Past Accidents and removals

[sfgacoasterfan31687]

I was just wondering if someone could tell me about why all the past rollercoasters were removed? Secondly, I was wondering if someone could tell me about all the accidents that have happened at Six Flags Great America?

[coasterdude12]

Well, I can tell you why the old coasters were removed




Gulf Coaster: It had 3 fires in its first week!
Tidal Wave: Had its share of mechanical problems, moved to Sfog now at sfkk
Rolling Thunder: unpopular and sent to The Great Escape
Z-Force Unpopular and sent to Sfog and is currently at sfmm
Shockwave: Was unpopular and due to public outcry to save the Whizzer, it was defunct instead. Currently in a field, may be up and running here or at SFNO, SFKK, or SFAW soon.

[Binks Drake]

Rolling Thunder- Ride Rotation Program
Z-Force- Ride Rotation Program
Shockwave- No One Rode it
Gulf Coaster- To Put up Roaring Rapinds
Turn of the Century- Transformed into Demon

There's gotta be more but I can't think of any at this moment.

As far as accidents...It's a really long list, and i don't know most of them.

[Timmy179]

Cajun cliffhanger- foot got smasehed
Whizzer- two recorded incident of train collisions, causing minor injusries
Viper- arm injury (kid grabbed a rail)
Bull-Girl died due to anurism
RC- Worker struck
Demon-Stuck upside down
The Edge-lift mecahnism failed sending car into station, injuring group of teens

thats all i recall

[Ilovthevu']

Cajun Cliffhanger-someone got their leg stuck

RB-someone died from chewing candy or gum, but they had a disease (amurism).

Demon-it was stuck in the second loop and had a block brake problem before (I believe).

Trapeze artist fell in stunt show in 2002.

RC-Mechanic died this year because he was clipped by the ride.

Whizzer-Trains crashed and injured

Haybailer and Sky Whirl removed for D Vu.
Power Dive and Cajun Cliffhanger removed for Mardi Gras area.
Whirlgig moved because of V2.
Big Top moved because of Dare Devil Dive.
Ameri-Go-Round removed for Revolution.
Beetles moved to new Looney Tunes area, and the other two rides across from the Orbit where removed for Bungee Ride, garden, and game.

[Timmy179]

Basically what i said, but the girl died from an anuerism, and the edge incident

[Mr. SFGAm]

I remember reading that the skyrides were removed because of accidents/deaths on skyrides at other parks across the country in the mid 80's.

Fact or Fiction; not sure.

[CoasterKing]

What about Industrial Revolution. Does anyone have pictures?

[tyster22]

What color train got stuck upside down I need to be sure when I ride

[Mr. SFGAm]

^--Black, I believe

[tyster22]

It's all coming back to me now...




I thought it was black. by the way didn't some of th train come off. I remember that day well, I was at my dads golf course and I was listening to the radio as demon was stuck. I asked my dad the same question I asked you. I also remember AE getting stuck on the drop that day too.the demon thing was such an out of the blue, fluke accident that it dosen't even seem possible.

[tyster22]

When I say come of the track I mean slightly to the side in th back towards SWT.

[Ilovthevu']

Yes, the Demon loop accident happened in the second loop, and it did have another accident.
Here's a article just in case you don't remember.
http://www.beloitdailynews.com/498/3ill21.htm

In Park Ops topic on this page:
planea380 wrote:
"There was a Demon block brake accident. Just a few minor injuries."

I also remember hearing about this second accident on the news.

[tyster22]

I got the standard "this page cannot be disblayed" on that one. I mean I tried refreshing but noooo!

[Binks Drake]

tyster, i'm not a mod but please don't double post. It's a waste of Space.

I remember the day of the Demon Loop thing too. I read about it in a local paper. I was younger then (Obvoiously[sp?]) and i didn't go on that coaster for years. Of course, now I realize that that fear was mostly irrational. But, i remember freakin' out when i saw that pic.

[Ilovthevu']

Link works now.

[FParker185]

Removal Reasons-

Sky Whirl- Maintenaince issues (cracked rotek amongst other things)
Tidal Wave- Low Ridership, and it took up alot of space for such a small ride
Shockwave- extreme low ridership, high maintaince, see below
Hayaler-low ridership/high maintence
Bayern Kurve(had several names in the park in various locations)- Maintenance issues/lack of spare parts
Gulf Coaster-honestly it was a dud, they got it used and it had extreme technical difficulties to say the least and was removed after one season (I do have video footage of it though
Rolling Thunder- park needed space
Z-Force- Ride Rotation Program (good riddence)
Southern Cross- without the Great Southwest it served no purpose, it was removed as the east station was in the way of White Water Ramapge
Delta Flyer (Skyride)-insurance mostly, there was a rash of sky ride accidents in the 80's, buckets would drop off the cable usually due to the passengers rocking the car with less then ideal results. Also all sky rides are fairly high maintenanice(can anyone tell by now I dont know how it's spelled)
Bunch of kiddie rides- Random reasons.

That's all I can think of right now, on to accidents

I wont list them in order, just by ride and I'll list dates if I have them handy

American Eagle-
9/7/97- low-speed collision on the brake run. The train coupler failed between the second and third cars, allowing the train to separate and cars to bump together.
9/9/84- 2 Trains collide in the station at low speed sending 3 riders to the hospitial

Demon-
4/18/98- a Mechanical failure of an axle assembly causes the black train to become stalled and jammed in a vertical loop leaving riders stuck upsidedown for up to 3 hours.

7/13/93- Eight people suffered minor injuries when two sets of cars collided. The accident happened in the station just before 7:25pm; the speed of the moving train was about 3 mph.
(follow up)-Jennifer Coleman is awarded $775,000 for an injury sustained on July 13, 1993 when she was riding the{Demon} roller coaster at Six Flags Great America. The collision jolted her resulting in {aqueductal stenosis}, a brain condition which results in fluid accumulation due to a blocked duct.

Pizza Orleans- A small fire at Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois causes $125,000 damage and destroys a pizza restaurant in the park's {Orleans Square} section.

Edge(also the cause for it's removal)-
4/22/84- A car on The Edge broke loose from the lifting mechanism and dropped about 60 feet. The three passengers, eighth-grade boys from LaSalle, IL, were hospitalized for five days with relatively minor injuries.

Shockwave- Though none were ever made public, Shockwave had several accidents all involving broken axles/subsequent derailment (there were at least 3 incidents that I know of, one with passengers aboard, and the final incident marking the ride for removal saving the Whizzer.

Viper- a Teenage boy had has hand/arm hanging out the side of the car as the train entered the station, his arm became caught between the metal plate of the station and the car, nearly severing his hand.

Raging Bull- SFGAm's first *ride related* death, a girl died from a heart defect while riding the ride, though her death was initially blamed on her choking on Taffy.

Cajun Cliffhanger- Through unknown causes a riders foot became stuck between the floor and the side of the cylinder resulting in the loss of several of her toes.(I have a pic somewhere, but it's to gruesome to post anywhere, plus it'd be indecent)

Ragin Cajun- 2004-After performing maintaince on the ride a maintaince worker was struck in the head by a car on the ride, the worker survived in the hospitial for several weeks before passing away.

Whizzer- between 1976 and about 1978 Both PGA and SFGAm whizzers had a number of train collisions usually in the staiton(s), one being fatal at PGA, this prompted Anton Schwarzkopf/The Marriott Corp. to redesign the braking system and since the new system was installed there have been no major problems since.


I guess that's all the major stuff, there have been other fairly minor accdients/incidents none really important enough to take note of (chain breakages, hydraulic hoses bursting covering young children in hot oil(once on Red Baron before anyone asks), all the usual run of the mill stuff)

[vocallaugh]

My cousin was next in line for the Demon when it got stuck. He said it was kind of fun to see 3 of his friends upside down for that long of a time. He also said that when the the 3 friends of his got off they had to go to the hospital. Somthing with to much blood in the head , or not enough blood some were. Somthing like that.

[tyster22]

Wow thanks for the link! Then my data is true, some of the train came off. I really x 10000000 want to know what the Bayern Kurve looked like!

[FParker185]

While I dont have any pics of our Bayern Kurve, here are some links to pics/info on others

http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/ESbayernkurveGF.htm

http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/OKbayernkurveGF.htm

Very cool ride, can go very fast (cars tilt inwards to reduce the positive, very cool), while there are some left in the US, Kennywoods is easily the best, and still run at full speed(also still has the original themeing)

[CoasterKing]

Is Bayern Kurve the Industrial Revolution because I would like to see a picture of industrial revolution

[tyster22]

Yes the Bayern Kurve is the Industrial Revolution. I found this out recently!

[Mr. SFGAm]

I believe GAm had a Himalaya and a Bayurn Kurve. The Industrial Revolution was in County Fair next to Demon's lift, and Yukon Yahoo was in Yukon Territory, where Looney Tunes Nat. Park is now. As for which one was the Bayurn Kurve, I don't know. FParker, do you know??

[mulletman13]

The Yukon Yahoo was indeed the Bayern Curve AFAIK. If I'm not mistaken there was a site that showed the Industrial Revolution... I'll try to find a link for you guys

Edit: http://www.greatamericaparks.com

Sorry about that, no Industrial Revolution pics, but does have pics of gulf coaster, traffique jam, Bottoms up and Turn of the Century.... very good site

[Mr. D.T.]

Yukon Yahoo was in Yukon Territory, where Looney Tunes Nat. Park is now. As for which one was the Bayurn Kurve, I don't know. FParker, do you know??[/quote]

Bugs Bunny Land / Yukon Adventure stood in Looney Tunes National Park's territory. Where exactly was the ride, if you can recall?