Great American Scream Machine is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Georgia. The 105ft-tall ride reaches a top speed of 57mi/h. GASM, as it is known to park workers, was built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters in 1973 with Marvin M. Black & Sons as the contractor. When it opened, it was the tallest, longest and fastest roller coaster in the world, and riders were given a "Red Badge of Courage" button for riding the coaster. Recently, on May 21, 2017, Great American Scream Machine received an ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts) landmark for it being the first wooden roller coaster built by Six Flags and for being at the park for a substantial amount of time while being well maintained.Operational InformationA computerized block system is used to prevent trains from contacting each other. GASM has 5 blocks: Station, Transfer Table, Lift, Main Brake, and Ready 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 loading platform, the inbound train will stop abruptly in the Main 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).
