Drachen Fire

[[jonrev]]

Why was it removed? It looked like a perfectly good coaster. Was it roughness (since its an Arrow)?

[ragingbull346]

The Drachen Fire was shutdown in July 1998. Initial plans were to modify the roller coaster. It was then decided to sell the roller coaster. No buyer was found and the Drachen Fire was taken down so the steel can be recycled starting in the fall of 2001 completely removed by March of 2002.

[[jonrev]]

Wasnt it supposed to be built by B&M but they sold the design to Arrow? I thought I read that somewhere.

[FParker185]

Yep, word on the street, though I dont know if it's ever been confirmed 100% says it was designed by B&M, then Busch took the plans and went and had Arrow fabricate it, Busch was so incredibly dissatisfyed with it, for BGT they had B&M build and Fabricate a coaster for them, rather than go to someone else with a set of plans, and they came up with Kumba.

It was retired for sheer roughness and low ridership. I know sometime in the mid 90's they removed a corkscrew from right after the block brake, but it didnt help much if at all. I never got to ride it though, would have loved to, the cutback looked really interesting.

[nalarrabee4752]

I have a rollercoaster video with drachen fire

[[jonrev]]

^Ive seen it. Is that the one with a bunch of SFMM and CP rides?

[nalarrabee4752]

i think it's call greates rollercoater in 3d 1st vol

[[jonrev]]

^That's the one.

[Trailblazer Tony]

They had a really cool special of it on a NOVA video once. They were talking with Ron Toomer who was the guy who worked on Magnum and they were talking about his newest project, which was the Drachen Fire. They showed the construction of the ride, the opening day footage, and some POV of it. It looked very painful, but that was the first coaster i had ever seen from the construction phase to the opening phase and i was surprised to see it gone.

[CoasterDude12-2]

Here's a story I found on Drachen Fire

http://history.amusement-parks.com/drachenfire.htm

[nalarrabee4752]

^ Nice Find

[coasterfan71555]

Here's the story as I know it: Drachen Fire opened in 1992. The ACE CoasterCon in 1992 was held in Virginia, and this was my first visit to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It remains my absolute favorite park of all that I have visited over the years. Drachen Fire was a unique Arrow coaster. It had a single corkscrew inversion right off the lift hill, about 120 feet up. What a unique start that was! It had custom Arrow trains that had red neon strips on the side that were lighted at night, so as the ride ran, you saw this red streak going along the tracks. It was good in its initial year, but my friends and I thought that due to the design of several of the inversion elements, it was headed for trouble. Basically, it tore itself apart, to the point that by my next visit in 1995 one inversion had been removed to be replaced by a long, long, brake run that destroyed the pace of the ride. This was a definite factor in its loss of popularity, because it just was no longer fun. But what a station house it had! It was all beautiful, polished wood. And its setting was beautiful, just as everything is at BGW. It was another Arrow failure, and contributed to the downfall of that company, I am sure. If B&M could come up with a similar design, I am sure it would run better, but that type of ride is now considered "old hat" and I am sure Drachen Fire will remain in history as a one-of-a-kind experience. In closing, I miss it, and miss BGW. I hope to go there again someday.