Thrills by the Bay: Patriot - Vortex Floorless Conversion Update (and Exclusive close-up look at the new trains)

Vortex is barely recongizable as a lot of progress has been made over the past few weeks. Most of the track has been painted with a nice, vibrant blue and it looks like the supports will be next as sections have been masked off.

We were fortunate enough to catch some action yesterday as the crew was removing some of the rail's pin striping. Ever wondered why on the coaster rails there's a strip of bare metal running down the center and side? It's not because they "missed a spot" but because that's where the wheels make contact with the rails. Having no paint there reduces the friction between the rails and the wheels and overall eliminates any potential problems that would affect the train's wheels.

Vortex grave site with Patriot looming over.

Workers are removing the strips along the rails, the areas in which the wheels will make contact with.

Supports look like they have fresh paint on it, they had masked off the area where the track and supports join.

Patriot painting crew seemed to have been excited when we pulled out the camera to get a close up of the work being done :)

Peeling that strip away, exposing the bare metal rail underneath.

The brake run has yet to be painted as there's still work to be done.
You can see the bare metal stripes on the rails in the background.

As simple as the color scheme is, it brings new life into the park.

Sections of track have been completely covered as to prevent accidental over-spray.

Closer up look at the pinstriped rails, on top for where the road wheels make contact
and along the side where the guide wheels make contact.

We aren't exactly sure what's happening in the station but the entire thing looks like it's been ripped apart. We are hoping the station will get a nice upgrade, you know, like having a roof :)

Station work to still be done.

The station looks like a war zone at the moment :)

The walls on the queue side have been ripped out.

Lastly, during the ACE NorCal "Ace Night at the Haunt V" we were taken to the back to get a close up look at the new Patriot trains which had recently arrived on site. Patriot will be getting a nice upgrade with magnetic brakes as well. Photos of the train and backstage area were taken with permission on an authorized tour with ACE.

New trains, they look like they sit up a little higher than a normal floorless coaster's trains
for heartlining purposes (and reduce discomfort when entering a banked section)