The Park Needs A Lot of Work!!!!!!!!

[greatamerica2003]

Paint jobs, upkeep and other "little" things don't get done anymore because.....They are a simple thing to eliminate from a budget. These things don't HAVE to get done, so they don't. Until the cash flow comes back they won't.But I can point out some things that HAVE been done. The Scenic Railway has had both sets of train cars refurbished with new floors and seats, new speakers for the sound system, and a new paint job. The blue locomotive also got a brand new paint job this week and its looks REALLY good. They stripped off all the paint from the wood on the cab (where the engineer sits) and stained it a cherry-wood color. They also painted the boiler jacket and the front. The red locomotive is getting the same treatment so they will look good for the B.O.O. Line during Fright Fest.Things do get done. Theres a lot more I could point out but it woudl take awhile.

[SIC COASTER]

As for dejavus paint job, SFMM'S looks like that too, and also why did you go around looking at the buildings paint jobs anyway?

[greatamerica2003]

Maybe he sees more than just coasters, SIC COASTER KID. Lots of people have tunnel vision, and they dont realize whats around them at a park. All of that stuff around them is part of the immersive experience. And when part of that experience does not gel with the rest, it doesn't seem right.I'm just thankful that someone other than myself notices this stuff.

[Aero737]

Hey, Welcome to the boards! I agree that the park could use some touch-ups here and there. Greatamerica2003, I will look for the newly refurbished trains next time I go there. I saw a show that talked about the trains at Great America and how they were all salvaged from real railroads. Do you know if the watertower over the track in the countyfair station is really used when the train stops there?Batman and Iron Wolf are getting a bit rusty, but thats mainly where the wheels run along the track.I can suggest to clean some gum off of everything in viper and batman's que lines. It is sick to see a thousand pieces of gum stuck to a barrel.Does anyone know if the plants that they were planting in Vipers que line are anything special? Last time I was there they were planting a bunch of things in the switchbacks of vipers que line. Looked awful barren then.

[T_Biggs]

aero, the engines aren't real steam engines, I think they run on propane (I'm not totally sure if its propane or another fuel though), so the water tower isn't used. I don't know if it's a real water tower, though.

[greatamerica2003]

The locomotives at Great America were manufactured in 1975 by Custom Fabricators in Johnson City, Tennesee. They are not steam locomotives, but there has been a debate inside a theme park train group on Yahoo (yes it does exist) on whether the engines came from a "donor" steam locomotive that was torn down to the frame and rebuilt as a fake steam outline. Nobody knows for sure.The engines are powerd by a Detroit Diesel internal combustion engine (similar to a semi truck) located in the tender (the box looking car behind the locomotive) This provides power to hydraulic pumps located on the tender wheels, which actually drive the locomotive (the largeer wheels on the locomotive are just for show)The water tower is used and functions just like a real one. Water is added to cool the engine and provide water for the boiler. The only function of the boiler is to make steam for the steam effect coming out of the smokestack. While this does not work as well as it used to (on hot days the steam evaporates too quickly) it does work when the weather is 65 degrees or less. So in the preseason and Fright Fest the effect works very well.in the late 1970's and early 80's there were no less the 4 real steam locomotives sitting in the employee parking lot behind the park. Marriotts wanted to restore all of these and have live steam in both of its parks. When Six Flags purchased the Gurnee park, all of this equipment came with. They decided that restoring and running these locomotives would be far too expensive. One particular one (the best out of the bunch) ended up being sold to Walt Disney World, where it ran intermittently (it was too underpowerd for the heavier trains) so it was traded to Cedar Point for a differernt one. It's not being used because Cedar Point burns coal, and this one is designed to burn oil. Heres a picture of it:http://www.steamlocomotive.info/locomotives/IA0016.JPGThe nearest parks that have real steam are Six Flags St. Louis, Cedar Point and Paramounts Kings Island.

[SFGAmfreak4life]

Cool thanks for the info.

[SFGA 11]

Most Vekoma coasters have the smae paint problem... At SFWoA Serila Thriller is experiencing the same problem. Vekoma is just one cheap company.

[SFGAmfreak4life]

What does paint have to do with the company. Paint doesnt effect the ride experience. Im getting pretty sick of people bashing Vekoma. Just because they messed up on Deja Vu doesnt mean that the company is trash. They did make a lot of good rides.

[planea380]

yes it does.J/k

[SfGaMownz]

I find this topic pointless as all it is is someone complaining that the park needs alot of work because of some touch up paint that isn't so attractive.....

[greatamerica2003]

SFGAMOWNZ, then why did you post on it? If you didnt like it you shouldn't have said anything.

[SIC COASTER]

Great America2003, if you didn't like what SfGaMownz said whydid you reply to what they said...lets get back on topic.

[T_Biggs]

Oooo I wanna join in on the mundane commenting! Umm... Ok, I guess I just did.

[CoasterDave316]

Come on people...back on topic. (uh oh...did I just join?!?)

[nkavy71]

ha