6 trains this year

Yes, The trains need to get certified every year after they get taken apart and put back together.

S2Kster, I think they were just testing 6 train operation this morning. They have not put the 6th train normal operation yet. *** Edited 7/27/2004 4:35:11 PM UTC by Big D***

Just to let everyone know they ran the red train this morning with people on it. Red was the first loaded train of the day.

Has any one heard an explaination for the absents for the red train during May and June?

I was at CP on Monday and Tuesday. Of course TTD was constantly breaking down, but we only had to wait an hour and a half. The red train is sitting on the storage track.

I dont know if they are running 6 trains right now. But the intervals are at about 40 to 43 seconds!! Its the fastest intervals i have ever seen.

They should really just forget about running 6 trains. It would probably turn out to be a mess like it was last year when they did it. Plus, with the decent intervals they've been having like Z-Man said, I just don't see a need for the 6th train.

Why not take the never-to-be-used 6th train and use it is a really cool photo op thing for the entrance of TTD? Little kids would sit in it. It would make a cool photo.

Well, it won't happen, but it would be neat.

Or... do they rotate the trains to give others a "rest" so they can be fixed and have nice new wheels added and such?

That's a good interval! I'm going next year to Cedar Point and I was wandering if anyone could tell me how often TTD breaks down?

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rathofdoom said:
Why not take the never-to-be-used 6th train and use it is a really cool photo op thing for the entrance of TTD? Little kids would sit in it. It would make a cool photo.

Well, it won't happen, but it would be neat.

Or... do they rotate the trains to give others a "rest" so they can be fixed and have nice new wheels added and such?

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Thats basically what they are doing now and what they have been doing last year. Now that the red train has been tested and approved to opperate, They rotate and one train gets to stay off one day.

I finally realized why 5 trains would be better than 6. With 5 trains the trains are able to go into the brakes and into the unload station right away. With 6 the train first in line to launch has to wait until the second train clears the tower and the trains in the load station clear and the trains in the unload station clear. Which causes the trains to stack. With 5 train operation they may stack a train for maybe 5-10 seconds then it unloads. Unless the launch intervals are very fast (like 40 seconds or less) then six trains doesn't save anytime. 6 trains create the unload station to be always full. Why would you want that. 5 trains make it where there is usually a spot in the unload open.

I think that is precisely why we aren't seeing the 6 train operation this year. Last year the 6th train made things a mess.

TTD has 7 blocks which makes it possible to run 6 trains. MF has 4 blocks making it possible to run 3 trains. These rides can run efficiently if there is no delay but as you know MF is stacking because seatbelt hold ups. TTD has a hold up with the seatbelts and the launch intervals. If you look at other roller coasters at CP you'll notice they have 2 blocks always open.

Raptor 3 trains; 5 blocks (station, lift, mid-course brakes, first half of the brakerun, second half of the brakerun)

Same thing on Mean Streak, Mantis, and Gemini.

If you look at Corkscrew and Magnum they always are stacking a train. Because they have 4 blocks and 3 trains. So, roller coasters run better 2 blocks open instead of one.

Actually, Dragster has 8 blocks.

Launch 1 & 2

Load 1 & 2

Unload 1 & 2

Hold 1 & 2 *** Edited 8/13/2004 2:05:17 PM UTC by bholcomb***

Hmm...I think there are only 7 blocks. You have the load 1 and load 2, the ready block (where the second train sent out sits), the launch/hill block which covers all of the way to the top side of the tower, the waiting block which is at the end of the brake run, and the two unload blocks. I don't think there are 2 hold blocks...

There is always a train on the storage track. When I was there 8/10 the yellow train was on there and then they took it off and tranfered the purple train to it. The red train does operate.

I can assure you there are 8 blocks. They really need 9 though, for it to be efficient in running 6 trains.

I will back bholcomb up on that...and add that the blocking system is even more confusing because while in automatic mode there are 8 blocks; but while in manual mode, there are 9 blocks. Ask any TTD crew member to name all of the block reset buttons, and they will tell you:
Launch, Transfer, Load 1, Load 2, Unload 1, Unload 2, Hold 1, Hold 2, and Brake.

So what happens that the 9th block disappears? Well, since the definition of a block is an area in which you can bring a train to a stop without setting up the potential to impede on another train, and since a train can't come to a complete stop in the brake run, the Brake block and Hold 2 block become one and the same in automatic mode.

This means that you can't launch a train until the Hold 2 position is clear. Because it takes too long for Hold 2 to clear, running 6 trains just causes a train to sit idle in the launch position waiting for the train before it to clear the Hold 2 position.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, it's as easy as 1 2 3...1)Take the last set of drive wheels on the brake run and make them non-descending; 2) add catwalk an additional train's length beyond the electrical room [these two steps allow a train to come to a complete stop in the Brake run and be unloaded there if necessary]; and 3) reprogram the PLCs so that a train can be launched as soon as the Brake block is clear instead of the Hold 2 block.

Unless this type of reblocking is done, no matter how fast the crew is or how fast the launch system resets, Dragster will only have a maximum capacity of 1,193 riders per hour. That calculation is simply from the time it takes for trains to clear blocks assuming that as soon as a block is clear the next train is ready to enter it. Doing the same calculation with the reblocking that I mentioned would result in a maximum capacity of 1,400 riders per hour.

Personally, I'd love to know who came up with the 1,500 riders per hour number and ask them what their logic was, because it sure wasn't based on the standard industry blocking principal of only 1 train in a block at a time.

That's still not nearly as bad as Power Tower being advertised as 1700 pph, when capcity is more like 1000 pph. I sometimes wonder where they come up with their numbers.

Don't forget that Power Tower had 2 major operational changes made to it over the off-season. The new programing, and the fact that now only 1 person loads a tower (checks seats) as opposed to 2 people. Both of those changes increased the cycle time and thus decreased the capacity of the ride

What had to be reprogrammed on that ride? Why would they have one person check 12 seats?