ThunderHead Falls - No-Limits (Phyter, 2005)

THUNDERHEAD FALLS
by Kevin Stone (aka Phyter)

-- April 10th, 2005 --

Thunderhead Falls is best described as a modern upgrade to the traditional mine train coaster. It integrates elements from both stand-alone and traditional mine train coasters. The Intamin Hyper style lends its self to maneuvers and airtime not found on the typical mine train. Although seemingly out of place I think it works quite well in this situation.

The track stretches nearly 4400 feet and sits on approximately 6.5 acres of land. Although the structure appears tall this is actually an illusion. The main structure is quite flat and is only 6 stories tall. The taller spires sit on top of the main structure. They are non-load bearing and reach as high as 125 feet. The track makes use of these spires to provide the rider with a sense of height which adds to the thrill.

Thunderhead Falls is similar to typical mine trains with its ground hugging turns, tight tunnels, eye caching scenery, and of course the western mine theme. The scenery is finely integrated in the entrance, queue line and the ride its self. Eye candy for any park, for sure, but this mine train also deals out 4.5 Gs, zero G maneuvers and pops of air time.

The ride gets its name from the four massive waterfalls integrated into its landscape. An artificial river vents from the top of the main structure supplying thousands of gallons of water to the main cascades which the train whips around at 3+ Gs after the initial drop. Riders and standers-by are treated to the spectacle.

If you think this ride looks a lot like Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road, you'd be right. Although much of it is unique, my primary inspiration included Disney's BTMRR, Matterhorn and Splash Mountain. You could almost call it a fusion of the three. Even down Matterhorn's crystal cave which I significantly exaggerated upon. Some of those crystals are 6 feet tall. :)

The highly optimized 3D scene contains 67,000 polygons and sports more than 100 individual textures. The project was completed strictly in my spare time in 8 months. The result represents an estimated 320 hours of work, equal to 2 months working full time.

Well I guess that's about all that it. If you're having trouble with the frame rate please try these simple steps before giving up:
Turn off reflections
Reduce texture quality to Medium or Low
Select GL 1.5 Vertex Engine in the Advanced Options (available on most video cards)

Enjoy the ride!