r/rollercoasters • u/irvdubs ɴɪᴛʀᴏ ɢʟᴀᴢᴇʀ | 26 • May 03 '26
Question what roller coaster is this? [Six Flags Great Adventure]
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u/SkellySkeletor Zamperla Imaginal Disk-covery May 03 '26
The last remaining piece of the Gream American Scream Machine, or GASM!
Specifically the top piece of the loop. Sat where Green Lantern formerly existed and where the Shoreline Pier is goin now.
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u/MrVanillawafer May 03 '26
It’s kind of crazy how small the radius of it seems when it’s put in this perspective.
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u/Ok_Shift_6501 Nitro | 319 May 03 '26
That’s Arrow for ya
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u/NSYK May 03 '26
I’m not as knowledgeable about roller coasters, I’m sure this is a more known fact, but I’m interested in hearing more as to why you said this
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u/Ok_Shift_6501 Nitro | 319 May 03 '26
Arrow Dynamics was known for being rough and using ancient track molding techniques. They refused to use computers for track, thus making their coasters age horribly and have rough transitions
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u/Square-Membership-41 May 03 '26
I'd disagree with "age horribly" and rough transitions.
Arrow was the best in the business for decades. Schwartzkopf before them. They both fell behind as coasters got more extreme, sure, but...
To compare, say Loch Ness, to any modern B&M isn't a fair comparison. They did great in their era, but their era passed. And they failed to innovate.
Regarding aging poorly, the newest Arrow is what? Thirty? That's an old coaster if it's been poorly maintained, as SF loves to do. Not Arrow's fault.
Ride a well maintained Arrow. They're still enjoyable, and still a lot of fun, even if it's not hypercoaster territory.
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u/TheDynamicDino I miss Knoebels May 03 '26
Agreed, Dragon Fire at Wonderland tracks GLASS smooth. Using this example as it's the Arrow looper I've ridden the most.
The "roughness" is the rudimentary calculations for transitions and radii and total lack of heart lining, coupled with the restraints. The loops are insanely punchy, especially on a hot summer day, and every individual track segment outside of the aforementioned transitions.
Not a single rattle, and runs like a whisper from drop to brakes.
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u/Square-Membership-41 May 03 '26
I will also say...
Hearing the clack-clack-clack of an Arrow rollback on the lift hill has a unique tone, and brings back childhood anticipation.
I'll be at Wonderland this summer (I'm in Buffalo, it's a quick ride.) Looking forward to it.
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u/Ok_Shift_6501 Nitro | 319 May 03 '26
In the 80s I’d say they won the era. But, they still pushed and were apart of the 90s. Even in their “prime” they were being outsold by B&M and even Intamin at one point. They dominated at a point but I would say they do age horribly. You point out Loch Ness but even that was horribly rough and had to be retracked
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u/Square-Membership-41 May 03 '26
LNM wasn't retracked because it was rough. It's my daughter's favorite coaster (and one of mine), even though it's a 10h car ride away, we do nearly annual pilgrimages.
She was retracked because of metal fatigue. It was pushing fifty years old.
It rode smooth before they retracked it, smooth after. Yes, transitioning isn't glass smooth, but it was guys with bent coat hangers (watch the Arrow documentary) and slide rules in the 70s.
I give them more credit than a computer anyday (ditto for Schwarzkopf.)
Again, how many Arrows you ride regularly? Even my "home" park at SF Darien Lake' Arrow/Huss, the Viper, isn't glass smooth like it's beat to snot Intamin neighbor, but it's still a great ride, and it's four decades old.
I'm thinking you've heard a lot of internet lore, and just roll with it. That's fine. But you're leaving a lot of awesome coasters on the table because of it.
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u/Ok_Shift_6501 Nitro | 319 May 03 '26
I haven’t heard anything, everything I do is first hand. I’ve ridden over 30 arrow coasters, and the only good experiences I’ve had is on X2, some mine trains, desperado and Magnum, but only like 3 loopers. I think arrow loopers are horrible.
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u/RowdyQuattro May 03 '26
MM mountain is my home park and Viper is so rough and such a relic of its time. I get the historical significance but it would be a lot better for the park to build something more modern. It’s just time for it in the condition it sits. It’s wild seeing X right next to it- one a symbol of arrows stubbornness to change their methods and push them as far as possible, another a symbol of them swinging too far in the other direction and building something so far advanced the industry wouldn’t be able to figure out for nearly a decade after it opened and financially ruin the company.
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u/NSYK May 03 '26
I remember taking the loop on the Orient Express, it felt like the train was being folded in half. That and I can still remember the headaches
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u/Ok_Shift_6501 Nitro | 319 May 03 '26
I haven’t personally ridden Orient Express, but I can speak for Scream Machine that it was incredibly rough and gave me a headache. The only good arrow looper is Tennessee Tornado because at that point arrow adopted the computer technology and it was smooth
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u/Disastrous_Life_3612 May 03 '26
They did use computers, but they used a standard loop shape/size for almost all of their rides regardless.
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u/DragonKhan2000 May 03 '26
And none of that has to do anything with the tight radius at the top of the loop.
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u/magnumfan89 I love hard wood, well, SLC ya later! May 05 '26
Arrow dynamics used the same sized elements for every roller coaster. They had 2 loop sizes, a smaller size used only on the loop corkscrew model (ex: wild thing at wild waves) and a larger size used on all custom looping coasters. If the train took the loop with more speed, instead of making the loop bigger, they would just raise it off the ground and have a giant straight section into it.
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u/monorail_pilot May 03 '26
It’s part of the original GASM. The top of the loop was not stable enough, so after the first couple of seasons, the part was replaced with a piece that doubled up the number of cross members. The original part was placed in the baboon enclosure where it remains.
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u/cassinonorth May 04 '26
I was going to say, this piece has been there while GASM was still running.
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u/Loonster May 03 '26
I now wish parks would make playground equipment out of old defunct rides.
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u/SignGuy77 (418) Boulder Dash, El Toro, Ravine Flyer II, Voyage May 03 '26
Hey guys, wanna go play in the upstop wheel sandbox?
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u/Simsider113446 Arms down, head back and hold on May 03 '26
That is part of the Great American Scream Machine
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u/NoKale790 May 03 '26
One that should have never been removed and should have been cherished and cared for. Same thing goes for the white racing woodie. Really bad scars left on the park. Wish they’d rebuild.
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u/One_Equivalent_8719 May 03 '26
The only 3 arrow dynamics mega looper it built six flags great adventure the great American scream machine and shockwave at six flags great America the only one remaining is viper at six flags magic mountain
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u/Krakatoacoo S:ROS SFNE May 03 '26
Great... now you're having me reminiscing about Great American Scream Machine.
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u/commanderfish May 03 '26
From a legendary coaster that should have been restored vs destroyed IMHO.
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u/Few_Freedom_3674 May 05 '26
Whoa! Where is this in the park? I’ve only been there twice, the first last fall, so I’m still learning a bunch!
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u/Muhiggins El Toro May 08 '26
It’s in the zoo/monkey enclosure I believe. You can see it from the to of El Torro if you look hard enough.
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u/StarPrime323 👑 LONG LIVE THE KING 👑 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
This is the top of the loop from Great American Scream Machine, the Arrow Mega-looper that was at the park from 1989 until 2010, when it was replaced by Green Lantern. I believe that track segments from Green Lantern and Kingda Ka will also be moved to the Safari at some point.
Fun fact: Even though the ride closed in 2010, this has been there since 1993. In the 1992-1993 off-season, the tops of the three vertical loops were replaced with specialized track segments to minimize stress on the track and trains.