Very exciting news has just come out of Cedar Point. Yesterday (December 11) testing has begun on Top Thrill 2. In the video embedded below which was just posted to YouTube by Beachcliff Studios it shows the first testing being done on Top Thrill 2.
As you can see, currently the new Zamperla Lightning Trains are shooting backwards about half way up the spike. When it is fully tested we are expecting it to go higher than this. The train can then be seen heading up the top hat but not reaching the top before rolling back.
We assume Zamperla and Cedar Point are testing out the LSMs but the roller coaster is not currently being tested at the full speed at this time. When the ride opens the first launch will be a 74mph forwards launch taking riders up the top hat approximately 200ft. The train will then roll back and hit the second launch, this time a backwards 101mph launch taking riders up the 420ft rear spike. The final 120mph forwards launch will take riders over the crest of the top hat and down again and back into the station.
Testing a ride well before the proposed opening date is always positive to see as it means there is plenty of time for Cedar Point and Zamperla to smooth out any potential issues there may be, meaning come opening day in spring 2024 we should see Top Thrill 2 running reliably without too much down time. We will continue to update you as testing continues on Top Thrill 2 over the coming weeks.
Earlier in December it was confirmed that the new 420ft rear spike for Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point was officially topped off! In the recent construction video posted to YouTube by Lake Erie Lifestyles you get to see the rear spike in all its glory. As hoped, the weather stayed favorable so construction crews managed to top off the huge 420ft rear spike at the weekend.
The next big question is when will we see the first launch of Top Thrill 2? Work has been ongoing on the programming of the LSMs and controls and if the weather cooperates we could see the first launch before Christmas.
With the addition of the 420ft rear spike it has definitely changed the skyline of Cedar Point and dominates the view of Sandusky Bay. We will keep you up to date on the latest regarding when the new lightning trains will be loaded onto the track and when the first launch take place.
Image: Cedar PointAs can be seen in the previous construction update posted to YouTube by Lake Erie Lifestyles on December 1, the exciting development at Cedar Point is that the Lightning Trains are now on site and are being loaded onto Top Thrill 2.
If the weather remains settled at the weekend, we could see the topping off of the 420ft rear spike and we will keep you up to date on these over the coming days and weeks leading up to the opening of Top Thrill 2 at the start of the 2024 season.
The most exciting update from the November 18 update was that we saw that the rear spike had now exceeded 400ft with three new track sections having been added including the second red racing stripe segment. With three more track sections awaiting installation and the weather looking clear for the coming few days we could see the 420ft rear spike for Top Thrill 2 complete within the next week.
We also see that the painting of the station roof is now complete in bright white which contrasts with the striking blue paint of the rest of the station. The top section of the old dragster seating area has now been removed. We are getting very excited to bring you news of the topping off of the 420ft rear spike which is expected very soon.
In the update on November 17, we saw that painting on the top hat was almost complete and the newly painted grey supports really contrasted with the white track and red racing stripes. The blue painting of the station is now complete and the roof is being painted white. The return curve to the station is complete with work on the switch track still continuing.
The rear spike is continuing to extend higher and is getting closer to the finish line. Everything is currently being connected with diagonal supports in preparation for further ascent. We expect the topping off of the rear spike to happen in the coming weeks and will keep you posted on this.
Back on November 9, the main news was that painting has resumed on the top hat structure with majority of the yellow now being replaced with grey. We also see that the station building is now mostly blue covering up the previous yellow paint of Top Thrill. We love the new color scheme for Top Thrill 2 and it is very exciting seeing the vibrant colors coming to life.
New sections of track for the rear spike have arrived on the midway at Cedar Point and it is expected that majority of the structural work on the rear spike will be completed before the harsh winter months so expect more exciting updates in the coming weeks as the 420ft rear spike continues to climb higher.
Back on November 4, regarding the track infield, the maintenance track leading to the storage area is complete and progress has continued to be made on the switch track. But, the exciting news was that the second crane which we reported being assembled on site at Cedar Point had allowed the use of a man basket so installation of the 420ft rear spike had resumed.
Last week, also brought the huge news of the Cedar Fair and Six Flags merger, read all about what these means in our recent news article, Six Flags and Cedar Fair Are Joining Forces. Here’s What Will Happen Next.
In the previous update, posted October 31, significant progress is being made at the track infield with the maintenance and switch tracks. There is also a lot of action at the Breakers Express storage lot as the remaining spike parts are being transported from the Cedar Point Storage lot to the park ready to resume the spike installation.
There is now the exciting news of a second crane being assembled on site, currently located on the midway. It is expected that this crane could be used to complete the remaining top hat modifications. At this point it appears that painting on the top hat remains on hold.
In the previous construction update we got to see the 500ft crane which will be responsible for completing the track installation of the 420ft rear spike now in place.
This week work had been taking place on extending this colossal crane which now looms over Sandusky and can be seen from downtown Sandusky across the bay. Although there still hasn’t been any new shipments of track from Zamperla arrive as of yet to the Breakers Express Lot, we expect there to be a delivery arrive in the next week and will update you accordingly.
In the previous update posted yesterday to YouTube by Lake Erie Lifestyles, the remaining sections of the cat walk are being installed on the return side of the ride. We can also see the beginning of the wall construction for the brand new covered queue line which will be an excellent addition to Top Thrill 2.
In exciting news, the huge crane currently onsite is undergoing what looks to be a huge extension process which we assume will be for the continuation of the 420ft spike installation. We still await news of the arrival of track sections for the rear spike from Zamperla to the Breakers Express Storage Lot. The crane could also be extended in preparation for the continuation of painting on the top hat. We will bring you further information regarding this massive crane as soon as these details are revealed.
In the previous update from Top Thrill 2 posted on October 19, we can see that work continues on the dark gray painting of the diagonal supports and spine of the top hat. The roofing is complete for the LSM electrical vault and groundwork has now begun on the covered queue area.
We are hoping to bring news soon that further track parts have arrived from Zamperla so the installation of the rear spike can continue.
In the previous update posted to YouTube on October 12 by Lake Erie Lifestyles, we see that the rear spike has continued to rise over the last week and it has now reached the maximum height possible until there are further deliveries of parts from Zamperla.
The white and red chequered racing theme on the upper third of the top hat has been completed and work is underway on the back spine of the top hat. There has also been the construction of new concrete pads in the track in-field. More work is expected to be done over the weekend so we will bring you another update next week.
In the previous update we saw a number of developments on Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point. Painting was continuing on the red and white chequered racing track theme on the upper section of the top hat. This pattern really made the top hat stand out and look vibrant against the skyline.
Regarding the track infield, back filling had been completed on the concrete pads for the track supports and in the train storage area. This means that it is ready for the next stage of construction.
In an exciting development, another level has now been added to the rear spike and it has now reached 145ft. There are further diagonal supports located on the midway which are expected to be installed very soon and reports that we could see the 420ft rear spike being completed by the end of October! We will continue to keep you posted.
In the video update posted on September 20, by Lake Erie Lifestyle, the rear main supports for the spike are now in place with the last section which was waiting in the midway area, expected to have been installed by the end of yesterday.
Majority of the diagonal braces are now in position and we expect further to be added before Cedar Point opens for the weekend as well as extra track sections up the spike.
In the exciting update posted on September 13, to YouTube by Lake Erie Lifestyles, we get to see the latest developments on Top Thrill 2. More track sections had been installed for the switch track, the track had been laid in the station and work continued on the train covered storage building. We can also saw that the roof of the station building had been cut out to allow for the curvature of the spike track.
The final supports leading to the spike had been put into place and curved track sections installed. The big news was the arrival of a huge crane to the Top Thrill 2 site in preparation for the 420ft rear spike to go vertical. We expected to see track sections being moved from the Breakers Express Storage lot in the near future to begin this exciting task.
In the update on September 5, we got to see what we have all being waiting to see, the first supports have now been installed for the 420ft rear spike! We expect to see further progress having been made on the rear spike in the next update.
The concrete forms on the launch side of the track infield are now transforming into an actual structure that can be seen on the official Top Thrill 2 animation created by Cedar Point. This structure is expected to house the electrical vault for the LSMs.
In the official announcement on August 1, we found out the new name for the iconic Top Thrill Dragster and long awaited details regarding the layout for this highly anticipated reimagining coming to Cedar Point in 2024. Top Thrill 2 was confirmed as being the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch coaster with a 420ft rear spike.
In the latest construction update from Lake Erie Lifestyles posted to YouTube on September 2, we get to see that the launch track has now been fully installed and the concrete footings for the switch track have been revealed. Further sections for the switch track have been delivered to the Breakers Express Storage Lot as well as new sections of track for the 420ft rear spike.
The most exciting development on Top Thrill 2 is that a number of the supports for the 420ft new rear spike are now on site and we expect these will begin to be installed in the very near future as Cedar Point begins its weekday closures (Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays). We will continue to update you with further news on the construction of Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point.
There is good news on the construction site of Top Thrill 2 as regular work resumes after flooding following the tornadoes and inclement weather which hit Sandusky last week. In the latest video update posted to YouTube on August 29, by Lake Erie Lifestyles we get to see the current developments on site at Cedar Point.
Installation of LSM motors continues and the remainder of the launch track is being put in place. More track and electrical components have been delivered to the Breakers Express Storage Lot with the launch side track being transported to the construction site at Cedar Point.
Work continues on preparation for the installation of the transfer track and on the station area where another concrete form has been added. We are still eagerly awaiting news that the rear spike is going vertical and we will continue to update you on the construction progress of Top Thrill 2 as it develops.
Image: Cedar PointUnfortunately, tornadoes and flash floods hindered progress on Top Thrill 2 last week with the track infield area housing a lot of water but there was good news at the Breakers Express storage lot where there had been a new shipment delivered.
In the video posted to YouTube on August 26 by Lake Erie Lifestyles, we saw that there had been a new delivery of support structures for the rear spike. There also appeared to be new track sections which are believed to be for the lower part of the rear spike. Further track components had also arrived which could also be for the spike or for the station area.
In the construction video posted to YouTube on August 23 by Lake Erie Lifestyles, we can see painting on the top hat remains to be halted. The entire cat walk along the launch track has been assembled and the iron workers are continuing to install the LSMs onto the tracks. Electricians will then be responsible for completing the wiring of the LSMs. Electrical control technicians will work on the control systems including the sensors and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) which are needed in order to make the ride run smoothly.
A number of new concrete forms have appeared on the switch track with further concrete being poured and concrete pads have been revealed in the station.
Regarding the rear spike, we still await vertical construction which is expected to begin in September when Cedar Point reduces their opening hours and closes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays each week.
In the latest previous update, painting still remains at a halt on Top Thrill 2 and most of the developments have been happening on the station and track infield where numerous concrete forms have been erected inside the station. At the back of the station concrete is being poured into further forms which shows progress is being made on what will be the two-storey station building.
Concrete forms have been constructed where the switch track will be positioned and in the middle of the track area a large concrete pad has been created which could form part of the queue system. Electricians continue to install the wiring for the LSM staters and we will bring you further updates on the construction of Top Thrill 2 as they happen at Cedar Point.
Cedar Point had been hit by inclement weather and subsequently suffered some flooding in the track infield area. Having said that according to the latest Top Thrill 2 construction update posted to YouTube by Lake Erie Lifestyles on August 13, we can see that work continues to progress on the launch track where workers are currently in the process of installing LSM Staters onto the track.
There will also be a range of tasks happening behind the scenes including programming the new control system, laying immense lengths of necessary cables and other technical tasks imperative to the construction of the new Top Thrill 2 triple launch coaster.
In the video update posted on August 4, to YouTube by Lake Erie Lifestyles, we get to hear further details regarding Top Thrill 2 including the queue line location, ride capacity, length and capacity.
To recap, Top Thrill 2 will have an LSM swing launch to replace the former hydraulic launch system. The 1st launch will accelerate riders forward to 74mph travelling approximately half way up the top hat before rolling back and experiencing the 2nd launch which will be a backward launch reaching 101mph taking guests approximately 350ft up the 420ft rear spike. Finally the 3rd and final launch will be a forward launch and will be the fastest reaching 120mph cresting the 420ft top hat and heading into the station.
Top Thrill 2 will keep the high speed racing theme but no longer focuses on drag racing. Based on the animation Top Thrill 2 will last almost 2 minutes compared to the 17s ride duration of Top Thrill Dragster.
Surprisingly, the queue line will remain in the same location as it was formerly positioned prior to it being shut down after a woman was hit by falling debris whilst standing in the queue in 2021. There will now be a new configuration and structure to protect guests as well as fencing which will be installed along the systems edges to provide further protection. The covered queue will also protect guests from the sun whilst waiting in line.
We know the control booth is now going to be positioned above the station track and loading and unloading will now happen in the same station building. Riders will exit through a tunnel.
In regards to capacity on Top Thrill 2, the video explains that there will be three trains which although is half of what there was on Top Thrill Dragster, each train will hold 20 riders instead of 18 riders and will utilize Zamperla’s fast switch meaning it will able to quickly switch from accepting new trains to connecting the launch track.
There is also a staging position before the track switch meaning that a train can be dispatched into the staging area whilst another train completing the launch cycle.
Originally Top Thrill Dragster had a ride per hour capacity of 1080 with releasing the 18 passenger trains every 60 seconds. To ensure the same rider per hour capacity Top Thrill 2 would have to release a train every 66 seconds. The key point here is that the LSM launch will be more reliable and safer than the former hydraulic launch, meaning overall the capacity will be higher but we await confirmation of exactly how many riders per hour Top Thrill 2 will accommodate.
Performance on Top Thrill 2 with the LSM launch appears to be from the animation, significantly less than on Top Thrill Dragster which had the hydraulic launch. Acceleration on Top Thrill Dragster saw riders go from 0-120mph in 3.8s where Top Thrill 2 will take 7s to get from 0-74mph on the first launch. Again, as in the case of the capacity we will have to wait for confirmation on the acceleration of the LSM launch on Top Thrill 2.
Another difference on Top Thrill 2 is that the seats are higher up from the track which could affect the thrill factor of this reimagining and the video suggests that 270 degree top hat roll should be more intense because of it.
It has been brilliant to learn about Cedar Point’s plans for Top Thrill 2 and we will continue to bring you construction updates on Top Thrill Dragster…
