Texas Giant

Has anyone built the wooden giant from S.F.O.T.

I think some have tried, but I have not seen anything that does it justice.

I have a rec, but I can't give it out 'cause it isn't mine. I think I got it from coastersims.....

Do you have the name of the author? Perhaps he could look it up.

[Kev]

If it was mine from several years ago, please do everybody a favor and delete it. LOL

I was actually thinking of starting one, but those supports just look to overwhelming.

Thanks for the replys.

The layout of that track reminds me slightly of Mean Streak, which was a big beater to the head. Texas Giant looks fun though! I would try to recreate it, but...let's just say my recreations NEVER turn out. Either be it the length or the speed, one thing is never right, and can never seem to be PUT right!

It's an alright ride IMO, fun in parts but not even close to great. I got to ride it this past summer 4 times, 2 at night and 2 in the day, 2 front row and 2 back row. The ending was the best part, but not as good as I expected. There's some pretty serious jackhammering at the bottom of the first drop (front or back, but worse in back) and the ride throws you around some in spots. Nothing untolerable; none was nearly as bad as Rolling Thunder or Hercules. Front row had a nice little pop of air on maybe 2 hills, and back had around the same.

Not sure how it was rated best in the world before, but apparently it was by somebody as they have a big sign in the station that says that. Must've been a lot better in the past.

Rides like these are sometimes difficult to recreate though, because unlike CCI's the transitions and shapes vary a lot. Some have long leadins/leadouts, some have no leadin/leadout, some shapes seem to be circular while others might be more dynamic. Nothing that can't be done though.

[Kev]

Originally posted by dcs221


Not sure how it was rated best in the world before, but apparently it was by somebody as they have a big sign in the station that says that. Must've been a lot better in the past.

Texas Giant has definitely seen its better days, but can still provide a good ride every now and then. They weren't so brake happy on it when it first opened, and it had a wicked curving double up before the midcourse. They reprofiled it a few years after it opened and replaced it with a fan turn that can be fun too, but nothing like it was before.

Yeah I thought that double up looked hot everytime I'd see a picture, but didn't realize it was reprofiled for a while. Oh well.

Incase anyone wanted some overhead...
http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe= ... &tab=wl&q=

TxGiant in its opening season was perhaps the most intense woodie on earth. It ran brakeless (for a couple of weeks, anyway) and was just out of control. By the time ACE got there in mid-summer, it was down to two-train operation instead of three. One of the two trains was a piece-together of two different trains, so the front half was one color and the back half was another. The other halves were already in the shop, already needing repairs from the brutality they were enduring.
The double-up before the midcourse brake was evil. I'm really surprised they left that in as long as they did.
A group of us from Tx went to Cedar Point to ride Mean Streak, the so-called "Giant killer" when it opened. I can tell you this: if you compare opening seasons, MS and TG are not even close. MS had none of the OMG-this-thing-is-out-of-control feelings that Giant had back then. We all laughed at it, actually.
Today, Giant is much tamer than before, even though it is still brutal. Unfortunately, this brutality now comes from jackhammering and a bad case of the Dinn shuffle, where it used to come from sheer intensity.

Recreations? Seen a few. None of them very good.