI is diversifying to secure themselves against the end of GCI.
IMO there’s always a market for woodies. I think what they are seeing is that there’s a crunch on maintenance to be done financially and they are getting ahead of the curve.
Maybe the hottest of hottakes and pure conjecture and guess:
The 1st use of this will be on Hersheyparks Wildcat. People clamor for it to be RMCd. Given this was GCI’s first instillation they likely haven’t out of respect. This track is GCI’s answer.
Also, RMC’s wood-to-steel conversions have been spreading like wildfire throughout the industry for years now. It makes sense that GCI would want to get in on that action.
Honestly I wonder if this is their way of doing inversions and loops and the track will shift from wood to steel for certain elements.
I also think that they look at the success that RMC is having with their hybrid conversions and maybe they are hoping that instead of parks having RMC convert their rides they will just have GCI come back and convert their coaster to this track
I also think that they look at the success that RMC is having with their hybrid conversions and maybe they are hoping that instead of parks having RMC convert their rides they will just have GCI come back and convert their coaster to this track
Here's a Midway Mayhem video of the unveil. In it the narrator says this track will be used for "corkscrews and other elements". White Lightning at FunSpot will get some of it first...
Also interesting is that this (look at the still shot of the video) it's actually mounted on top of wood and bolted in place.
Also interesting is that this (look at the still shot of the video) it's actually mounted on top of wood and bolted in place.