SandBoxBlogs: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel "Job of relocating coaster to Glenwood filled with twists, turns"

(See related story and local public commentary here)

A 'well done' shout out goes to the area's avatars in commentary who not only were strong enough to raise their voices in protest of the 'free pass' style that Garfield County Commissioners gave to Steve Beckley and Glenwood Adventure Park's latest expansion; they have been courageous enough to go direct to source and express concerns about safety.

From their comments, most then opted to give Beckley another chance.  See what he would do. 

Buy a deeply discounted roller coaster, haul it in and install it  without engaging all the channels of government entities that have authority over that kind of endeavor?  Or be the Steve Beckley they all know and respect and do things the right way.

Looks like Steve stepped up. 

Leaving, after another estimated million dollars out of pocket,  the need to meet his obligations to answer the concerns over wildlife, vibration related to rock slides over the canyon highway and noise impact with a roller coaster that pumps out an "80-second, 1,600-foot-long trip with speeds up to 34 mph".  

Dennis Webb:
"....Glenwood Caverns started out with cave tours in 1999......

.....But its biggest addition is the former Windstorm coaster, which it is renaming the Cliffhanger because of its location. Perched near the top of Iron Mountain and on the edge of Glenwood Canyon, it will offer breathtaking views of the canyon and the Roaring Fork and Colorado river valleys as riders experience thrilling drop-offs and tight curves during an 80-second, 1,600-foot-long trip with speeds up to 34 mph. At 7,160 feet high, it’s the highest-elevation adult roller coaster in the world, Heard said.

Getting the coaster to the mountains first involved shipping the coaster cars to Florida to be tested, and their wheels and bearings replaced. The disassembled track likewise has undergone testing, refurbishing and sandblasting and will be repainted......

.....Now the parts and pieces are being shipped to Glenwood Springs in what is expected to take about a dozen trips by semi trucks.....

...Although the coaster came with operating and maintenance manuals, that wasn’t the case when it came to assembly instructions. And that’s where Litts comes in.....

“The ability to find someone like that is huge,” she said.....

.....Heard said the coaster purchase and installation probably will cost about $1 million when all is said and done.

“We’ll probably spend $50,000 just in bolts, in hardware,” she said.

Old bolts and fasteners—about 2,000 of them—must be replaced with new ones in order to properly meet specifications for torque, or tightness.....

....Glenwood Caverns had a concrete base installed for the coaster, but included drains into underlying gravel. That way, the concrete won’t keep precipitation from feeding into the extensive caverns system beneath Iron Mountain and continuing to contribute to the underground ecosystem and growth of other-worldly formations...."
(Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."