[chknwing]

I would tend to think the next support would have to go up before they could put the cap on, they will be working down the hill next meaning the next support has to be there before putting the track or they are going to have to try and slide it under the track which imo, would not be an easy task

[Capler]

In the past I never quite understood how adding a few more feet of height to a coaster could result in a substantial increase in cost until I watched this coaster being erected. Lets say, if this coaster was 250 ft instead of 232 ft, you would need at least 2 more pieces of track but more importantly one or two more supports, with one being a huge super support to get you to 250. That one support would be crazy expensive. I wonder how much height this model could support before B&M would need to go back to the drawing board and come up with new engineering? Intim, Behe, and DB all appear to be of the same plan.

[jsz1002]

If rain has a major effect on the construction, they're in for a long winter!
It looks like they've hung it up for the day.

[The Jet Coaster]

Capler, if that were really the issue, why is Intimidator 305 only $2 million more than our Intimidator? I don't think height has much to do with the actual cost. $2 million isn't that much more if they could get to 250'+ when you consider you'll get huge return on investment. But why waste $2 million and get similar ROI anyway?

I think length has more to do with the actual cost

$4326.56/ft : Intimidator
$4901.96/ft : Intimidator 305
$5019.30/ft : Griffon
$3790.75/ft : Millennium Force
$4165.09/ft : Diamondback

Looks like the average is $4400-4500/ft of track, so Intimidator is quite average there. Of course this assumes that none of the cost goes towards theming / etc. Millennium Force is surprisingly cheap track for track, yet it's the tallest and longest of all five above.

Then again, the above could be horrible statistics because it's such a small sample with an outstanding example. What do I know, they're just interesting numbers.

[Jonathan]

I think you also have to take inflation into account with Millennium Force since it was built 10 years ago.

[wdwspider]

Doesn't the height also factor into the length required?

For that matter, so does the angle of descent and the style of train. Number crunching.... such fun.

[The Jet Coaster]

True. Say it's $30 million in today's dollars to build MF, then it's $4548.90/ft. In line with the average. Conversely, if they built Intimidator in 2000, it'd have cost probably about $17 million, or about $3,200/feet, which sounds in line with MF's 2000 numbers.

I guess the crash in steel prices didn't affect the pricing, but we don't know how much the coaster itself cost from B&M, do we?

Slow day for a grad student like myself.

[Capler]

My guess would be that 305 is close to 232's price because Intamin builds cheaper coasters for one and have already invested in the research required to take a coaster to those heights. That tallest support on 232 likely cost a small fortune. Not only is it taller but is fatter. If B&M decides to take a coaster up to 250ft they would need two of those 232 (ish) supports plus one center 250(ish) support. My guess would be that B&M supports are more expensive than Intamin scaffolding type supports. How many times have you seen a single pole rise that high to support a structure? Visually the B&M support is more pleasing to the park-scape, and I bet that is part of the cost also. Could B&M use that type of support to get up to 300 feet? i would speculate yes, but it would be expensive as heck. I feel fairly certainly that Fair is saving money on this ride, whether it is reflected in the announced price or not. Companies do that all the time, they will announce the suggested retail price of said item but will not disclose the actual price they paid. 305 could have been in the same boat. If I recall, folk have said that Fair was contacted to buy another coaster from Intamin. 305 could have completed the contract. Remember the infamous case where Paramount and Vekoma partnered to build they flying Dutchman? Paramount agreed to buy three, but once they refused Six Flags stepped in and bought the other two and placed them in markets to block Paramount from competing. The other two were supposed to go to KI & KD, but end up at SF Columbus, & SFA. Save for the SFA version, the other two ended up being moved to Paramount parks. So when folks argue there is a none compete contract at Busch, I almost certain there is. The question is how long will it last?

[coasterbruh]

Save for the SFA version, the other two ended up being moved to Paramount parks.

One was already owned by paramount so only one was moved to a former paramount park...

Doesn't the height also factor into the length required?

tell that to kingda ka and dragster...

Jarvis "who thinks its not that many factors as we may think" Morant

[Diamondback FOF]

It's just steady rain isn't it? I wouldn't think that would matter unless it was a downpour with heavy winds or something.

They can't do lifts in the rain. It would be too dangerous for the men on the stell and for the straps holding the steel. They can do other things in the rain, or possibly small lifts (framing for the station, etc) because there isn't much weight.

[Hammer8]

Topping off.... coming soon?

[carowindsman6654]

Soon? Maybe by next Thursday...if we're lucky.

[bpmitchell]

the webcam is washed out today....uggh....

[jsz1002]

Not washed out...that's called fog.

[carowindsman6654]

I can see the webcam better than earlier this morning and looks like the crane that was leaning over is back up in the air. Now if they would just put that piece of track up.