30 replies to this topic

[CW5X]

This ride has always fascinated me.

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Edited by CW5X, 03 October 2016 - 04:00 PM.

[Spaghetti]

Hmmm... The tags say Harry G Traver, and the CBC probably stands for the legendary Crystal Beach Cyclone. I'm guessing an old fashion woodie?

[Muzz135]

Looks interesting... However what I'm wondering is how sore your fingers are after dismantling Minotaur?

[CW5X]

Hmmm... The tags say Harry G Traver, and the CBC probably stands for the legendary Crystal Beach Cyclone. I'm guessing an old fashion woodie?

Old fashioned woodie in the sense that it IS the Crystal Beach Cyclone

Looks interesting... However what I'm wondering is how sore your fingers are after dismantling Minotaur?

They had 10 days to recover; now they hate me again. But they're not so bad. Been watching the Olympics in the breaks.


So yes. This is my attempt at this 'classic' terrifying coaster and whenever I'm building it, it makes me more astonished that it actually existed. The spaces elements fitted into, the tightness of the turns and the sheer physicality of the ride at every point is ridiculous. I have found diagrams of the support layout and plenty of pictures so I've been attempting to follow them as closely as I can. Having said that, if the ride remained as rough as before, the car wouldn't have a chance of making it so it'll be a sort of modern recreation of it hopefully featuring, among other things:
-Actual smoothness and transitions
-Inability to throw people out of cars at will (failed already)
-I'm hoping minor alterations to some heights so the car makes it. It is a long fast layout.
-Versatile construction material and low maintenance costs
-Much terror

Now the coaster's reputation surfaced again during the first couple of tests as the turn at the bottom of the drop decided to tear one of the ball bearings I was using to weight the car clean out of the bottom and onto the floor. This did somewhat affect the performance on that test. Aside from that, building it has been quite good so far. I dare say that will change with that large upward turn into the bunny hops near the end though.

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Yes, it really was this tight
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Got a couple of things to play about with in this section, the first crest being one of them and the woeful bottom of drop support being another. I will be moving this outside and then really cracking on with it after that. Hopefully everything will go smoothly (unlike the real ride)

Thanks for reading.

Edit: And, of course, a couple of sideways pictures for good measure.

Edited by CW5X, 11 August 2016 - 02:26 PM.

[KirbyCoast]

That drop looks really good! I especially like the hill right after it. I can't really see any shaping problems either. I've never seen this ride so I don't know what the layout is like at all, I might need to go look it up.

[rgarner42]

Wow, looking good to me, you've maintained the speed really well if it clears that hill but you'll need to, the layouts pretty long isn't it?

With you and Muzz building, my confidence in winning the heat is fading fast

Edited by rgarner42, 11 August 2016 - 03:11 PM.

[Muzz135]

^ HeHeHe 😏

Looking very nice so far! (Bet you'll be wanting my speed thirsty trains)

[BGTKing]

Awesome! This is the type of thing I hoped I would see with the boardwalk theme.

[G Force]

Interestingly enough, if you go to Crystal Beach on Google Earth, then use the "historical imagery feature" there is a 1934 aerial of the park.  Its a decent quality photo and you can actually see the coaster with surroundings pretty well.  Bit off topic but is a cool little thing that might help you out/find interesting.

[CW5X]

That drop looks really good! I especially like the hill right after it. I can't really see any shaping problems either. I've never seen this ride so I don't know what the layout is like at all, I might need to go look it up.

It's definitely worth looking up. Thanks

Wow, looking good to me, you've maintained the speed really well if it clears that hill but you'll need to, the layouts pretty long isn't it?
With you and Muzz building, my confidence in winning the heat is fading fast

You won't have to worry about me at least. This isn't getting done on time as you'll see. Thank you.

^ HeHeHe 😏
Looking very nice so far! (Bet you'll be wanting my speed thirsty trains)

Thank you. My own trains are running pretty well now I've stopped being an idiot with the weighting.

Awesome! This is the type of thing I hoped I would see with the boardwalk theme.

I assumed it would be. Unfortuantely the time wasn't available but there's a few others so the contest will still be good. Thank you.

Interestingly enough, if you go to Crystal Beach on Google Earth, then use the "historical imagery feature" there is a 1934 aerial of the park.  Its a decent quality photo and you can actually see the coaster with surroundings pretty well.  Bit off topic but is a cool little thing that might help you out/find interesting.

I don't think that's off-topic at all. I'll have to have a look at that certainly. I don't think it's available on the iPad one which I've mostly been using so I might dig out the laptop and have a look. Thank you.


Like I said, I've been a bit busy and haven't been able to do as much as I'd like. The weather's been somewhat against me as well in terms of the times it's been bad (It's been pretty good on days when I'm not available 😐). Anyway, I've done a reasonable amount of it and I know it works up to the second part of the rose bowl thing. I'm going to have to add a booster as well after the fast section too. It's not something I particularly want to do and I haven't tested it yet but I don't see losing 1.5 granites when the track does that as a feasible outcome. I'll have to see though. Unfortuantely it's just about to rain so all my parts and track are inside.

I've had to take a couple of liberties with the supports and exact shape. I knew it was never going to be perfect so this is as good as I'll get it.

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How they built this (three times) in the 1920s, I'll never know.

[BGTKing]

No time to finish in the next month? Deadline is 9/30.

[IOAgeek]

Looks great even without the tubing! Are you sure the train will have enough speed through that rose bowl helix to make that MCBR thing unless your track is very smooth and sturdy? I really want to see a test video of this cool ride, and how many cars are you using on the train btw, I am feeling 5 IMO? Do I see rocks holding the coaster down on the turns??

Edited by IOAgeek, 31 August 2016 - 12:16 PM.

[FrIeDeGgS]

Wow nice work! Looks really nice even with the boosters! I'd never thought I'd see this made out of knex just because how crazy the track is, and how few photos of it exist today. I always kinda wanted to make it ever since I first heard of it but I know it will never be possible with micro.

[~stεεlspectrum~]

It's pretty ballsy to be attempting this layout, but it looks amazing so far! It looks like you're preserving speed really, really well (and I can't wait to see a test video  ). Are you pushing the rods into the ground to hold the turns in place? And have you thought about putting a fast chain drive on the MCBR instead of using a booster? I don't mind the booster, but if it doesn't make the MCBR then you might have to use a chain drive anyway.

[rgarner42]

It's a shame you don't think you'll get it finished in time, but make sure you do get it finished one way or another. It looks fantastic so far, especially the first drop and it'll look even better with tubing.  It's never great to see a booster in a coaster but if you managed to get it through the crazy layout without one we'd probably have to label you some kind of witch anyway  

[CW5X]

No time to finish in the next month? Deadline is 9/30.

Oh. I didn't realise the deadline had been moved so I should be able to get it done then.

Looks great even without the tubing! Are you sure the train will have enough speed through that rose bowl helix to make that MCBR thing unless your track is very smooth and sturdy? I really want to see a test video of this cool ride, and how many cars are you using on the train btw, I am feeling 5 IMO? Do I see rocks holding the coaster down on the turns??

I'm putting the gear quite low so it can be pulled up the hill a bit. Little bit cheatsy but it does help the scaling. I think they're leaves you're seeing which have blown from the tree just next to it and I will be using 4 or 5 cars. It seems to not matter which one as they both run about the same. I might end up pegging this down too just to conserve that last drop of speed if necessary. Also, I've been so pushed for time recently that I haven't really been able to test it extensively but you'll see the end result soon enough. Thank you.

Wow nice work! Looks really nice even with the boosters! I'd never thought I'd see this made out of knex just because how crazy the track is, and how few photos of it exist today. I always kinda wanted to make it ever since I first heard of it but I know it will never be possible with micro.

Yeah. Those fast turns though didn't really work out. The train just stalled in the booster and wasn't even close to getting over the hill so it's changed a little. But I've tried to make the rest as good as possible. I guess you could do it with micro K'nex by continually boosting it round. The micro boosters aren't quite as chunky as the SS ones.

It's pretty ballsy to be attempting this layout, but it looks amazing so far! It looks like you're preserving speed really, really well (and I can't wait to see a test video ). Are you pushing the rods into the ground to hold the turns in place? And have you thought about putting a fast chain drive on the MCBR instead of using a booster? I don't mind the booster, but if it doesn't make the MCBR then you might have to use a chain drive anyway.

Good news: Got rid of the booster. Bad news: Also got rid of those turns (see above comment for why). So I do ballsy. Generally not very successful ballsy but ballsy nonetheless. Little disappointing but I'm really not surprised. I knew if could get to there I'd have a chance but there was nothing I could realistically do in the end. Still, as a woodie without them, it still seems to work quite nicely to me. Thank you.

It's a shame you don't think you'll get it finished in time, but make sure you do get it finished one way or another. It looks fantastic so far, especially the first drop and it'll look even better with tubing. It's never great to see a booster in a coaster but if you managed to get it through the crazy layout without one we'd probably have to label you some kind of witch anyway

Haha. Witch I am not. Thank you.


Unfortunately, I kind of had to bail out of this re-creation too although the end result will be very similar, just without those sharp turns. I knew at the start that they would be the death of me because K'nex cars really do not like turns at high speed and if there was ever a place to fail then it would be there. The train just slowed dramatically and the weight of it pulled it back down into the booster. Still, the rest of the layout is all there with a slightly altered middle which actually makes it look a lot more symmetrical overall. Also because it's slightly different, I have to think of a name which is my favourite thing to do. I'll probably make it something Cyclone related.
The circuit is complete now but these photos won't quite show the end since it was getting dark and I had to take them then but you haven't missed a lot. Just the station and the lifts to do now.
So yeah, a little disappointed, as I always am with this sort of thing, but not as surprised as I was with my Fury attempt last year. Although looking back now, everything makes a lot more sense with how that failed.

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Feetz
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As I'm sure you know by now, I'm not great at providing test videos, even when the thing works. This time is no different. Just never had the time to actually track it up a lot and just film one. You might, MIGHT get a full circuit one before I edit the final video just so I can enter it in and not have to worry too much about rushing the video. I'll be back at University next week so I'll try and get as much done tomorrow and work consistently through the week on my coursework so I can get time next weekend to finish and film this. I don't want this to drag on anywhere near exam time (and since I can still apparently enter into Summer Heat) so hopefully everything pans out well.

Thank you.

Edited by CW5X, 17 September 2016 - 05:19 PM.

[Murphyyy]

This is looking amazing man, you surely aren't leaving this outside in Scotland are you, the last time i seen it sunny was months ago hahaha

[CW5X]

This is looking amazing man, you surely aren't leaving this outside in Scotland are you, the last time i seen it sunny was months ago hahaha

It's not actually been too bad here. September has been nicer than the whole Summer as is the oddity that is Scottish weather. Cool to see another Scottish member here too

[~stεεlspectrum~]

Is that, like, a quadruple down inside the lift? I'm totally okay with this layout - it's booster-less, and best of all, complete!

[Muzz135]

It still has that back breaking wooden style to it and therefore it's still awesome! Looking forward to seeing a video of this thing running