Great American Scream Machine (Six Flags Over Georgia)
| The Great American Scream Machine | |
|---|---|
| File:SFoG-Great American Scream Machine.jpg The front entrance of the attraction. | |
| Six Flags Over Georgia | |
| Location | Six Flags Over Georgia |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | 1973 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Wood |
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Company |
| Designer | Don Rosser, John C. Allen, William Cobb |
| Lift/launch system | Chain Lift |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:00 |
| Max vertical angle | 45° |
| Capacity | 1200 riders per hour |
| The Great American Scream Machine at RCDB | |
The Great American Scream Machine is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Georgia. The 105-foot ride was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1973 and reaches speeds up to 57 mph. When it opened, it was the tallest wooden roller coaster in the world, and riders were given a "Red Badge of Courage" button for riding the coaster.
Operational Information
A computerized block system is used to prevent trains from contacting each other. GASM has 5 blocks: Station, Transfer Table, Lift, Ready Brake, and Safety Brake. Normal operation uses two trains; however, it can be operated with only one. During two-train operation, if the train in the station has not fully exited the platform, the inbound train still stop abruptly in the Ready Brakes. A combination of proximity switches, mechanical switches, photoelectric sensors, and timers are all used by the controller to track train movements.
Each train consists of four cars with three rows per car; two riders per row, holding 24 total riders. Each row has a lap bar and a seat belt. The lapbar itself is locked and unlocked by an electrical current that activates solenoids on the train, resulting in a "buzzing" electrical sound. They can be troublesome, sometimes requiring the operating crew to manually unlock the lapbar for a rider. The trains ride on steel wheels with guide wheels and upstops attached. The track is plank wood stacked 7 planks high, with steel running surfaces on the top, bottom and sides (locations where the running, guide, and upstop wheels contact the track).
Before computerized control existed, operators used a lever to operate the brake system and dispatch trains. The operator near the end of the station controlled the main brakes at the end of the circuit; the operator at the front of the station operated the brakes at the station platform only and worked to dispatch trains to the lift.
When the nearby Chattahoochee River floods, the Scream Machine can be fully immersed in several feet of water.