USA (Modern) – Parktimes.com

Aquaman: Power Wave

Aquaman: Power Wave is set to open at Six Flags Over Texas for the 2020 season. The ride replaces “AquamanL Splashdown”. Both rides are themed based on the D.C. Comics superhero “Aquaman”.

The ride is being promoted as a “first of its kind” “next generation” water coaster.

The ride vehicles is a 20 passenger boat, similar to the previous Aquaman ride. Rather than riding in a circular track, as with the original Aquaman, the boats will be propelled up 148 feet twin track towers located at each end of the water way. After rising up the towers, the boats will plunge straight down. The boats will travel along 700 feet of track and travel at up to 63 miles per hour. As with the original, the ride ends with a large splash propelled around and onto the boats and the nearby spectators.

Concept Art of Six Flags over Texas Aquaman: Power Wave.
*Credits: Six Flags Over Texas PR Photograph*

The propulsion of the boats is generated with magnets.

It is the first coaster of its time in North American and is being constructed at this time.

Six Flags Overt Texas Aquaman Power Wave Boat — Concept art of ride unit to be installed on Six Flags Over Texas Aquaman:Power Wave.
*Credits: Six Flags Over Texas PR Photograph*
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Big Bend Roller Coaster

Year Installed: 1971
Last Year Operated: 1978
Section: Modern USA
Manufacturer: Schwarzkopf
Other Names and Nicknames:

In 1971, Six Flags introduced the Big Bend Roller Coaster. The name “Big Bend” was a clever play on words, since it refers both to the many “bends” felt by the riders on the curving, “bending”, track, as well as Texas’ rugged Big Bend National park, with its diverse rivers, mountains and deserts.

The ride was installed five years after the introduction of the Mine Train. Six Flags purchased the Big Bend from Schwarzkopf Company of Germany, Beginning in 1974, Schwarzkopf was represented in the United States by the Intamin Company. The name INTAMIN is taken from the phrase INTernational AMusement INstallations.

The Big Bend had many features that stand out, even by today’s standards. The roller coaster was what Schwarzkopf denoted a “Speed Racer” style coaster. Rather than bench style “side-by-side” seating, in which two riders sit next to each other, the Big Bend cars had a “toboggan” style bench seat, in which two riders straddled the seat and sit in front and back of each other, similar to the configuration of the log ride units. .

The seats were deep in the vehicle, with a high side railing. This configuration negated any need for seat belts or other restraints. Restraints were, however, added after a few years of operation.

The ride was also different in that unlike most roller coasters, which have some type of independent lift mechanism which pulls or lifts the units to the top of the lift hills. Instead, the Big Bend cars had their own motors in the units which “drove” the units to the top of the lift hills. The motors were activated by a third rail, in between the two track rails, much like an electric train.

Once over the top of the hill, the third rail ended and the trains were left to roll around the track at speeds of up to 52 mph.

The unique lift arrangements allowed the coaster to have more visually interesting, and suspense building, spiraling style lifts, rather than the straight up hill normally associated with roller coasters.

The Big Bend was built in the modern USA section, in keeping with its futuristic appearance. The dock and queue line were located along the same platform which had previously served as the Jet Set, which was removed for the installation of this ride.

The ride had two of the spiraling lift hills, the first was 81 feet tall, significantly higher than the more established Runaway Mine train. The second was 51 feet tall. The track length was 2,876 feet, slightly shorter than the Mine train track.

The ride was an immediate success and become extremely popular.

The ride was removed at the end of the 1978 season for various reasons.

ACME Rock-n-Rocket

Year Installed: 2006
Last Year Operated: 2014
Section: Moden
Manufacturer: Intamin
Other Names and Nicknames:

The Acme Rock-n-Rocket was added in the 2006 season as part one the ten new attractions added for the year. It was located in the Modern Section, next to the Adventure Theater, close to where the Modern Astrolift had stood. Shaped like a cartoon firecracker rocket, the ride is similar to the Conquistador. Unlike the Conquistador, however, the Rock-n-Rocket turned riders completely upside-down as it swung 84-feet in the air and around in a full 360-degree circle. The ride lasted two minutes and thirty seconds. The rocket held up to fifty-riders, for an estimated hourly capacity of 650 riders.

Both the Conquistador and the Rock-n-Rocket were manufactured by Intamin. The Rock-n-Rocket is a Looping Starship style ride. Parts for the ride were relocated from Astroworld when the park was closed. The rocket unit in which the riders sit was manufactured for Six Flags Over Texas.

The ride was removed in 2014 to make room for the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.

Judge Roy Scream

Year Installed: 1980
Last Year Operated: Operating
Section: USA Good Times Square
Manufacturer:
Other Names and Nicknames:

For Six Flags twentieth season a traditional wooden roller coaster, the Judge Roy Scream “Awe West of the Pecos”, was installed next to entry Lake on property south of Good Times Square. This property had previously been totally outside of the park proper.

To create the Judge Roy Scream the park hired William “Bill” Cobb, a man who had practically a legend in his own time and his firm William Cobb & Associates.

Since the ride is outside of what had always been the park proper, it is only accessible through a tunnel which travels under the park’s entry driveway. The eight acre ride runs parallel to the large lake located outside the front gate. It was billed as the “biggest addition” in the park’s history.

The ride handles two trains of four cars each, for a total of 24 riders per train. The trains travel up to 53 mph. The ride’s main lift is 65 feet, with a 50 degree, 60 foot drop. The trains travel a total of 2500 feet of track in approximately two minutes. The ride is designed to handle 1,200 passengers an hour.

For a time in 1994, some variety was created by turning the trains around, allowing the riders to ride backwards as they traveled around the track.

While not as large as its sister “scream” coasters at Georgia and Mid-America, the Judge Roy Scream is highly popular and brought the park’s operating coaster count to five.

Sidewinder Rollercoaster

Submitted on Sun, 08/15/2010 – 10:55

Year Installed: 1961
Last Year Operated: 1964
Section: Mexico
Manufacturer: Herschell Company
Other Names and Nicknames: La Cucaracha

One Rollercoaster – Two Names

The Sidewinder has the distinction of being the first roller coaster at Six Flags. It was also the only roller coaster in the park for the first four years of operations.

The ride, a “Cat and Mouse”, style metal roller coaster consisted of individual units, each of which could hold one or two riders. As with most coasters, the cars were pulled up a lift hill. Instead of traveling down a straight fast and steep drop, however, they descended down a winding track with sharp turns. The wheels were set back to the rear of the unit, so that as the car approaches a curve, the front end sticks out over the edge of the track before the car started turning. This design creates the illusion that the cars are constantly about to run off of the track.

The ride only operated as the “Sidewinder” for first season. For the 1962 season, it became the first ride in the park to be moved to a second location as it was relocated to the Mexican Section a and renamed the “La Cucaracha”.

The “Sidewinder” in the Modern Section – 1961
Future Site of Happy Motoring Track II

The ride was manufactured by Herschell Company under the name of the Mad Mouse.

La Cucaracha in the Mexican Section

USA Food Court

Submitted by parktimes on Sun, 08/15/2010 – 10:41

/sections/modern/foodandstores/mdwascal.jpg (33861 bytes)

Missilechaser

Year Installed: 1961
Last Year Operated: 1977
Section: Modern USA
Manufacturer:
Other Names and Nicknames:

The Missilechaser was a scrambler type ride. It opened with the park in 1961 and was removed from the park at the end of the 1977 season. The area where it was located was later used for the Sensational Sense Machine attraction. This area is no longer open to the public.

The ride was the first of three scrambler rides installed in the park. The second scrambler, also named the Missilechaser was added in 2000 at the current site for the Superman Ride. It was removed at the end of the 2002 season.

The park’s current scrambler is known as the “Sidewinder” and is located in the Texas Section. It was added as part of the 10 new rides of 2006.

Submitted by parktimes on Sat, 08/14/2010 – 23:09

Astrolift Ride

Year Installed: 1961
Last Year Operated: 1980
Section: Texas
Manufacturer: Von Roll
Other Names and Nicknames:

The Astrolift was one of the original rides at the park’s opening in 1961. The ride was a suspended cable car ride similar to rides at the Texas State fair, the San Antonio Zoo, and other amusement parks. The 25 cars provided guests a panoramic view of the park as they traveled up to 55 feet high.

Astrolift ride over Confederate section, looking east towards the Modern section. Southern Palace is large white building in Middle. Sky Hook is in left upper corner.

The 2,100 feet ride traveled across the park from the Modern section to the Texas section. The Modern station sat near where the ‘Escape From Dino Island’ theater is now. The Texas Station was located near what is now the picture center for the Texas Giant. At various times the ride was two-way, allowing guests to return to their starting terminal, and one-way, requiring they exit and the opposite terminal.

While the ride originally traveled across the park, by the time it was removed, expansion placed the Modern station more towards the middle of the park.

Built by the Von Roll Co. of Berne, Switzerland, the ride cost $300,000.