Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster Construction Blog

Post Opening Construction Update 8/6/11

2011-08-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

The lights are now installed. The lights only run along the southern edge of the coaster. Approximately 14 lights run along the edge of the coaster.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The lights appear to be florescent, I attempted to get a good picture of the front and back of the light.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Ironically enough it appears crews needed temporary lights to help install the permanent lights.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

While I was visiting I couldn't resist getting some pictures of people enjoying the Pippin.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Post Opening Construction Update 7/31/11

2011-07-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Bay Beach Zippin Pippin has been running smoothly for about two months, it's been all about the ride and not about construction so I haven't been updating the construction blog. I'm happy to report things have been going very smoothly. There were a few initial start up issues, a balky circuit breaker that caused the electrical system to need a break a couple of times during the day early on to avoid overheating. That has since been fixed and the coaster now runs smoothly all day long without interruption. The really big news was the first years attendance projections were easily achieved about half way into the season.

I've been visiting the Pippin roughly once a week or so to get a few rides in. My total ride count is at 48 as of today. I typically stick to the back of the train, the drops are much better in the back. I will occasionally ride in the front, there is actually better airtime in the front but the drops are noticeably slower and less exciting. It's great to see people enjoying the coaster, young and old alike, first timers and coaster veterans all come together and it's a great time.

The big news over the last week is Orion Energy Systems has donated lighting for the Pippin. Up until this point the coaster has been closing at 8:30pm due to lack of lighting. Starting Monday August 8th (the anniversary of Elvis's last ride on the original Pippin) the Zippin Pippin will be lit and stay open until 10pm, one hour later than the rest of Bay Beach. There will be a ceremonial lighting on August 8th and I'll try to attend and get some pictures to post. Yesterday during a visit I took some pictures of the beginning of the light installation. At first I assumed the lights would be up on the structure but after my visit yesterday it's pretty clear the lights will actually be ground mounted spotlights shining up on the structure. This should provide some great dramatic views of the structure at night. At this point in time the concrete bases for the lights are installed along the southern length of the coaster, it appears they will continue all the way around the coaster. The snapshots below show these bases.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

I also noticed during this trip that a small mulch and flower area has been added inside of turn 1 and 3, basically right at the base of the stairs as you head up to the loading platform.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

I'll try to stop out next weekend and get some more pictures of the light installation progress.

Opening Day Report - 5/21/2011

2011-05-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today was the public opening for the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster in Green Bay Wisconsin. The first ride was reserved for 15 people who entered a contest and had their names drawn along with one guest each. I was at the event along with three of my children. The first official ride with the winners took place right around 9am. Prior to 9:00am a line formed with the first paying customers, we were about tenth in this line. The mayor of Green Bay, Jim Schmitt, the man largely responsible for bringing the Pippin to Green Bay, gave a short talk to the winners about the history of the coaster and it's designer John Miller.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

An official from Memphis, the home of the original Zippin Pippin also said a few words, thanked Green Bay for keeping the Zippin Pippin alive and told them to cherish the roller coaster and Bay Beach. The city of Memphis used to have a family friendly amusement park named Libertyland that was closed in 2005.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Then there was a ribbon cutting ceremony and the first riders were allowed into the ride.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Before these riders were allowed onto the coaster they did two empty train test runs.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

This got the crowd excited, everyone applauded and cheered as the trains completed their circuits.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

From our vantage point in line I was able to capture some footage of the first ride, click on the embedded video below to see it.

The first ride was followed by a second train full of special guests, I'm assuming they were some of the donors to the project but I don't know for sure. I snapped this picture as the train was heading to the out and back just above the entrance and the rides sign.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

While waiting in line our local ABC affiliate briefly interviewed my son Ryan and he was on the local news, you can see his quote here. It was great to see all of the people young and old enjoying the coaster this morning. I spoke to some small children barely tall enough to ride who loved the ride and also saw a couple probably in their sixties riding with their arms up. This truly is a perfect coaster for Bay Beach and anyone who meets the requirements and wants to ride it can.

About 9:30am they opened the ride to the first paying customers. We were among the 30 people to be on the first train full of paying customers. Lines stayed reasonable through the first couple hours of the morning so we rode the coaster 5 times. Twice in the middle (early in the day they were filling the trains front to back), once in the front seat, and twice in the back car. I'm happy to report all areas of the train give a great ride and good airtime, although the back is the most fun in my opinion.

This coaster really is all about the air time, every hill on the out and back in any section of the train lifts you up out of your seat and against the seat belt and lap bar. If you look at the panorama below you can see after the drop off of turn 3 the hills are quite a bit shorter than that first drop after turn three which creates a lot of momentum and speed as you crest these camel back hills. For reference the drop after turn three is on the far right of the picture with the camel backs following it as you move from right to left.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

My seven year old daughter and I ended up in the front car for our third ride, we took the opportunity to get a POV video.

Some other random pictures of the morning's fun are below.

Waiting in line near the base of the loading platform.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

My son and daughter waiting at the gates for one of their five rides of the morning.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

My seven year old daughter and I at the loading gates waiting for one of our five rides of the morning.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A train being loaded up for a ride.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

My son and daughter sitting in one of the original Zippin Pippin cars.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The souvenir stand by the ticket booth.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

As we were entering the loading platform for our final ride of the morning I asked the person taking tickets and counting riders with a clicker what the counter was at, she said 720, this is after approximately two hours of riding. Obviously this is the first day and crowds may have been larger than average but 200,000 paying riders doesn't seem out of the question with approximately 100 operating days a season.

We finished off our visit with some turns on some of Bay Beach's classic rides include the swings, the Scrambler, the Tilt-A-Whirls and the giant slide. As we got back in our car and rolled down the windows the roar of the coaster along with the screams of excitement poured into the car. My daughter Karlie commented that it was unbelievable that this was happening in Green Bay and I have to say it does seem too good to be true. Thank you Mayor Schmitt for having the vision to bring this gem to the citizens of Green Bay and any people visiting from out of town. As the Mayor said this morning, this ride will outlive all of us!

Final Construction Update - 5/19/2011

2011-05-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today was my final visit to the Zippin Pippin construction site prior to it's grand opening in less than 2 days. Many final details are being completed at this time. Overall it looks like the Pippin is ready for it's 5/21/11 debut. I plan to be there for the grand opening this Saturday. To see the finishing touches keep reading below. If you want to see the complete photo albums from all of the construction check out the links below, there are now over 1,000 pictures in the albums.

Construction Album #1

Construction Album #2

The most obvious addition since my last visit is a large Zippin Pippin sign added above the main entrance.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

As you get close you can see arrows have been added to the concrete showing the entrance side and exit side.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

I believe this small seat is so potential riders can check the fit of the seats prior to waiting in line. The seats are relatively tight.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

As you move into the queue area you can see posts and chains have been added to create the dreaded out and back lines so more people can be packed into the space. While waiting for the Pippin you are inside the main oval and have a good view of trains moving up the lift hill, coming down the first drop, and exiting to the out and back. It should help build anticipation for riders.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Along the queue area are some signs that I assume will be mounted prior to Saturday. The first sign spells out the rules of the ride, the second is a sign from the original Zippin Pippin in Memphis proclaiming the ride as Elvis's favorite ride.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The trains have really been spruced up, check out the painting on the sides and the logo on the front!

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Lines have been added from the automatic safety gates up to where riders load into the trains, safety yellow has also been added to the edges.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Here is a close up of the train seats, it is a relatively tight seat, each seat has it's own individual seat belt and lap bar. As you can see there are two locations you can hold on; however, I recommend getting those hands in the air to really enjoy the ride.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A portable stage is in place on the site, presumably for the grand opening on Saturday.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The new ticket booth near the coaster is also in place.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

One of the original cars from the Memphis Zippin Pippin train is on a trailer at the site. It's possible Elvis sat in one of these very seats!

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Looking at this close up of the wheels you can see why the original parts of the ride were not used for the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The new path from the roller coaster to the rest of the amusement park has been paved.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Finally I'll finish with several panoramas taken from a variety of vantage points around the coaster.

Green Bay, are you ready to ride!

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Construction Update 5/13/2011

2011-05-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

This update is written on 5/13/2011 but the pictures were actually taken 5/6/2011 the day of my test ride. About one week from today the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster opens to the public, I hope to make one final visit to the construction site next Friday to get some final shots of the coaster on the eve of it's public opening. Continue reading below to see the final touches that are being completed to make the coaster ready for the general public.

Just before my final of six test rides it started raining so these pictures were all taken under a moderate rainfall. The first thing I noticed was the roof of the motor house has been completed.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Back on the loading platform all of the safety gates are in place.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

One train was loaded on the track and the other train was loaded onto the extra track.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Fences were going up everywhere the public will have access to while waiting in line. Around the inside of turn 1 and 3.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Along the exit ramp.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

And along the lift hill.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Under the loading platform the linkages that synchronize the movement of the safety gates is installed.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

All of the concrete in the queue area has been poured and is ready for the large crowds I expect to see May 21st. From this view you can see the entrance and the exit of the ride. The entrance is to the right and the exit is the ramp on the left. The brake run at the end of the ride can be seen in the background.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The pictures below shows the view as you are exiting the exit ramp. The first picture is looking back up the exit ramp and the second one is as you are leaving the ramp.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The curb in the picture below shows the dividing line between the future parking lot and the grassy area around the coaster. The parking lot would be to the right, the grassy area around the coaster to the left.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The two construction sawhorses in the pictures below show the location of a future additional ticket booth near the coaster so patrons won't have to walk all the way back to the main entrance to get tickets to ride the Pippin again.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Work is also under way on a new path that will carry visitors from the main part of the amusement park to the roller coaster.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Before leaving I took a panorama of the coaster facing north west.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Ride Report! - May 6th, 2011

2011-05-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Today I was honored with an early ride of the new Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster at Bay Beach Amusement park before it's official public opening in about two weeks, actually, to be more accurate, 6 rides. I have a new POV video from one of the rides, see the link below. Here is a hill by hill turn by turn description of the ride. I also got some pictures of the latest finishing touches of the construction going on around the coaster and grounds. I'll write a separate post in a few days to review those details.

The back six seats were open for riders during these tests so all of these impressions and the video is from the perspective of riding in the last car of the train. The front 24 seats were weighted down with sand bags. The trains sit two across, there is a small panel separating the two seats. They are a bit tight with two full grown adults, but squeeze in it's worth the effort! Each seat has it's own seat belt and padded lap bar.

After the brakes release you head immediately down a small incline and into turn 1 which is inside of the structure for turn 3, you quickly head around this turn and after 180 degrees you start up the lift hill. The trip up the lift hill is very quick, be sure to look over you right shoulder as you near the top for a beautiful view of the Bay. At the top of the lift hill there is a quick 180 degree turn as you line up for the first drop.

In the back car the front of the train starts accelerating down the hill while you are still completing turn 2 so you get a good burst of speed as you are coming out of the turn and are then quickly pulled down the first drop. The first drop is nice and smooth and quickly bottoms out and heads uphill into turn 3. Turn 3 is another 180 degree turn and the train carries plenty of momentum around this turn and you are again pulled around the last bit of the turn as the first cars of the train start down the second drop before you complete the turn, this is a great crack the whip sensation. When I have the chance I'll ride the first car of the train but all things considered I think the best ride on this coaster is going to be in the back.

At this point you are travelling alongside the lift hill and quickly complete the drop, head up another hill and move through part of the lift hill structure. Just as you crest the next hill there are a couple of structural beams that seem very close to your reach (assuming your hands are up), it's a great illusion but I'm 6'3" tall and reached as high as I could and wasn't in any danger of coming into contact with these beams.

After this hill you are heading into the out and back with two quick bunny hills that both have some good airtime. One more uphill and you are into the turn around. Coming out of the turn around you head into another uphill with a nice little banked turn to the left.

On the last bunny hill before you head uphill and into the station there is a great little surprise, at this point the train still has a lot of momentum and this last small hill has some great abrupt airtime. If you watch the video you can see how quickly the cars in front are snapped downward at this point. This tends to launch the riders against their seat belt and lap bar when they least expect it. It's a great surprise and everyone I rode with on the rides I took really liked that last little surprise. Then it's up one small hill and the brakes catch and the ride is over. Trains were completing the circuit in a pretty consistent 1 minute 30 seconds.

All things considered I have to say the ride exceeded my expectations. It's pretty incredible to think this coaster was designed in 1912. John Miller designed a great ride that holds up very well nearly a century later. The ride is a perfect fit for Bay Beach. It's a fun thrilling ride but not to large and intimidating so really just about anybody over 48" can ride it, young and old alike. I can definitely see Grandparents taking their Grandchildren on the ride once they are tall enough. It will be interesting to see what kind of reviews it gets from the people of Green Bay after it's grand opening on May 21st.

Testing and Construction Update 4/30/2011

2011-04-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Somewhat of a random post today, I have pictures from last week I haven't gotten around to sharing and there has been another test run with passengers and a POV video to share.

Last week I took some pictures of the cars being prepped and loaded onto the track for the test run. As I arrived cars were being added to the track, prior to be placed on the track the wheels were being spun to loosen them up due to the cool temperatures.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The cars were then carefully eased into place one at a time through the opening built into the loading platform structure. The cars are then positioned directly above the small notches cut into the track allowing the up stop wheels to clear.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

After all of the cars are in place and joined together to form a train (the number 2 train was being used) ballast was loaded into the seats to provide weight for testing.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A lubricant was then applied to the easy to reach part of the track.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Now we have a ready to test train. The video below shows the beginning of the first test run I posted video of last week, the team basically used a push start to get things rolling!

After several successful tests the team decided it was time to have someone ride the coaster. The first ride went to a manager from MVR and the person from MVR who oversaw most of the construction all winter long. Here they are waiting for the first ride.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The next ride went to the people in Green Bay who will have primary responsibility for the day to day upkeep and maintenance of the ride. Here they are waiting for their ride.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

That wrapped up testing for the day. While on site a couple of other changes to the site were noted. A lot of the concrete in the queue area had been poured.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The balance of the safety gates on the loading platform were also in place.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A few days after that test run there was another test run with passengers including Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt who was instrumental in bringing the Zippin Pippin to Bay Beach. One of the riders shot a point of view video of the ride, you can see it below.

The weather for Green Bay is looking a little better for the next ten days so hopefully work can wrap up and the coaster can be opened to the public. I'll try to make another site visit sometime this week to check out the latest progress.

First Successful Test Run - 4/25/2011

2011-04-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

It was a big day at the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster site today. For the first time a train was loaded onto the tracks, weighed down with ballast and completed a successful run of the track. After the first successful run several more runs were made including two with two passengers each. I was on site for the testing and was able to get some good video of the action. I'm uploading the best videos of the days activities, the first video is now on-line and linked below. Keep checking back, I will be uploading other videos and still pictures from the days testing.

A second video is now available, see it below. This video was taken from the South side of the coaster looking North, the opposite side from the first video. I believe this was the fifth dry run for the coaster.

In other news the opening date for the coaster has been pushed back two weeks. Mother nature simply threw too many turns into the testing part of the schedule, less then a week ago the Green Bay area received about 9" of fresh snow preventing a lot of the final preparation work at the site from finishing up and delaying the testing you are seeing above. To launch the coaster per the original schedule training for workers to run the coaster would have to be going on now instead of the very first initial test runs. To make matters even worse the weather for the balance of this week looks bad with rain and cool temperatures in the forecast. The new opening day is now May 21st. The countdown clock on this site has been updated with the new date.

A Train Is Added - 4/15/2011

2011-04-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

One of the Zippin Pippin's trains have been added to the standby lane on the coaster and the automatic safety gates are partially installed. The Zippin Pippin continues to inch closer to testing and eventually rides for paying customers (now less than 20 days away). For the latest pictures keep reading below.

The big news is one of the trains is in place on the service track. Each car seats six and there are five cars per train. So there is room for up to 30 riders per train.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The other train is on site, each car on a pallet along the north end of turn 1 and 3. With the cars on the pallet it's easy to see the three sets of wheels.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Under the train on the track you can see the upstop and centering wheels along with the anti rollback pawl.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Back on the loading platform the operator control panel appears to be nearly set.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The automatic safety gates are being installed.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Under the loading platform you can just start to see the mechanism that will open and close the gates.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The area to the north and south of the coaster is starting to be graded to get it ready for it's big opening.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Some of the large piles of earth left at the site from the original excavation are starting to be removed.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

It would appear we are getting close to some of the first test runs for the coaster. If I hear any details about testing I will be sure to pass them along. In other news there is a contest being run by the city to be on the first official ride of the coaster on May 7th. Children and adults are invited to submit an essay entitled "What does Bay Beach Amusement Park mean to me?". If you are interest in entering (I know my kids are!) check out the official website.

Wrapping Up The Controls - 4/5/11

2011-04-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Even though testing is not yet scheduled I decided today I needed to see what was new at the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster. I found some new activity and got some pictures of it. Since my last post the Green Bay area was hit with a late winter storm totaling about 17 inches of wet heavy snow. This snowfall slowed progress on the finishing touches quite a bit; however, with the major construction wrapping up well ahead of schedule everything is still in good shape for the grand opening which is now just about one month away. The latest progress is shown in the photos below.

The first thing I noticed is the operators control panel and platform is in place up on the loading platform. You can also see the layout of where the automatic gates are going to be.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Under the loading platform a lot of the wiring and air lines to the brakes along with accumulator air tanks are now in place and hooked up.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A lot of the sensors have been hooked up inside the rides main control panel.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The view inside of the lift house shows the extent of the electrical work currently underway.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The motor that will be used to shuttle the transfer table back and forth is now fully hooked up.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

As all of these final hookups are being made the two big remaining items are the automatic gates on the loading platform and the trains themselves to make their appearance and be threaded onto the track. I'll keep visiting the site and report on these activities when they happen. With all of the snow nearly gone again and a beautiful sunny day I took another north facing panorama to end my visit.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Construction Update 3/18/2011

2011-03-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

This is the final construction update for the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster. Construction is pretty much complete, the crews from Miron will be finished and off site early next week. The difference in activity level is dramatic, two of the three construction trailers are packed up and ready to leave the site and nearly all of the construction materials have been consumed. With any luck the next post will be a testing update, followed shortly by a grand opening update.

With all of the track work complete last week this week was all about the finishing touches. Hand rails have now been added to the stairs going up to the loading platform and the exit ramp.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The final pieces of siding were being added to the north side of the transfer station.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

There are notches in the second lane of the transfer table to allow train cars to be added and removed from the track. These notches allow the cars upstop wheels to pass through the track and be slid back into place.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

There are also notches going through the track structure on the second lane, these notches allow the inside and lower wheels to be lubricated when trains are in this lane.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A cylinder and pin arrangement has also been added to the transfer table to securely lock it in place when in the operating position.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

A cable carrier has been added under the transfer table to allow the handle the control wiring when the table is moved.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Down the brake run junction boxes and conduit were being added to run the control wires for the sensors along the brake run.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Air lines were also being installed to provide power to the brakes.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Under the loading platform electricians continue to pull wire through the conduit and completing the hook up of the controls.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

If all continues to go according to plan in less than 50 days you'll be able to enter here and ride the new Zippin Pippin!

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

All of Green Bay's snow cover melted this week just leaving some dirty snow piles from plowing left behind. Overall the site is a muddy mess. Here are some final images of the Zippin Pippin at this point. This picture shows the turn around from the north side of the coaster looking west.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

And finally a panorama from the parking lot looking north.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Construction Update 3/11/2011

2011-03-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

The on-line album has topped 1,000 photos forcing me to start a second album. Luckily construction on the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster is nearly complete. Steel is now on the entire track and finishing touches are being put on the mechanicals and loading platform. This coaster is just about ready to begin testing. The day these pictures were taken spring was definitely in the air, with temperatures in the 40's and a nice sunny noon hour the snow that fell earlier in the week was quickly melting. The new photos for this week are below.

Most of the action this week was taking place around the loading platform. Walking up what will be the entrance the first obvious change was the stairway that has been built to carry anxious riders up to the loading platform.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Rounding the corner to climb the stairs the hand railings are staged on some sawhorses.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

With the stairs in place we can now climb up to the loading platform and enjoy the view riders will have prior to loading the trains, one of the cool elements of this coaster design is the way the coaster is all around you while you are waiting to board.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Lights have been installed along the exit ramp.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Just off the loading platform work is wrapping up on the transfer table. Steel is now on the track and the alignment and locking system is being installed and set up.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Under the transfer table the motor the will shuttle the transfer table in and out is now bolted into place.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

While I was inside the oval I attempted a panorama of the inside of turn 2.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Electricians have been busy at the site wiring up all of the motors, lights, etc.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

The compressor that will provide air to the brakes and automatic gates has been moved to it's final position and anchored to the concrete floor beneath the loading platform.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

There is also what appears to be a back up generator just behind the lift house.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

I then walked the out and back part of the coaster to check out all of the steel that was added since last week. I crawled under some of the new areas to get some shots of the upstop steel that has been added.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

While I was on the backside of the coaster I took a panorama shot of the completed out and back looking south.

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Back on the front side of the coaster I finished my visit with this picture showing three different layers of track...

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

...and a panorama shot looking north...

From Zippin Pippin Construction Album #2

Next week should wrap up the construction work and then we wait a couple of weeks before testing begins.

Construction Update 3/4/2011

2011-03-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

Work on the track has just about wrapped up on the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster here in Green Bay. Activity will wind down now for a few weeks until the trains arrive and testing begins in early April. The latest pictures are below.

We'll start this week at the transfer table. The wood track has been built up on the first lane and it has been rolled under the loading platform, the wood on the second lane is also complete.

Zippin Pippin Roller Coaster Construction Blog

Post Opening Construction Update 8/6/11

Post Opening Construction Update 7/31/11

Opening Day Report - 5/21/2011

Final Construction Update - 5/19/2011

Construction Update 5/13/2011

Ride Report! - May 6th, 2011

Testing and Construction Update 4/30/2011

First Successful Test Run - 4/25/2011

A Train Is Added - 4/15/2011

Wrapping Up The Controls - 4/5/11

Construction Update 3/18/2011

Construction Update 3/11/2011

Construction Update 3/4/2011

Construction Update 2/25/2011

Construction Update 2/17/2011

Construction Update 2/11/2011

Construction Update 2/4/2011

Construction Update 1/28/2011

Construction Update 1/21/2011

Construction Update 1/14/2011

Construction Update 1/7/2011

Construction Update 12/30/2010

Construction Update 12/23/2010

Construction Update 12/16/2010

Construction Update 12/10/2010