Blackout

I was just wondering how all you handled the big black out and what kind of things you expieranced during this?

I remember the small poweroutage last year, and I couldn't imgain what I this was like.

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Melissa
Magnum 00'
Pet Farm AATL 02'
Melslambs@hotmail.com
*** This post was edited by killerseagual 8/14/2003 7:49:02 PM ***

Well, I'm sure it was like the power bumps last year. All rides e-stoped and had to be emptied. They're lucky, though, If that happened after dark, I don't think it would have been possible to evacuate. What I want to know is how employees got into commons and what they did during the late hours.

Bryan

Thunder Canyon '98, '00, '01, and ATL '02

Let's see, I was just minding my own business waiting for the train that was bumped into the readies to come into the station, when all of a sudden we get a discrepancy and lose control power. I run out to the brakes to check on the guests. It's a good thing a few guests harnesses remained locked because they were attempting to break the restraints to get out. We got some cups, some water, and started to run it out to the trains stopped on the brakes.

I glance over to Magnum to find a walk-down in mid-progress which meant that people would not be allowed to exit until we had supervision done there. Finally supervision arrived, we walked them down, cleaned a little, then was sent home for the day.

Common's had power at 8 when I drove by. Some of Sandusky had power last night.

I guess one thing I don't understand about all this was our evacuation procedures. Dragster does walk-downs all the time.They just release the harnesses and walk them down without supervision. However, yesterday, it took an hour and 15 minutes for a walk-down to occur. Why can't they be evacuated since the whole crew is trained to do so?

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Formerly the imbecile known as ddogg
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2003 Super Screw Crew

This got me wondering. What happens to a ride like witches wheel, chaos, or troika if the power goes out and it is in motion?

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2003 Stats: Top Thrill Dragster: 10
Magnum XL-200: 48
29 trips to the Point

Get out the hook and later trucks. ;)

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http://said.uc.edu/students/oakleysd/cp/CP.jpg
Now tell me Cedar Point is running out of space.

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fat chris said:
This got me wondering. What happens to a ride like witches wheel, chaos, or troika if the power goes out and it is in motion?

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2003 Stats: Top Thrill Dragster: 10
Magnum XL-200: 48
29 trips to the Point

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This is a good question. I am not sure but it seems from looking at the mechanism that it is fail safe. In other words if the power goes out the hydraulics drain out slowly and lower the cabs to the ground. I can't imagine any other way to design that ride.

I am only talking about the WW!

I would appreciate a correction from the engineers that surf the board!

I wonder what the sky ride and the big wheel do in the event of a power failure.

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Erie: The only great lake you can walk from end to end and only get oil on your shoes!
*** This post was edited by ron skinnner 8/17/2003 9:22:57 AM ***

we left right before the blackout i think, i really dont know when it happened, but right before we left we saw a person stuck upside down when everyone else was fine. maybe a sign of what was to come!?

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Guess what? I got a fever! And the only prescription... is more cowbell!

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ron skinnner said:

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fat chris said:
This got me wondering. What happens to a ride like witches wheel, chaos, or troika if the power goes out and it is in motion?

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2003 Stats: Top Thrill Dragster: 10
Magnum XL-200: 48
29 trips to the Point

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This is a good question. I am not sure but it seems from looking at the mechanism that it is fail safe. In other words if the power goes out the hydraulics drain out slowly and lower the cabs to the ground. I can't imagine any other way to design that ride.

I am only talking about the WW!

I would appreciate a correction from the engineers that surf the board!

I wonder what the sky ride and the big wheel do in the event of a power failure.

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Erie: The only great lake you can walk from end to end and only get oil on your shoes!
*** This post was edited by ron skinnner 8/17/2003 9:22:57 AM ***

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Acctually, from working on it, if you hit the e-stop button, it automatically stays up and has to manually lowered (witches wheel that is). They say if it's turned off while up, it's the same as an e-stop so, it's probably closer to getting out the hook and ladders.

Bryan Post
*** This post was edited by TC Bryan 8/18/2003 12:11:15 AM ***

Well... the cabs on WW sway freely dont they? and centrifical force keeps them in line?

So if the power was cut, wouldn't the cabs that were invereted flop over after coming to an aprupt halt? I'm never riding witches wheel again... just for the sake of this
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TTD: 4 (Rollbacks seen: 24)
MF: 18
WT: 8
"C'mon, get off the rails guys, listen to the guy with the Disaster Transport uniform on!"

So you'd be sideways for a bit. Big deal. I actually think that would be pretty cool.

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AKA Cobraroller on Cbuzz

No seatbelt, metal bars, and plastic ceiling.... sounds very comfortable to me :)

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TTD: 4 (Rollbacks seen: 24)
MF: 18
WT: 8
"C'mon, get off the rails guys, listen to the guy with the Disaster Transport uniform on!"

Sky Ride, just like every lift I've ever seen, has a backup gas/diesel engine that is used to evacuate the lift if the power goes down. The even have a hand crank that they can attach, I've seen it in the station, but I wouldn't want that job!

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I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Well since we are taalking about the blackout I would like to commend the Traffic / Tolls crews for their hard work and patience with the situation. We were literally the first department moving into action (I know because I was also listening to Park Op) and not one of us complained about the difficulty of emptying the parking lot (which took about 4 hours to fill) all at one time.

When the rest of the employees were going home for the day, we still had employees WHO WERE OFF DUTY coming in to work to lend a hand. When all of the roads off point backed up to the parking lot, everyone keep doing their best to pack more cars out, realizing that there was little we could do. When guests got downright hostile and started tearing down fencing to get out, everyone remained true and stayed at their posts, even WITHOUT security coming out to keep the peace.

From what I saw and heard that afternoon from my department, as well as throughout the park and from what guests said other employees were doing Traffic Operations performed above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you everyone.

Respectfully,

Jonathan M Williamson

Yea, a lot of rides have a fail safe...such as MF combustion engine type things in the event of a power failure. The lift would run, get any trains off, they would come back to the station, be unloaded, and wait in silence as Cedar Point came to an abrubt halt...

On the Ferris Wheel...that would suck, and if it were night time, the chaos would be multiplied by 2,3,4, maybe even 5 times!!

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LaUnCh...420 feet, 120 mph, 4 seconds....brakes...breathe

On the topic of traffic, what happens to the signs above the streets with either a red X or a white Arrow which change during parts of the day? I would hope they had backup power

We locked the freezers. We still made deliveries of water and gatorade trying to take care of the guests that were still there. Closed down the wagons that would not work without power. It was scary not knowing what had caused the blackout. It all ended well though.

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PT Wagons 02, 03,

fat chris said:
This got me wondering. What happens to a ride like witches wheel, chaos, or troika if the power goes out and it is in motion?

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2003 Stats: Top Thrill Dragster: 10
Magnum XL-200: 48
29 trips to the Point

i was working chaos during the blackout and here is what happens during power failure. the cars that are upsidedown turn right side up but the ride stays where it is at and maintnence has to come and it is maually let down and all the cars are manually realeased

All three were down when the power went out.

The fun one was Giant Wheel... :)

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June 11th, 2001 - Gemini 100
VertiGo Rides - 82

I work Witches' Wheel for two years. On year as ATL and the next as TL. There is no E-stop on that ride just a disconnector button which shuts off electricity. There is no need to get ladders Call the firedepartment or anyone. If the ride is in it's up most position, yes, the hydraulic fluid will slowly come out of the boom and the ride will lower. ALso the cars only flip upside down because of centrifugal force.

So the power goes out. The wheel slows down respectively. It does take some time for the wheel to stop without brakes. The cars return to their normal position. ANd in about 10 minutes the wheel is back in it's normal load/unload position. The doors are all manual.

There would be no one flying around and no one was. It does not stop abruptly. Also all cabins will stop in a position where you could be comfortable contained. I have seen this several times. So if a power failure is scaring you from riding Witches' Wheel, don't worried, you won't get injured, and you will be comforatble, and you will received no bumps on your head. It's ok.

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- Chris -
*** This post was edited by Flisk 3/10/2004 10:00:24 AM ***

Giant Wheel was the worst.... trying to keep people on the ride who easily could have gotten off (who were sitting in the cars that were still on the platform) but if they'd gotten off the balance would have been thrown off and therefore forcing the Wheel to start moving again.... just a big mess really. And then trying to push (or pull) the wheel with about 30 sweeps/techs/anybody w/a uniform and having guests tell you that they want to get off RIGHT NOW (no... really??).

actually what's even better than losing power is when somebody on your crew doesn't balance the Wheel properly and then when the wheel cycles it DOESN'T stop until it finds a natural place where it's balanced to stop.... yep, that happens too....

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2003 - Giant Wheel Triangle
2004 - Giant Wheel TL