X2 set to arrive at Magic Mountain

The first of three new X2 trains is expected to arrive at Six Flags Magic Mountain by the end of next week in advance of an anticipated Memorial Day weekend rebirth.

After the original X debuted in 2002 to repeated downtime issues, Magic Mountain faced the difficult choice of building new trains or getting rid of the prototype roller coaster with rotating 360-degree seats. The Valencia amusement park opted for the $10-million fix when the sagging winged seats began to stress the overtaxed coaster, officials said.

An innovative 3-D computer-modeling program helped coaster designers decrease the overall weight from 60,000 to 50,000 pounds per train — a more than 15% reduction. Parts manufactured to military specifications lightened the load while aerodynamic fighter plane paint reduced wind drag. (Colors in the 3-D rendering indicate individual coaster components and not a design scheme.)

When the coaster reopens, a new queue configuration and loading procedure promise to cut wait times in half, allowing X2 to employ the FlashPass line management system — addressing a chief gripe of visitors.

The rechristened X2 track is currently shedding X’s clownish pink and yellow paint job in favor of a more “ominous” red and charcoal gray scheme. At $135 per gallon, the paint job’s price tag is equally onerous: $600,000.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the
Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Image: Magic Mountain]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 1:17 pm by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Family & Kids, Los Angeles, Magic Mountain, Theme Parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.