officials issued five summonses to the resort's owners for violations of county building codes. The ride contained 250 steel tension rods, of which approximately 40 had snapped. The resort was cited for continuing to operate the ride despite the breakages. Repairs were made, but the ride reopened and closed several times that month as more rods broke. The initial 40 broken rods had been replaced using stronger material, which strained the weaker rods and caused them to snap. The strain also created fine cracks in the coaster track. The Manhattan Express reopened in April 1997, after two weeks of repairs and safety improvements. Further rod breakages occurred on several occasions later in the year. The rods were repaired as they broke, and the county deemed the ride safe despite the frequent breakages. By July 1997, the Manhattan Express had been closed for repairs at least eight times. The coaster had its one-millionth rider the same month. Ultimately, the resort had to replace 175 of the rods with steel tension cables. All except 50 of the rods had been replaced by September 1998. By then, problems with the coaster had decreased significantly, though broken rods were still being reported. According to Ron Lynn of the Clark County building department, the coaster was still safe to ride, even as three faulty rods were being replaced every week. Renaming and modifications Over the years, the Big Apple Coaster gained a reputation for being a rough roller coaster. The original TOGO trains used over-the-shoulder restraints, which many guests reported were uncomfortable. In addition, the track layout placed high amounts of lateral forces on guests. In 2004, Premier Rides installed magnetic brakes on the ride; by then, TOGO had gone out of business. In August 2006, Premier also installed new trains to replace the original TOGO trains. After the Premier trains were installed, the ride became noticeably smoother, compared to when the TOGO trains were in use. The ride was renamed The Roller Coaster in 2007, and it was again renamed in 2013, becoming the Big Apple Coaster. In February 2018, the ride's operator introduced an virtual reality coaster option, designed by VR Coaster. Riders could pay an additional fee to wear a virtual-reality headset on the ride. The headsets contained 3D footage of aliens being chased through the Nevada desert and into the skyline of New York City. , the Big Apple Express is