With all of the New-for-99 coaster coming next season, a glut of them in the Northeast alone, none have me as excited as the Knoebel's Twister. Maybe it's the fact that it's wood. Maybe it's the ride's layout. Maybe it's simply that it's Knoebel's. Or maybe it's all of those things, coming together in one place in the Pennsylvania mountains, conspiring to bring us one the most anticipated coasters in a long, long, time. Whatever it is, opening day can not come soon enough.
But Knoebel's isn't making us wait until opening day. Oh, no. When contacted about a possible visit to the construction site by some members of the USENET news gorup rec.roller-coaster, Knoebel's came through, displaying the kindness and hospitality that makes them famous, and also makes the Grove my favorite place to be in the whole world. Kinda impressive, considering I've only been there once while the park was open.
What follows here is a gallery of photos I shot while walking around the Twister construction site on December 20, 1998.
Click on each photo to see a larger version.
THE SECOND DROP
This shot shows the second drop from a straight side view.
 |
 |
Two different views of the same drop. Note the proximity of those trees to the structure.
 |
 |
 |
Looking straight at the second drop. From here the coaster roars up a hill to the fabulously high start of the double helix.
The above shot shot shows the entrance to the helix . . .
. . . while this one is the entrance to helix taken from the base of the structure.
 |
 |
These two show the helix structure complete on 12/20, from two different angles.
The next ten phots show, in order, the crew setting a bent while we were there.
A bent, for those not in the know, is the vertical structure on which the track will lie.
Cross pieces go between bents, forming the structural shape we are all familiar with.
In these last two pics, above and below, if you look closely you can see the workers securing the cross-pieces to the newly raised bent. Don't look down!!
After one of the two trains roars around the curve near the helix (pictured below), it will pass through this trench, possibly the home of a tunnel? Note the orange markings on the wall of the trench. You can't read them, but those are bent numbers. Even more exciting: those platforms in the background are indeed the Texas campground tent sites. I got dibs on one of 'em!!
This is the curve that will come around, and through, the helix structure, if I have my layout right. Then it will dive down into that trench. It may be worth noting I was standing on one of those tent platforms when I took this picture.
 |
 |
 |
The above three shots were all taken from near the Crystal Pool, inside the existing park. Twister truly is the "King of the Hill."
 |
 |
These photo's show Twister's crew hard at work securing that bent. These guys put a lot of hard work into the coaster we'll soon ride, and my hat goes off to them. We were there on a Sunday, and still they were plugging away. Thanks guys, we really appreciate you.
The Twister page on KNOEBEL'S website.
Bob Hooley has been doing a fantastic job cataloging the construction of this amazing coaster, with pics sent to him by someone on the construction team. Visit his site HERE to view the latest pictures.
Or see the older ones HERE at the Twister Archive.