Intamin's First Wooden Coaster | History of American Eagle at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL
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- Опубліковано 17 жов 2020
- American Eagle was built in 1981 and has withstood the test of time nearing its 40th Anniversary soon. There is a correction in the video that we would like to state. We meant 40 years, not 50.
#americaneagle #intamin #sixflags
Also we would like to thank the following channels below for helping us with this latest video:
SFAMFAN - • American Eagle Media D...
Six Flags Great America- • American Eagle Constru...
Thrill Maxx- • American Eagle - Six F...
All photos are from Six Flags Great America. This documentary and the photos and video footage used are being used for research purposes only.
This is Season 2 Episode 1 of our History of Coaster Series.
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I love the grand helix on this thing. You start out slow but gradually build up speed and laterals and intensity until you start to wonder if the thing could come off the tracks. You hit the bottom and there's just a massive release before it's bunny hops the rest of the way. There's nothing quite like it.
This is my home park, so I’ve been on this numerous times, but gosh dang it, I wish I enjoyed laterals more. The airtime on this thing is some of the best in the whole park, though, and that’s what keeps me coming back to this thing. And also, can confirm that it feels like the whole thing is gonna shake apart at the bottom of the helix.
I love how it's the first coaster you see from the Interstate when you're coming upon the park! As a kid, it just seemed to tower over everything and have a majestic appearance! Still love this coaster!
Beautiful job man! I am a forever and huge fan of this ride, and absolutely love to see construction pictures and video footage of that. I first rode the eagle back in 1986 as a 6-year-old, and I remember crying going up the lift Hill once I saw how long it was to the top and how big it was, I screamed all the way down while my Dad's friend laughed like the joker! Priceless. I am now trying to complete my own handbuilt version of the ride of balsa wood, just like the real thing it is a monsterous job...
I'm a HUGE American Eagle fan, having worked on it in 1989 after my senior year of high school! I walked up the first lift 8 times (to host at the top of the lift) that summer. I also walked up the stairs of the helix. Me and 8 other guys had to pull the blue train up a few feet as it hung and didn't make it to the top. That happens sometimes when there's a strong west wind. The Eagle's Nest was still there by Brake 5, but at that time, nobody was in it. Oh and the Demon started out as Turn of the Century when MGA opened. It was originally blue. In 1979 it was repainted black and themed and re-named the Demon.
Thanks for the info man! Thanks also for watching! Been going to SFGAm since 88, but I was like 3 lol. Anyways it was my first home park and still one of my favorites!
Which is brake 5? I’m trying to picture it in my head, but I can’t. 😂
@@WolfRaging95 Brake 1 and 2 are in the chute before the station. Brake 3 is in the station. Brake 4 is where they add/remove trains before heading to the lift. Brake 5 is the one at the beginning of the helix. Brake 6 near the end in the final lift before the last turn.
@@OSD_Chicago thank you. I had a feeling brake 5 was what I was thinking, but I wanted to ask. :)
This historic roller coaster doesn't get enough credit. It is incredibly harsh nowadays but the numbers it puts up are insane by 1981 standards. I loved it when I was younger.
Road this so many times...one time my lap bar clicked open a few notches. So many youthful memories with this coaster at six flags!
I remember being 13 and America eagle was like this hidden gem in the back in the cut didn't have a long line and it was so fun me and my friends rode it several times back to back and riding it backwards was one of the most thrilling experiences ever! It just has a special feel to it American eagle will always be my favorite ❤💙❤💙
Great video, great coaster what a classic and a fun one
i miss riding it backwards
That probably felt insane. That would be cool. Maybe if they did one track in reverse and the other facing forward. I think I’d be terrified of doing it backwards. Not gonna lie.
@@theruleoffire the backwards version was so dope bro
I never got to ride it backwards I started going to it in 2018
That was crazy, made the ride 10x better.
I lived in Waukegan Ill in 81. I rode this coaster Many times before I moved in Jan 1984. I rode the "edge:" several times & scared the shit outta me! My sisters dad was the head electirician for the the park for 30 yrs. We gotto ride before the the park opened to the public:)
My favorite of all time. Hope it stays forever
SFGA is my home park and my family and I really enjoy it every weekend. I finally got two of my kids to ride it with me, but just sad to see practically empty lines. I was 11 yrs old when batman the ride opened in 92 and now I get to see the smiles on my kids which is priceless.
I rode American Eagle Twice on Opening day back in 1981 and a total of 123 times that first season, Walked through every switchback under the tent queue. There was another incident in 1984 when the coaster still had the old upward friction brakes,.. Two trains collided on the blue side during morning block checks This led to the blue side only having 2 trains that year, and the coaster getting a new control system the following winter, modern fin brakes and new single lap bars... Also in that change the coaster would no longer be capable of 3 trains per side as the brake 5 was changed to a trim brake not a block brake... 3 train ops only happened a few times in 1981, it was hard to do and with the friction brakes was a risk to stack trains. Furthermore the seatbelts were quite long and would get stuck between the car and platform slowing loading. I worked the ride in 1991, and would walk the lift at least once a shift it seemed when riders would attempt to stand up on the lift. They got two warnings before we would stop the lift and go up to address the guest. As much as love AM I would love to see it get a Second lease on life as a record breaking RMC. Its not popular anymore and its a large piece of land to have used by an unpopular side. Im sure also it costs a lot to keep it running and its makes you wonder when SF just shuts it down for cost. The alternative Is tearing it down, I would rather see it live on.. There is one more thing, Marriott planned a clone of AM for the Santa Clara park. It would have been in the same spot in the park on land that the park no longer owns. The main difference was it would have been a single track ver.. I believe it was planned for 83-84, however Marriott never built it and sold off the parks..
The first time i rode this roller coaster was in the early 90s and the line was crazy long they still took your picture on it
Love that ride. Btw, if they thought people bitched when they almost got rid of the Whizzer imagine the outcry if they tried to get rid of that icon. It’s literally a landmark in Gurnee, IL.
Dude if they ever said that I would protest to keep it just give it titan track
@WaterishDog I know so whenever someone’s says rmc eagle I say they can’t and also it’s a great ride
@WaterishDog also I’m just now wondering how did they even build it in the first place if it’s that close to the highway?
@WaterishDog true
This was actually my first coaster. Rode it back in '94
The Demon was an upgrade from its original called Turn of the Century…
Umm wouldn’t it only be 40 years old in 2021? 1981-2021 40 my good man not 50.
Yes I noticed it when I published it and put the correction in the description lol. It’s due to info I grabbed about the coaster that threw me off when I was talking about it.
You’ve made a mistake before
I hope they never dismantle the American Eagle. There is no reason it could not be there 100 years from now
Yes I
Also hope they don’t RMC it. Kinda ridiculous to keep destroying roller coaster history for a couple of fan boys overly obsessed with RMC.
@@theruleoffire they either have to RMC it or tear it down for tons of reasons
They can’t do really much of it because it’s to close to Washington street
@@doritosauce6632No Ruin My Coaster!!!(RMC)!!!
I love this ride but today when I went it’s not the same. It’s so rough now your no longer feeling thrill but fear that the cart might fly off lol
I once went on it then it started to rain as I was on top of the lift hill and all I heard that entire ride was ting ting ting ting ting yeah
This was the second roller coaster I ever been on the first one was the Shockwave is the first time I went to Great America with my family and my dad would not let me get away with being a wimp so I was talked into riding every coaster there now I am addicted I love riding roller coasters
That's a lot of paint
I hope it gets rmc
Where exactly is the mid course for the 5th and 6th trains?
Hmmm
I've never noticed a midcourse brake in my years of going, so it was presumably removed years ago, but it would have had to be at the top of the helix where they have a trim now.
@@karlsturm9698 that is really the only straight part I suppose.
There are 6 "brakes" on the American Eagle. Brakes 1 and 2 are right before they enter the station. Brake 3 is the station. Brake 4 is almost to the lift where they can change trains on the track. Brake 5 is at the top of the Helix. Brake 6 is right before the last 360 before heading back into the station (inside the main lift). That means there are 5 zones. If the ride detects 2 trains in the same zone the entire ride shuts down. The original intent was to stop the ride at Brake 5, then basically make it two "rides" in one. That's why the Eagle's Nest at Brake 5 (top of the Helix) is there. It was supposed to have an operator to release the train. It was never implemented as it's not possible to swap passengers in the one minute, fifteen seconds it takes to clear the first lift. So two trains per side became the norm.
@@OSD_Chicago so the riders would swap sides at the top of the helix?
It won't be RMC. They tried but RMC said it will be much cheaper if they build one from scratch and thats why we have goliath now.
Never been on the Eagle before
Huge eagle fan. Don't RMC it please god
Man, can you imagine the guys who had to paint this shit? FML....worst job ever.
Holy shit, I forgot about Tidal Wave. That ride NEVER felt safe at all....making it kinda fun.
Fave memory? First coaster I ever did.
Fave thing about it? Its rare anymore to have such long straightaways. The out and back design feels different today.
topper track it! el toro level smoothness/og layout, or RMC and you'll have a the most popular high capacity attraction in the park. I grew up near the park and the ride is absolutely a classic, but it, just like Raging Bull, seem to get a lot less recognition outside of the park's market than they deserve. I much prefer this ride to the beast.
Where‘s that original footage from?
There’s something called television
Wrong. The park opened with The Turn of the Centry, not the Demon. The Demon opened in 1980 and was a transformation of The Turn of the Century
Ok thanks for your comment.