Mr. Freeze Steelworkers' Photo Album

Some of the steelworkers very kindly offered to share their own personal photo album with us roller coaster buffs. Here are some striking photos of the birth of a roller coaster, as seen through the eyes of the men who actually put the thing together.

The following photo shows the staging area where bits and pieces of Mr. Freeze are laid out prior to them being taken to the construction site. The coaster is to be built just beyond the brown building in the background.

Here are more pieces of Mr. Freeze track, in the staging area.

The picture below shows more of the staging area. The columns in the foreground are some of the three corner columns which will make up the main tower. In the distance you can see "Flashback" (a Vekoma Boomerang) and the tower for the Texas Chute-Out ride.

The following pictures show the crane preparing to lift the first section of the launch run beams into place. Note that some of the supporting structure for the launch run is already in place.

The following picture shows a section of the launch run support structure, ready to receive a section of track.

The following photo shows one of the pieces of the launch section track being loaded onto a cart so it can be moved from the staging area to the construction site.

The next picture shows the crane preparing to set a section of the launch run track into place on the supporting horizontal structure.

Here is a picture showing a part of the launch run track through what will be the acceleration tunnel, note that several sections of the coaster track are already in place. The yellow fence in the distance separates the construction zone from the portion of Six Flags' Good Times Square section which is open.

This is another view towards the south showing the first several pieces of the launch run track, now set into place. The red track to the right of the photo is part of the Mini-Mine-Train, obviously out of service during the construction of Mr. Freeze.

The following pictures show a crane lifting the first of the main tower columns in preparation for setting it into place on the tower's triangular foundation.

In the next pictures, the first of the supporting main tower columns is being set into place on the foundation. This is the south column, the one which will eventually support the spike track.

In the following pictures, the second of the main tower columns is being set into place. The second one is the western column.

The next picture shows the support structure for the end of the launch run now in place, with the first few support columns for the main tower also now erect.

Here we have two views of the launch run, showing the end (for now) of the installed section of track. The red track you see behind it is for the Mini-Mine-Train, and you can also see the Air Racer and Observation towers.

The following picture shows much of the launch run with the track in place. The yellow fence in the back separates the construction zone from the portion of Good Times Square which continues open during the construction.

The following picture shows the first of the eastern columns of the main tower being set into place. In the background you can see the arch of the Dive Bomber attraction, the knobby tower of the Air Racer ride, and the tall tower of the Observation Platform. You can also see part of another coaster, probably Shock Wave, and the illuminated Six Flags sign along IH30, which runs along the northern edge of the park.

Here the first three columns of the main tower, and a few of the braces have been placed.

In the following sequence of pictures, the crane is lifting the first of the K-shaped braces for the northern side of the main tower into place.

Here is a picture showing the first of the northern-side tower K braces now in place.

The next picture shows the end of the launch run and a few of the supports which will eventually carry the riders at 70mph towards the main tower.

One of the horizontal braces for the southwest face of the tower being lifted into place. Note that the southern column is the one with the maintenance ladder.

Here is the second of the K-shaped braces being lifted into place along the northern side of the tower.

The following picture shows a view of Mr. Freeze's main tower, looking towards the south. You can see how the northern side of the tower has two of the K-shaped braces already installed.

As each piece is carefully set in place, it is secured with large bolts through the flanges.

This is a view towards the north along the launch run, showing the main tower's eastern column in line with it. The LIMs will later be installed along the flat plates on either side of the track.

This is the same view, but from further to the north along the launch run. Note that here, the track itself is not yet in place. You can see one of the A-shaped supports for the sweeping curve which will eventually lead up to the first vertical run on the tower.

Here is another view from the northeastern corner of the main tower.

A view from the eastern side of the tower.

Here is a shot showing the first portion of the track, after the acceleration run, beginning to scale the tower.

"Cookie" amid the foundations of the wraparound curve supports. The red track you see here is part of the Mini-Mine-Train.

Crane operators perform delicate work, often separated by long periods with nothing to do while the construction workers are aloft working in the basket. A good time to kick back and relax.

The following sequence of shots show again one of the vertical sections of track just after the acceleration run, starting up the tower, being set into place.

The next pictures show the crane lifting the fourth corner tower segment into place.

The following three pictures show the main tower of Mr. Freeze with the first two portions of the upsweeping vertical track in place.

The following shot is interesting because it shows a surprising number of things that are not obvious at first look. Besides of course the upsweeping track of Mr. Freeze, and the tower column in the foreground, you can also see the beige loading station for the Mini-Mine-Train, a part of red track for the same attraction, the arch and lift towers for the Dive Bomber (skycoaster), the tower for Air Racer, the Observation Tower, the building housing the top of one lift for the Mine Train (caught even with a car right there), more of the Mine Train track, and even the top of the lift hill for The Texas Giant! The numerous silent foundation blocks of concrete, waiting to receive respective pieces of Mr. Freeze, quietly wait their turn.

In the following shots, construction crew have started putting up the framing steel for the acceleration tunnel. In the foreground, another main column pillar for the tower.

Against an ominous sky, the track continues its climb up the main tower. Here you can start to see the twist which will orient the trains before going through the inversion.

Unusually heavy spring rains conspired to delay completion of Mr. Freeze. Here you can see how Johnson Creek, normally running quietly along and well below the north side of the tower, is practically lapping at the very base of Mr. Freeze's tower itself!

In the next picture, you can see how far the water has risen. The launch run and acceleration tunnel can be seen to the upper right.

Mr. Freeze's main tower continues to push skyward. Here, seen from the northwest side, it has basically reached the level of the inversion loop.

In this picture, taken from the south side of the tower, you can see that most of the initial upwards vertical track is present. On the west side of the tower, the first piece of the track coming down from the inversion and heading towards the wraparound turn in in place. And up above, the steelworkers are installing some of the cluster of conduits which will carry the power to the array of LIMs that will boost Mr. Freeze's trains up the spike. The red track you see in the foreground is for the Mini-Mine-Train.

The following are some more shots at basically the same level of completion of the main tower.

In these two shots, you see a view of the tower taken from just behind some of the support columns for the wraparound curve.

With the inversion complete on the tower, the steelworkers turn their attentions to the support structure for the wraparound curve.

On the morning of the topping-out ceremony, some of the steelworkers discuss the topping-out.

In preparation to connect up the top piece of the spike, three steelworkers prepare to be hoisted some 22 stories up to near the very top of the spike. There they will cling to the track while waiting for the top piece to arrive, so they can bolt it into place.

While the press awaits their photo-op, the steelworkers prepare to raise the top portion of the spike track to its place of honor. You can see the impromptu flagstaff that's been strapped to the segment of track. Left to right, I believe these are Travis, Troy, Mitch, Ronnie, Steve, and Donald.

The final piece of track now in place, Lane Williams, Troy Rockey, and Jerry Bolden prepare to go to the very top of Mr. Freeze to install the American flag, while Mitch looks on.

Especially when working so high up, safety is an important concern. Here one of the steelworkers puts on the harness which will help to protect him.

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Mr. Freeze and related elements are property of DC Comics, (C) 1997. Photographs on this page are Copyright (C) 1997 by the steelworkers of CMSCo, used here by permission. These scans of their photographs Copyright (C) 1997 by Gordon E. Peterson II. The rest of this page and all linked contents originating with me are Copyright (C) 1997 by Gordon E. Peterson II, all rights reserved worldwide. Last revised May 20, 1997.