GhostRider To Be Restored In 2016

[TTD03]

In 2016, Knott's Berry Farm???s Ghost Town will celebrate 75 years of creating lasting memories for countless generations. In preparation for Ghost Town???s Anniversary Celebration, GhostRider, the longest, tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster on the West Coast, will close on September 8 for a comprehensive restoration.

The massive coaster features plunging drops, harrowing turns, and 4,533 ft. of wooden track. Hitting speeds of over 50 miles per hour, and looming 118 ft. over the historic Ghost Town, GhostRider even races outside of the Park, towering over Beach Boulevard. Screamin??? Swing will permanently close on September 8 in preparation for Ghost Town???s 75th anniversary celebration in 2016.

In November, Knott???s will share more plans about how the park will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town. Join the conversation on social media using #GhostTown75 for more updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I hope restoration actually means restoration and not "keeping the footers and a few bents but having a completely new steel track."

[Paradox]

I really doubt this will be getting RMC'd. This is a really fun coaster and has a lot of great airtime moments and a very long and fun layout. It was too rough for me to ride again as in the valleys my head started to hurt a bit and I didn't want to risk getting a massive headache like I usually do after a long day at a themepark.

Just a guess on my part, but I have a feeling this will be a Gravity Group job, possibly with Timberliner trains.

[mkingy]

Can we just focus on the word "restoration" here, not renovation. I would go with Manic Monte's guess of a Gravity Group job.

I'd bet on GCI, given that they've been doing most of the retrackings on CF woodies. What they did with BD was amazing so I definitly wouldn't be complaining.

^Seconded. Especially since RMC likely has their hands full with 2016 projects.

GCI has already worked on GhostRider. Obviously it wasn't extensive, but I could see them going back to GCI after what was probably good work. Plus they did Shivering Timbers this year. If GCI is working on it and they get it up to full speed, Knott's will suddenly be on the map for me. I still fear for the worst though.

[Coasterkidmwm]

I was going to guess GCI restoration over Gravity Group.

Perhaps it will end up with new trains from GCI or even Timberliners.

[Dirk_Ermen]

If this means the complete stop at the MCBR is going to get removed I'm all down for it. That seriously killed the ride.

[Coasterkidmwm]

They're just being extra safe and doing a loaded block check 24/7.

[Metazoanhaddock]

Dirk_Ermen wrote:

If this means the complete stop at the MCBR is going to get removed I'm all down for it. That seriously killed the ride.

that was already removed this season. still slows the train down substantially, but not completely

[Oscar]

Anyone up to meeting for one last ride on Ghostrider before its Restored?

This is one project I'll be keeping a close eye on. Ghostrider made me a coaster enthusiast. It was a wild, rough, crazy outta this world experience. My friends and I use to run back and forth through the queue line, over and over again. We couldn't get enough!

I pray we get even 50 percent of that awesomeness back.

Manic Monte wrote:

I pray we get even 50 percent of that awesomeness back.

We do!

I hope that this restoration means RMC Topper Track and not a GCI retracking because if that was the case, won't it just get rough again in another 5-6 years? For the most part, GCI's unfortunately don't age very well.

[Paradox]

VF15 wrote:

GCI's unfortunately don't age very well.

Tell that to Thunderhead lol

It won't be RMC, unfortunately...

This may sound weird, but I'm glad it won't be RMC. In Ghostrider's case, I want it to maintain that wild, slightly rough, aggressive ride we once knew. It should be smooth in the sense that the glaring potholes and jarring track shuffling is gone, but I still want that wild ride Ghostrider has always given.

Hopefully GCI or Gravity Group are involved. GCI did a great job with Boulder Dash and made it a top 5 wooden coaster again!

^most likely GCI thats the only company cedar fair trust

VF15 wrote:

For the most part, GCI's unfortunately don't age very well.

I don't know where you're getting that from or what gives you the idea that GCIs haven't held up better for themselves than any other traditional wooden track ever. The only reason rides like Wildcat and Roar at SFA are worn is because the PTC trains can't handle the tighter radii of GCIs or the high banked turns. If you look at Lightning Racer, it has lasted 15 years without any serious re-tracking and there isn't a bump on it. If you think it's just the trains, look at how well Boulder Dash has held up since its 2008 re-tracking. Before that, it was running terribly after 8 years from CCIs tracking, but now, 7 years after GCIs re-tracking, it is still hauling and not that rough (the PTCs can handle a CCI layout). GCI has THE best sustainability for any traditional wooden track and creates the smoothest wooden coasters in history. If you think M&V have a chance to beat that, just look at how every single valley from their coasters wear down in about 3 years (and those don't have tight radii).

If you are going to argue that RMC makes more sustainable track, I would agree. But you have to remember that the only reason their track lasts longer is the lack of warping in the wood (because there is no wood to warp). The steel ledgers and the lack of wood in the upper portion of the track (where warping will most affect the riding experience) are too sturdy to see any kind of change after 5 years. To me though, that isn't what needs to be seen for a wooden coaster. Half of the experience is having varying rides and a natural flow due to the slight warping of the wood. GhostRider is very much a traditional coaster that deserves to have traditional wood tracking to keep it's aggressiveness and wildness while being smooth and comfortable, which is something GCI provides. Intamin is the same way where their tracks won't warp because they use composite and not wood. Plus, they prefabricate their tack.

On a side note, I would be super disappointed to see RMC do this (which likely won't happen). I've noticed with Tremors that even when they are "just putting topper track" on, they are still smoothing out the transitions into each turn and getting rid of the lateral jerks that make CCIs so godly (not that GCI isn't guilty of that on Twister at Knoebels).

[Oscar]

"Closing Sept 8" Does that mean the 8th is the last day you could ride it or the 7th?

[TTD03]

Some very exciting details about the conversion!

Source: Screamscape

"Some fascinating new details were sent in to Screamscape regarding the major refurbishment of GhostRider now taking place. For starters, I???m sorry to disappoint anyone who was dying for RMC (Rocky Mountain) to come in and take a crack at it, but it isn???t going to happen. Instead, I've been told that GCI (Great Coasters) was tapped to come in and tackle the GhostRider problem, which will involve complete re-tracking, some major re-profiling of the ride in some areas, as well as the retiring of the old PTC trains in favor of a new set of Millennium Flyer trains instead.""

I was right! Hopefully the new trains keep it running well for a long time. Boulder Dash is amazing ever since GCI got their hands on it, no doubt they'll do just as good on this.

[Coasterkidmwm]

RIP good ride.