Rumors Fly Faster Than Speeding Bullet

The troubled Superman ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain may not be generating much speed these days, but it is certainly generating its share of gossip.

Touted as the world’s first 100-mph roller coaster, Superman--The Escape was scheduled to open in May.

But as the delay stretches from weeks to months, coaster fans nationwide are calling the Valencia park daily for updates, and an Internet newsgroup devoted to thrill rides is vibrating with rumors. Enthusiasts join in from such cyber sites as the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

“Word is that the massive speed attained on the ride is too much for the ride vehicles,” read one posting on rec.roller-coaster. “Parts burning and things of that nature.”

Said another: “There is a problem with the drive, and they can only get 60 mph out of the vehicle.”

And yet another theory: “If they try and push full speed, there is no telling that it would snap off the top of the tower.”

Park officials have said little, insisting only that the coaster’s high-tech propulsion system needs fine-tuning. But that hasn’t deterred the hard-core roller coaster faithful, who view the introduction of a new ride as serious business, a key event in a high-speed way of life.

“Everybody has to have a hobby,” said Paul L. Ruben, of Rochester, N.Y., who has been riding coasters for 50 years and writes about them for Park World, an international trade magazine. “But people who enjoy roller coasters have a fervor. They will travel the country. They will flock to new rides.”

Their interest in Superman is understandable. The new roller coaster employs technology never before used in an amusement park.

Unlike conventional coasters that tow cars loaded with riders to a great height and then let gravity take over, Superman is powered by something called a synchronous linear motor.

Its six-ton cars are equipped with large magnets that pass over electromagnetic elements placed every few feet along the track. Split-second timing is crucial as the cars’ magnets are first pulled toward each element, then pushed away and forward to the next.

Propelled faster and faster, Superman is designed to race along a flat stretch of track, reaching top speed in seven seconds. Then it is supposed to curve upward to a height of 415 feet--making it the world’s tallest ride, as well as the fastest--before plummeting backward to the starting point, with the magnets acting as brakes.

Magic Mountain engineers have refused to be interviewed or to allow reporters onto the ride site. According to Bonnie Rabjohn, a park spokeswoman, engineers have been increasing the acceleration 10 mph at a time, pausing to synchronize the magnetic propulsion system at each stage. There is no estimate of when the ride will be ready.

“Our members are waiting,” said Ray Ueberroth, past president of American Coaster Enthusiasts, an international group that had planned to hold a gathering for the May opening.

In the United States, amusement park visitors took about 270 million roller coaster rides last year. No doubt American Coaster Enthusiasts’ 5,000 members were among those riders. The typical member is a man in his mid- to late-30s. On average, he visits an amusement park nearly once a month, has ridden 60 different roller coasters in his lifetime, and adds one or two to that list each summer.

“I did it rather surreptitiously for many years by promising my family a vacation at the shore,” said Ruben, who figures that he has racked up 3,000 miles on 400 different coasters. “On the way home, our route would always take us by a new park. I would always convince my wife that we should stop for the sake of the children.”

Ruben said he has been receiving daily calls from acquaintances wanting Superman updates. Dr. Lisa Scheinin, a regional officer of the group and a pathologist, fields questions too.

“I had a party at my house for the local coaster enthusiasts and it was definitely a big topic of conversation,” Scheinin said. “They may be a little frustrated that it hasn’t opened as soon as they would like, but I think people are still interested.”

Which might explain the Internet postings that continue to fly fast and furious.

Originating from across the country and Europe, the give-and-take can become quite technical. There has been plenty of talk not only about the delay, but the ride’s structural components and the gravitational forces it generates. Alan Baldwin of Manchester, England, wrote: “The Gs increase according to the square of the velocity and decrease as the radius of the curve increases.”

Many such postings attribute their information to “a very reliable source” or “a friend who works at the park,” which prompted this reply: “Come on now, give me five bucks and I can find someone who works there to tell you anything you want.”

A Magic Mountain spokesman said he welcomes the interest but could do without some of the theories.

“I don’t think anybody here is going to answer to rumors,” spokesman Palmer Moody said.

Overheating electrical parts? “Some of the Internet stuff is a little ludicrous.”

Concerns that the top of the tower might snap off? “Now that one you definitely don’t have to worry about.”

Times staff writer David Brady contributed to this story.