I posted this along with another comment I made under the construction rumours thread but thought it be best to be put out here.
Does anyone have any press releases, photos, videos from when tnt was announced and/or opening day of it? I know Bob Phillips from KODE tv station in Joplin did a Phillips file on it but would have no idea how to find it.
I remember a long time ago on the forums (like the first year) seeing a picture of the model that they had in the Marketplace. However, I don't know if the picture is still on here nor do I have the time to look. But you could check by doing a little digging through the old threads.
I remember seeing that when you first entered the park back then.
I do still have the souvenir button that they gave out when it first opened. I was just a kid back then but I remember that this was a huge thing for SDC in its time. It was their first "big" rollercoaster and the fastest and most intense ride in the park.
That's an awesome piece of SDC history to have! It opened in 95, or 94? My wife is a recent fan of SDC, but loves thunderation, as do I. Yesterday when we went, we took some friends with us that have a 5 year old and she had an absolute ball on it. We got our yearly mug and I'm glad we got the 'ol throwback to tnt when some of the cars ran backward. I wish they could have kept that going.
It opened in 1993.
Quote from: Tmboote on June 05, 2016, 09:41:24 PM
It opened in 1993.
This is correct. The park did something to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2013 from what I heard.
What did they do for the 20th?
Quote from: t-n-t on June 06, 2016, 02:56:14 PM
What did they do for the 20th?
They debuted Outlaw Run ;D
Ha! And that was awesome as well.
What year did they turn around the ride backwards cars? I love TNT but it really lost some of the experience when they did that.
I think it was around 2010. The inspector came in and said they were somehow "unsafe".
Quote from: Laroy on June 08, 2016, 08:40:06 AM
I think it was around 2010. The inspector came in and said they were somehow "unsafe".
Well I think they had to turn them back around because they weren't designed to run that way.
Interesting. Were they backwards from the start?
Im just saying what I heard which Im sure is the truth.
I don't think they started off with backwards carts. They were turned around for the 2011 season - and they've all faced forward since.
They were turned around due to liability reasons. They were never designed to run that way and much like how Six Flags and Cedar Fair no longer have trains running backwards on their racers, the lawyers and pencil pushers have won out.
Now that makes sense. I remember riding TNT as a kid and the different rows being backward but I couldn't remember if it had always been that way.
They were not originally backwards.
Quote from: Swoosh on June 08, 2016, 01:40:06 PM
I don't think they started off with backwards carts. They were turned around for the 2011 season - and they've all faced forward since.
They were turned around due to liability reasons. They were never designed to run that way and much like how Six Flags and Cedar Fair no longer have trains running backwards on their racers, the lawyers and pencil pushers have won out.
Which is weird though, because didn't they turn both Mr. Freeze and Batman around a year or two ago? Mr. Freeze is a shuttle, but I'd think the stress of being launched backwards is worse than you'd get on TNT. They ran those cars backwards for what, 10-15 years at least?
I can't remember if we ever got a specific answer other than an order from high above, but I've got to think there was a specific catalyst that caused it. I'm guessing a lawsuit from some opportunist.
Quote from: shavethewhales on June 08, 2016, 02:54:18 PM
Quote from: Swoosh on June 08, 2016, 01:40:06 PM
I don't think they started off with backwards carts. They were turned around for the 2011 season - and they've all faced forward since.
They were turned around due to liability reasons. They were never designed to run that way and much like how Six Flags and Cedar Fair no longer have trains running backwards on their racers, the lawyers and pencil pushers have won out.
Which is weird though, because didn't they turn both Mr. Freeze and Batman around a year or two ago? Mr. Freeze is a shuttle, but I'd think the stress of being launched backwards is worse than you'd get on TNT. They ran those cars backwards for what, 10-15 years at least?
I can't remember if we ever got a specific answer other than an order from high above, but I've got to think there was a specific catalyst that caused it. I'm guessing a lawsuit from some opportunist.
The difference is that Reverse Blast and Batman: Backwards were completed by the actual manufacturers whereas TNT and the Racers were done by the park. You have to run the rides as intended otherwise the manufacturer is taken out of the equation in lawsuits/liability.
Is it just me or does it seem like Thunderation has been closed down an aweful lot this year? We there a few weeks ago and never rode it because it was broke down several times. I have the app on my phone and sometimes check to see what the ride wait times are when I am curious and have noticed it down a lot on that as well when I have not been there. Just happened to check the app just now and its down again.
Well the app says most rides are closed for weather right now.
I'm sure with all the construction going on close by there might be a few instances where they will close the ride every now and then.