I’ve been working on another video series, CoasterTalk, which will discuss all aspects of amusement parks throughout Southern California. The first episode covers a recent discovery at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Other videos will showcase some of the other rollercoasters in the park as well as various bits of history that you can find, if you know where to look.
Category Archives: Santa Clarita
Interesting discovery at Six Flags Magic Mountain
On Friday, August 8, 2025, I was a part of a behind-the-scenes tour at Magic Mountain. Part of the tour included walking part of the infield for Twisted Colossus and Goliath. Two things we saw really stuck out to me. The first was seeing an old section of original Colossus trackway beneath the lift hill. This was something I was already aware but hadn’t seen up close since I learned of it. It had to remain as it was a structural part of the lift hill.
The second discovery was most unexpected but somewhat related to the first. In 2014, the original 1978 Colossus rollercoaster was closed to be transformed into Twisted Colossus by Rocky Mountain Construction in 2015. This “new” coaster would take the old one to a new level with steel track and inversions. There is truly no other rollercoaster like this in the world and happens to be my favorite. A lot of the original supports and track were removed in this process.
Some of the original track from Colossus was repurposed as “soil terraces” along the edge of the maintenance roadway between Goliath / Twisted Colossus and Hurricane Harbor. At first, I noticed sections of wood that looked “odd”. Why would they be put together in such a manner? Upon closer inspection, I saw the original steel “track” that the rollercoaster wheels rode upon. At that point, I knew what I found and was quite excited.
As you can see, this was quite a find and a unique use of some of rollercoaster history. Always keep your eyes peeled for relics of the past at such parks. Magic Mountain has quite a few, some of which this site will review in the future. You never know what you might find out there!
Special thanks to the crew at Magic Mountain for allowing us this tour.
New Video – Piru Gorge and Pyramid Lake
Former US 99 followed a very scenic path over the mountains north of Los Angeles. Follow the Historic Highway 99 Association of California on a journey through the mountains, down the canyons, and beneath Pyramid Lake. Learn what was there before I-5 and what it took to build both roads.
Original pavement remaining at Castaic Junction, CA on old US 99
Castaic Junction, located just north of Six Flags Magic Mountain in the Santa Clarita Valley was an important stop along US 99 and State 126 until the 1980’s. A Standard Oil gas station, one of the largest and busiest at the time, was located here in addition to Tip’s Restaurant. The restaurant was reported to be the last stop for James Dean before he died on September 30, 1955. A Beacon station also existed here at the south side of the junction, though it didn’t last as long as the Standard station. The gas station closed sometime in the 1980’s and the restaurant persisted as the Castaic Junction restaurant a bit longer.
A Brief History of the Roadway Changes
The roadway through the junction has also undergone many changes since it was first paved. In 1917, a 15′ concrete slab was laid down. This was widened in 1922 by adding two 2.5′ slabs on either side of the existing concrete. At the time, Castaic Junction was a “wye” intersection, with US 99 making up the east side and State 126 on the south side. The west side was a connector road from SB US 99 to WB 126. In 1931, the 1917/1922 pavement was removed and replaced with a wider two-lane section along the same route. By 1933, an additional lane was added making it a three-lane “suicide lane” setup.
In 1948, yet more changes were made to the junction. US 99 was realigned a bit to the east and made a four-lane expressway. State 126 was also widened, though just at the junction itself. The former west leg of the junction was removed as the Standard Oil gas station was augmented. This configuration lasted until 1964 when I-5 was constructed and the whole intersection was bypassed.
Today, little remains of any of the structures that existed at the junction. A new shopping center and Caltrans maintenance yard occupy the area east of the junction. The original traffic signals were replaced and additional curbs were added.
Surprisingly, the original 1917 wye junction remains nearly completely intact. The west and east legs of the junction are still visible, despite a major realignment, the construction of the Standard Oil gas station in 1948, and its subsequent demolition. How long any of this will last is unknown as development is likely to erase these traces in the near future.
Further Reading:
Current photos of the intersection
Route Fire – Updated 1730
From the Ridge Route Preservation Organization:
Another wildfire has started at the south end of the Ridge Route in Marple Canyon along the 5. This fire, known as the Route Fire, has so far burned 250 acres and is not contained. The fire has burned across the old Ridge Route at the Callahan Line Change location, about 2 miles north of Castaic. Evacuations are underway as far north as Templin Highway. The fire has burned as far north as Martin’s, south of Templin Highway. It is not known if the structure survived.
At this time, I-5 is closed from State 138 to Castaic. The Ridge Route is also closed to through travel from Castaic to State 138 as the gates are closed. Do not use any portion of the Ridge Route as a bypass for I-5 at any time as it is not built for heavy traffic. Big rigs have attempted this in the past and got stuck, blocking others in.
For further information regarding road closures and detours, we strongly recommend Caltrans Quickmap at https://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ which has detailed information and updated traffic conditions.
We will post updates, as needed, if the Ridge Route itself or historic structures are damaged or in danger. After the fire is out and things have settled down, we will assess any damage to the roadway and post a report.