SFGAm 7/6/13 Coaster Enthusiast Day Backstage Tour

[DejaVu2001]

On Saturday, SFGAm held its first annual Coaster Enthusiasts Day. The event featured 90 minutes of morning ERT with namtaB from 9:00-9:30, repiV from 9:30-10:00, and X Flight from 10:00-10:30. The event also included lunch in the Picnic Grove, with a Q&A with Hank Salemi during luch, and finally, a backstage tour.

Here is video of the Q&A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZEArvDuh8
The first two questions aren't here because I wasn't planning on filming. The first question was about maintaining Whizzer and if it is in any danger. Hank responded that contrary to popular belief, Whizzer is actually very easy to maintain, and that there are no plans or discussions of removing Whizzer.

The second question dealt with the Rocky Mountain transformations and American Eagle. Hank said that the park has looked into doing a Rocky Mountain American Eagle, but at this time, there are no plans to do so.

Backstage Tour


The tour started by Superman: Ultimate Flight and followed the service road around the East side of the park back to the warehouse and Ride Mechanics shop.


Extra Batmobile and Glow float by Superman's lift


The Dark Knight Coaster's storage track and hoist


Glow In The Park float


Splashwater Falls guide rails


Rapids tubes and rafts


Rapids reservoir


More Rapids rafts and Fright Fest stuff


In case the Interstate 666 sign didn't give it away, this is where most of the smaller Fright Fest items are stored


Splashwater Falls boat


ShockWave stairs


Sky Whirl


Raceway


Raceway


These shipping containers hold items for Necropolis, Front Gate, and Mausoleum


Old food stands


This is "ShockWave Central". Most of the handrails seen here are from ShockWave's queue/exit bridge. The building in the background is ShockWave's station with walls added


BBNP water tower


Looney Tooter fountain


Parts of the Hometown Park kiddie rides that used to be by First Aid


Old Hometown Square benches and Spacely's Ride Photo booth


Centerpiece of one of the kiddie rides, possibly Beez?


Railroad stuff


Railroad stuff


Engine shop


Engine shop


Mall Entrance


Foods Warehouse


Ride Mechanics shop


A Whizzer chassis. Whether the #1 refers to the train or the car, I don't know. Right now, trains 3, 4, and 5 are on the ride.


Whizzer chassis with a chainsaw


Whizzer armrests


Maintenance board, Whizzer armrests, and a Raging Bull lapbar


TDK Car #3


Eagle Red car 12


Eagle Red car 11


Ragin' Cajun cars 7, 8, and 9


Ragin' Cajun frame and chassis for car #8, the yellow car.


Shop Overview 1


Shop Overview 2. Definitely a pretty big shop, but at the same time, you can see how crowded it is in here, even in the Summer when not as many cars are being worked on


This carousel used to be mounted on the back wall of the employee cafeteria when I worked at the park


Paint Shop


Fort Fun


County Fair Games Gallery sign


Krazy Kups centerpiece

[Stoogie]

Very cool! Thanks!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ace]

Very nice pictures thanks for sharing. Brings me back to the days when I worked there. Hopefully those who accuse the maintenance staff at great america of being lazy every off season, take a look at these and see the immense amount of work that is still ongoing.

[Goku1910]

^Too bad so much labor is being wasted on Cajun....hahaha.

[DejaVu2001]

^ Actually, Cajun's inability to run more than 5 cars is a huge help for maintenance. When the park closes in October, Cajun already has 3 cars finished out of 6 that are at the ride.

[Coaster Justin]

I Wonder what they're going to do with all those historic things. Maybe a Museum?

[Ilovthevu']

Very nice pictures thanks for sharing. Brings me back to the days when I worked there. Hopefully those who accuse the maintenance staff at great america of being lazy every off season, take a look at these and see the immense amount of work that is still ongoing.

The thing I wish I really knew is whether or not the park has the same amount of mechanics that let's say they had 3 or 4 years ago. I don't personally call mechanics lazy, but I just wonder if the park has cut mechanics hours or has less mechanics which has made them have less trains on rides earlier in the season.

Just as a curiosity, why are the mechanics working on an additional red train? Doesn't the Eagle have 2 sides with 2 trains already? I know the Eagle originally ran 3 trains on each side, but what's the point, really of working on an additional train if they aren't going to run 3 on each side?

[Goku1910]

Very nice pictures thanks for sharing. Brings me back to the days when I worked there. Hopefully those who accuse the maintenance staff at great america of being lazy every off season, take a look at these and see the immense amount of work that is still ongoing.

The thing I wish I really knew is whether or not the park has the same amount of mechanics that let's say they had 3 or 4 years ago. I don't personally call mechanics lazy, but I just wonder if the park has cut mechanics hours or has less mechanics which has made them have less trains on rides earlier in the season.

Just as a curiosity, why are the mechanics working on an additional red train? Doesn't the Eagle have 2 sides with 2 trains already? I know the Eagle originally ran 3 trains on each side, but what's the point, really of working on an additional train if they aren't going to run 3 on each side?

Trains "take turns" each season. Last year for red side was trains 1 and 2...This year is 2 and 3. Next year will be 1 and 3. They all get the same seasonal rehab, it's just one train gets a full tear-down. It's kinda like how Raging Bulls train order changes each year.

At least I think last year was 1 & 2......

[rb1]

Nice pics. Wow all that junk in the back they should recycle all of them and turn them into new roller coaster.

[Jackluver18]

Thanks for sharing these photos.

[Viper 88]

Damn I would have loved seeing all of that and going where the general public can't go.