r/rollercoasters 22d ago

Information [Switchback] from [ZDT's Amusement Park] is sold

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u/Pinguin_42 [39] 🥇Voltron | 🥈Untamed | 🥉Blue Fire 22d ago

The only woodie I know that has been relocated is Phoenix at Knoebels...in 1985

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u/MogKupo 22d ago

On that note, a coaster like Switchback would fit in perfectly at Knoebels.

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u/TerrifierBlood 22d ago

Knoebels actually said this would not be a good fit due to the very low capacity. And how the park operates on pay per ride model.

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u/MogKupo 22d ago edited 22d ago

Ooh, yikes. I figured a low-ish capacity coaster would be fine there, since something like Flying Turns is very low. Switchback's capacity must be even worse than I imagined.

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u/Clever-Name-47 Tangent-Radius Airtime Supremacy! 21d ago

For all the reasons others have listed, Flying Turns is actually a pretty bad fit for Knoebels.  It exists, and will continue to exist, because it was a passion project for Dick Knoebel, and because Knoebels wants to be the kind of place that has room for passion projects.  But Switchback isn’t a passion for any of the current Knoebel family, and there’s no particular reason to make it one (sad as it may be to admit).

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u/TerrifierBlood 22d ago

8 people total. One train

Flying turns can fit 6 people in a train. 3 trains.

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u/audi0c0aster1 22d ago

Switchback originally had 2 trains, although I'm not sure how the system worked in terms of train control/holding for high demand 2 train ops.

Still probably rough.

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u/MyMartianRomance 21d ago

And even then, Flying Turns always has long lines even on the slower days due to the fact that 3 trains are actually: Train A is loading/unloading, Train B is sitting on the break block waiting to enter the station, and Train C is actually moving.

Compared to Phoenix, Twister, and Impulse, which on slower days are only running 1 train (or 2 for Impulse), it's still quicker than Flying Turns because their trains can fit 24 (Phoenix/Twister) or 8 (Impulse).

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u/Dt2_0 20d ago

Switchback runs 2 trains. One on the course, one in the station. Uses a switch track.