UPDATE 4/24 – The New Texas Giant has arrived! I rode it on opening Read my full Texas Giant review including a new POV video.
Texas Giant’s Unique Transformation Continues
In the vein of the new Six Flags mantra of roller coaster makeovers, Six Flags Over Texas is in the middle of a massive overhaul of the Texas Giant. The Curtis D. Summers-designed wooden roller coaster had the highest lift hill (Why not just say tallest?) of any woodie when it opened in 1990, according to Wikipedia. Now, the ride will get a Million Dollar Man like upgrade with steel rails being placed on top of its wooden supports. Check out more construction photos:Six Flags Over Texas Facebook Page
Guide to SFoT
Texas Giant’s New Gerstlauer Trains Unveiled
As I wrote back in March, Texas Giant Goes Steel: Abomination or Giant Improvement?, the jury’s still out on whether Texas Giant will be an failed experiment (see Son of Beast) or a ground-breaking improvement. Either way, it’s an intriguing project that’ll like lure me to the Lone Star State in 2011. Last week, the park unveiled the ride’s Gerstlauer designed trains. The theming’s pretty cool, but of course that doesn’t speak to their comfort or how they’re going to perform.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of the construction photos and the themed trains for Texas Giant? Leave a comment below. Images courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas.
October 13, 2010 at 02:23
I think the train theme are beautiful but i'm worry about glass that can broke rider hands
October 18, 2010 at 02:38
Uhh you don't think that's actually glass right? It's plastic. And besides, it's a guard to PREVENT people from sticking their arms out to the side and breaking their hands…
October 13, 2010 at 07:09
If you do Texas next year, make sure to also ride Boardwalk Bullet at Kemah! It's one of my favorite wooden coasters.
October 14, 2010 at 02:02
The red track seems to look a little odd to me.
October 15, 2010 at 12:21
They'll probably paint over it.
October 18, 2010 at 02:37
No they won't. Why would they have spent the money and effort painting them red if they were going to re-paint them another color after installation?
And the red track looks fine. It'd look REALLY ugly if they had painted it brown to try and match the wood…
October 19, 2010 at 02:10
You're probably right Brandon, but I still think it stands out a bit much.
October 19, 2010 at 15:33
Yeah, I see your point.
October 20, 2010 at 12:32
Who said it was even painted. Some metals are different colors when refined. Maybe the metal used was refined red.
October 20, 2010 at 13:58
Are you serious? Of course it's painted, that's a no-brainer. No metal in the world turns a vivid, evenly-colored red when "refined."
October 15, 2010 at 12:23
Sorry I haven't commented in a while, I've been working at the community haunted house. Son of Beast was a failed project from the beginning. Texas Giant should be an improvment. I like the style of the Gerstlauer trains.
October 16, 2010 at 04:09
Me too, Especially the Longhorn Horns on the front.
October 19, 2010 at 07:35
yeeeeessss! No reprofiling! AHHHHHH *catching breath
April 18, 2011 at 17:13
Ummmm… check that again… This makes reprofiling look like touching up paint. This will be a COMPLETELY different coaster.
October 30, 2010 at 15:48
Yeah the Red stands out, but if you remember the first train to run on the old Texas Giant was Red, so i think it's a little traditon….
November 6, 2010 at 07:32
I was looking at the time lapse, at http://www.sixflags.com/overTexas/rides/TexasGian…
today and i saw rocky mountain construction laying down the track for the second drop at the brake run! It looks like they might have laid down 3 or 4 pieces but still looks like it's going to be steep, cant wait to ride this beast, i've been on the texas giant back in it's day but over the years it just got worse and worse but they have done some incredible things to this legendary ride and im counting the day's till it open's.
December 10, 2010 at 15:57
I love the Texas Giant! The first year it opened I rode it the opening evening 45 times and it sailed so smooth…but the years made it so rough it wasn't fun unless you like neck and back pain. Soooo. I can't wait to ride it again like a brand new coaster and enjoy the huge rush it delivered first time around. The new cars are so Low-Rider so I don't really think they match, but…this is after all a border state! What a nice change and first drop being restored even better!
April 25, 2011 at 16:11
I am wondering whether the Gerstlauers on Texas Giant have to be leaded like the others. I work on The Boss in Saint Louis and we have to put almost two tons of lead into the trains to test it.