PortAventura - Dragon Khan to get a retrack?

[oriolat2]

If we’re being pedantic, you do also have Mako and Candymonium with 3 7-car trains, but they are admittedly hypers rather than traditional sit-downs.

As far as traditional sit-downs go, I think you may be right about Khan being the only one with 7 car trains.

You are absolutely right. I hadn't thought of the latest batch of hypers. I take it back: thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Esther7]

I'd love for Dragon Khan to get a retrack! It was my first roller coaster with inversions and I have a special affection for it, so I hope it doesn't disappear.
Floorless trains are fine but I think they're not necessary for Dragon Khan, especially considering that they could worsen operations.

Regarding the "Universal" topic, there's not much to say... I hope all those rumors come true and something this big comes so close to home.

 

[Oxo-95]

GProdigy, who is pretty high up in Universal Creative I think, replied to the tweet that started this thread with this…

Something is definitely cookin’

 

[Dar]

He's not only high up in universal creative, he's listed as the inventor on the patents!

 

[Lofty]

"The only B&M 'Sitdown' coaster with 7-car trains" is, I'm guessing, what you meant? There's a lot of inverts with 7.

Anyway, I thought it looked like the trains in that design / patent were the Decepticoaster trains Universal have in Beijing, but with OTSRs. The ones in Beijing already have headlights, and look much better than the old style trains. Although it's vests on Decipticoaster rather than traditional OTSRs shown in this patent.

Then I noticed the zero car, or lack of one. What's going on there then?

It's literally the same trains as Hulk with LEDs build into the restraints - closer to that than Decepticoaster?

GProdigy, who is pretty high up in Universal Creative I think, replied to the tweet that started this thread with this…

Something is definitely cookin’

He's one of Universal Creative's Creative Directors.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

It's literally the same trains as Hulk with LEDs build into the restraints - closer to that than Decepticoaster?



He's one of Universal Creative's Creative Directors.

Hulk has a seperate zero car too... this one literally looks like one moulded piece.

Probably closer to hulk in style though.

Apparently none of this is relevant though, the patent is just about the restraint position monitoring lights... Nothing exciting. Could be any train in the diagram.

 

[oriolat2]

The park has officially announced that DK will be partially retracked at the end of this season, in January. The park has mentioned they are aiming to replace the first loop and the cobra roll.

Hopefully this will fix the huge pothole at the bottom of the first drop and the rougher high positive G areas in the layout.

However, I would like for DK to get new sit down trains and a complete retrack (bar station, brakes and lift), like Nemesis Reborn or Hulk, not just a quick fix.

 

[VonRolland]

Needs a bloody good paint too otherwise that new tracks gonna stick out badly

 

[oriolat2]

Needs a bloody good paint too otherwise that new tracks gonna stick out badly

The whole track was repainted to its original colours just this season, but under the scorching Spanish sun it will fade quickly.

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

Both supports and RCS Gmbh are on site and ready to play;



Source & Source

 

[JamesB]

How likely is this to happen this year? Planning a trip at some point, I presume they would have said if Dragon Khan would be closed at all this season?

 

[cookie]

How likely is this to happen this year? Planning a trip at some point, I presume they would have said if Dragon Khan would be closed at all this season?

They’re already underway with retracking the first drop. It’s only a partial retracking consisting of the first drop, the first loop, and the cobra roll, so it’ll still meant to operate once the season rolls around.

 

[oriolat2]

According to the park's maintenance manager, Khan's retrack is expected to finish this week and the park is aiming at having the coaster running by Easter holidays. Let's see if it runs properly or if you can feel the transitions/joints between old and new track. Fingers crossed that the manufacturing process is finer than in recent B&M coasters...

Catalonia has been getting heavy downpours, which have slowed down the process of retracking Khan by 7 days or so.

 

[oriolat2]

As of today, the retrack has finished. I really hope they have given Khan's trains some TLC during this extended maintenance.

 

[TPoseOnTantrum]

Dragon Khan reopened today.

I’m going to leave you with this wonderful first impression per Attraction Source Discord;


Come again?

 

[Jamesss]

So it's even rougher than before.

What has happened to B&M?

 

[VonRolland]

So it's even rougher than before.

What has happened to B&M?

A major falloff that's laughable

 

[rollercoaster.jpg]

This must be cost-cutting, no? Loosened manufacturing tolerances? I can't think of any other explanation.

I really hope these issues don't discourage other parks from preserving their aging B&Ms. I imagine it's already difficult to justify the ROI of retracking an old coaster, but if the end result is a worse ride...