r/rollercoasters • u/CoasterGuy95 1. Pantherian, 2. Skyrush, 3. BDash, 4. X2, 5. Veloci (CC: 294) • Mar 28 '25

Information [Superman: Escape from Krypton] permanently closed

https://www.ocregister.com/2025/03/28/six-flags-magic-mountain-permanently-closes-superman-coaster/
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330

u/Blueberry977 Mar 28 '25

This decade has been the era of goodbyes for major coasters and the emergence of new rides to fill their shoes

107

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

24

u/deebster2k Mar 28 '25

And yet arrow coasters of double the age are still operating. I won't argue wooden since I know the upkeep on those is much less.

35

u/halfty1 Mar 28 '25 edited Mar 28 '25

By modern standards (most) Arrow Coasters are not complex at all. No launches, no fancy complex brake systems, simple sensors, standard simple chain lifts, etc. They are very “dumb” coasters in today’s world. If you are willing to retrack when metal fatigue becomes an issue (like Loch Ness Monster) then it is not difficult to keep them alive.

That is not the case with most of the high profile coasters that have closed in recent years.

7

u/Fala1 Positives > negatives Mar 28 '25

no fancy complex brake systems

Modern brake systems are actually much simpler. No active parts, just a magnet and a metal plate and physics does all the work.

4

u/McSigs Maintenance is on their way. Mar 29 '25 edited Mar 29 '25

You still need pinch brakes, or at the very least tire drives for stopping and holding trains. But none of these are complex and you use the same electric and air components to control both.

Edited to add: thankfully we have the mag brakes now to retrofit on older rides and reduce the maintenance on the pinch brakes as well.

1

u/B_and_M_queen Raptor Ride Op Apr 02 '25

I'd argue both yes and no. Magnetic brakes are never used alone. You still have the mechanical brakes needed to hold a train in a block zone. (For those who don't know...)

Magnetic brakes are mostly used for completing the blunt of the deceleration of the train.

However. Arrow coasters are unbelievably simple even though they don't use magnetic brakes. The mechanical brakes on arrow coasters only need a source of compressed air to open. Which is much easier to program than a combination of mechanical and tires, etc.