April 15, 2011
A lot of people have asked us what we are happiest about when it comes to the Texas Giant’s new Gerstlauer vehicles. Is it the seats, the way they handle the course, that classic Cadillac look? Well, all of the above. But there is something more. What we continue to tell people is that a great new design has entered the amusement industry, and it comes from a company that many felt could not handle this kind of project.
Fred Grubb and his team at Rocky Mountain Construction were an unlikely choice to be the company chosen to rework the Texas Giant. Their Iron Horse track had never been tried before and a lot of people were a bit skeptical. Another unlikely candidate for the job to many outsiders was Gerstlauer. The German company had built coaster vehicles for years and had their own line of wooden coaster trains. These trains, which debuted on Twisted Sisters at Kentucky Kingdom, were created with a specific purpose in mind- offer the buyer a choice. At the time they were made, Gerstlauer was only the second option amusement parks had when purchasing a wooden coaster train. Bringing new takes on wooden coaster design to the table they incorporated bucket seats, a u-bar restraint and metallastic bushings.
When it was announced that Gerstlauer was chosen to design the new Texas Giant trains there was a lot of hand-wringing. How could this company, known for simple trains and spinning coasters create a vehicle that could handle being dropped down a 153-foot hill or withstand severe negative G’s? We are happy to say that these vehicles can not only handle the aggressive track of the New Texas Giant, they tackle every twist, curve, and drop perfectly.
Our challenge was to create a roller coaster vehicle that met severe weight restrictions, but also looked one-of-a-kind and had the best restraints available. All-in-all; no small feat. We worked a long time to come up with chassis and wheel assemblies that could handle the unique weight restrictions of the Texas Giant, but were robust enough to handle a severely-twisted layout. After figuring out the best way to keep the trains on the track we turned our attention to the restraint. The problem with a lot of lap bars out there is that they rely too much on the lap, and not enough on the leg. If you think about it, there are a lot of different “people shapes” from the waist up. From beer gut to bean pole, the ability to restraint a guest can change significantly depending upon how their weight is distributed. This means that if you rely on the gut area only, you are going to hit some people in the wrong place. This is why we concentrated on the legs. In addition, a rider’s leg is an extremely strong part of the body. The femur on everyone able to ride the Texas Giant is stout and resilient. They are built to handle forces, especially negative g’s, much better than the stomach, or the old-school “horse collar” restraint found on a lot of Arrow looping coasters from the Seventies. The leg is a great spot to hold people and keep them safe.
The last part of the Giant puzzle was the great classic car design. We have to admit, when Les Hudson and his creative team at Six Flags came to us with the desire to have a “big ole Texas Cadillac” we were a bit nervous. However, Gerstlauer’s fiberglass shop, which had come up with some great designs for unique attractions like Dollywood’s “Mystery Mine” and a Thomas the Train™-licensed Family Coaster at Drayton Manor, certainly seemed up to the challenge. A lot of emails were sent back and forth, but we finally came to an agreement on trains that looked just like a 1961 Cadillac Deville (or, as close as you can get a roller coaster to look like a Caddy!). From the fins to the headlights, no roller coaster has ever been this stylin’. To add just a little more Lone Star flair we added a pair of longhorns to the hood of the car. Is there any better way to top off the roller coaster known around the world as the ride that represents Texas? We think not.