No Original RMC Hybrids

[BigBad]

Why aren't there any original RMC hybrids? They're all based on existing wood coasters: Texas Giant, Rattler, Cyclone, etc. I have a few thoughts. Maybe others have additional or confirmed ideas.

1. MONEY!!!!! Hybrids might be more expensive.
2. Lightning Rod will be the world's fastest wood coaster. If it were steel, they could only advertise it as being almost half as fast as the world's fastest steel coaster.
3. Related, there is a prestige about wood coasters.
4. I've heard that RMC's wood designs are smoother than the hybrids. Unfortunately, I've not yet been on any RMCs to be able to confirm this.

 

[SilverArrow]

Wasn't Outlaw Run not an original RMC not based on an existing coaster or is there some technicality that makes it not count?

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[tomahawk]

I'm assuming it is referring to iron horse as no originals, just conversion.

Real answer is why would they? The wooden coasters are able to do more than the IH models it seems with what they are doing at the moment, and with the Dinos coming soon to a park near you, I feel IH will solely be for pre existing structure where they don't have flexibility to do their own thing.

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[ECG]

Why aren't there any original RMC hybrids?

Wasn't Outlaw Run not an original RMC not based on an existing coaster or is there some technicality that makes it not count?

Outlaw Run isn't a hybrid nor are Lightning Rod and Wildfire. All the others are (and technically Goliath at Six Flags Great America is an original RMC hybrid).
As far as steel hybrids, the answer is - no parks have requested one so far. RMC will gladly build one, but a park has to order one. So far all the parks that have ordered original RMCs wanted woodies.

 

[SilverArrow]

Why aren't there any original RMC hybrids?

Wasn't Outlaw Run not an original RMC not based on an existing coaster or is there some technicality that makes it not count?

Outlaw Run isn't a Hybrid nor are Lightning Rod and Wildfire. All the others are (and technically Goliath at Six Flags Great America is an original RMC hybrid).
As far as steel hybrids, the answer is - no parks have requested one so far. RMC will gladly build one, but a park has to order one. So far all the parks that have ordered original RMCs wanted woodies.

So the steel caps on the track count as pure wood and completely steel rails count as hybrid?

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[ECG]

All woodies have steel plates running on the top, inside and bottom of the wooden rails. RMC uses thicker steel and combines the plates, but it's the wooden rails connecting to the supports that determine whether a coaster is considered steel or wooden. Alan Schilke explains the difference here (at 7:30):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7jzb5DYKqs[/youtube]

 

[Shirofukurou]

All woodies have steel plates running on the top, inside and bottom of the wooden rails. RMC uses thicker steel and combines the plates, but it's the wooden rails connecting to the supports that determine whether a coaster is considered steel or wooden. Alan Schilke explains the difference here (at 7:30):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7jzb5DYKqs[/youtube]

Schilke is such a cool guy

But I don't get the logic behind calling Goliath a hybrid in the same way one calls the Iron Horse a hybrid. I know the lift has steel structure, but the rest of the ride does not, and to my knowledge no one calls other steel structured wood coasters like Hades or White Lightning "Hybrids".

 

[SilverArrow]

All woodies have steel plates running on the top, inside and bottom of the wooden rails. RMC uses thicker steel and combines the plates, but it's the wooden rails connecting to the supports that determine whether a coaster is considered steel or wooden. Alan Schilke explains the difference here (at 7:30):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7jzb5DYKqs[/youtube]

Thanks so much! I hadn't thought much about it previously (or I had forgotten) really good video guide!

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[ECG]

Schilke is such a cool guy

But I don't get the logic behind calling Goliath a hybrid in the same way one calls the Iron Horse a hybrid. I know the lift has steel structure, but the rest of the ride does not, and to my knowledge no one calls other steel structured wood coasters like Hades or White Lightning "Hybrids".

Actually they do. There are wooden hybrid coasters like Hades360, White Lightning and Cyclone at Coney Island and steel hybrid coasters like Gemini at Cedar Point, Bobsleds at Seabreeze and a ton of mine trains. Goliath is a wooden hybrid because it has steel support structure (at least for the lift hill and the Zero-G stall) and wooden track. The Iron Horse conversions are all steel hybrids because they have the preexisting wooden support structure with steel track.

Steel hybrids (wooden support structure/steel track): http://rcdb.com/r.htm?na=&nm=na&pl=&ca=219&ot=2
Wooden hybrids (steel support structure/wooden track): http://rcdb.com/r.htm?na=&nm=na&pl=&ca=218&ot=2

 

[GuyWithAStick]

I consider Goliath that one exception to all categories. It uses the wood track, it just has an orange topper track. The structure is mostly wood, but has some of it supported by steel. It can fit as both a true woodie and a wooden hybrid.

 

[ECG]

^Won't argue with that, which is why I said "technically" a RMC original hybrid. :wink:

 

[BigBad]

I'm assuming it is referring to iron horse as no originals, just conversion.

Yes, I mean the track like New Texas Giant or the upcoming Joker ride (which looks awesome with the different colors for each track).

The wooden coasters are able to do more than the IH models it seems with what they are doing at the moment

I don't get that feeling at all. Most of the existing RMCs are IH. What elements do you see the wood ones (even the upcoming ones) doing that the IH track wouldn't be able to do?

As far as steel hybrids, the answer is - no parks have requested one so far. RMC will gladly build one, but a park has to order one. So far all the parks that have ordered original RMCs wanted woodies.

Sure, but why is that the case? Why wouldn't anyone want an original hybrid? Something about wood must be appealing over the hybrid, but without knowing the finances or having the experience to know if wood is smoother, I cannot say.

 

[ECG]

The RMC woodies are smooth, but not as smooth as the Iron Horse conversions and it's not a matter of cost because they're both expensive. Gone are the days of a $10 million RMC coaster the size of Outlaw Run.
It's the case because RMC is fully booked with current projects that are mostly Six Flags commitments. Other than Goliath, Six Flags has only wanted RMC to convert their woodies (as did Kentucky Kingdom). From a financial standpoint it makes more sense to have RMC convert the woodies rather then demolish them and have RMC build an original hybrid in their place. For Silver Dollar City, Dollywood and Peter Osbeck it was simply a matter of what fits the park better - an original woodie over an original hybrid.
Now it might take even longer before we see an original hybrid because of the upcoming Raptor and T Rex projects to go along with the continuation of Iron Horse makeovers. However, I promise you that if a park wants to buy a original hybrid, RMC will build it for them.
The one thing I can tell you that we won't see is a topper track makeover. RMC has received plenty of requests, but they simply don't have the staff to handle that many projects. So gone for now are RMC topper track improvements like they did over the past few years on Thunder Run at Kentucky Kingdom, Tremors at Silverwood, Cyclone at SFNE and Georgia Cyclone at Six Flags Over Georgia.