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OK, I am ready to address a former Top 10 coaster of mine, the Great American Scream Machine. This beauty just celebrated its 30th birthday last year, and it still continues to thrill me after years of riding. The Scream Machine was one of the later coasters designed by PTC, and John Allen did a great job with it. To begin with, the beauty of the white wood-lattice structure is something to marvel over, and before Ninja was placed on top of the lake, it provided one of the most photogenic sites in any park, with the structure reflecting in the water on a clear and sunny day, it would present the illusion of a double coaster, and I just wish I had more photos of it. Back to the real guys of the GASM: the ride itself. The first drop is truly remarkable, but I am pretty easy to please as far as drops on woodies. The setting over the lake is nice, and diving down at 55mph while floating out in the front is always fun. Notice I said front, I dont always get the same results in the back. Anyway, the best air is still to come, with most of the small bunny hills in the remaining section providing some good, not the best, but good air. The pacing could use some work, it really slows down sometimes in the turn before heading back to the station. The last few bunny hops are good as well, especially the last one before the track gets covered: from the front it provides a great headchopper effect, before it slams the brakes to an instant stop, which is one of the most jolting stops on a coaster.Overall, this 30+ year old woodie is still a great ride for thrills, but I have now experienced more fantastic wooden coasters, so I will lower my initial rating of 9 down to an 8, because this just sint quite as good as CCIs Rampage and Hurricane, both of which I rated as 9s.
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