Blackout at CP on 09-23

This was way too cool!
Was @ Raptors entrance talking to Tyler when all of a sudden midway went completely BLACK! It only lasted maybe 5 seconds but none the less was too scary! (Tyler-maybe next time Im at entrance and you're riding-dont talk to me!!! lol!)
My main concern was the Raptor train I knew I had just heard leave the lift. Well-good old B&M-
train came to a complete halt at the 2nd block break-riders stuck for around 15 minutes before ride up again.
Of course
stupid questions of THAT moment from the guests in line:

What seems to be the problem??
Hello-we just had a blackout!
How long before you're back up??
Do I look like an electrician?
Does this happen often??
I know it's the 1st blackout Ive ever
seen at CP
Will it be safe to ride in when its back up??
Let's have you go first and find out
Is MF running now?
Does it look like I am standing in front of MF?

(keeping in mind these were NOT the answers I gave the guests-but was definitely thinking it)
=)

Of course my ONLY wish in this whole ordeal is I wish I was in that train when the lights went out-that would have been awesome!!


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Welcome back Raptor riders-how was your flight??

I was ready to be dispatched from Diaster Transport. The ride op said "clear" and when she was about to push the dispatch button the lights went and the emergency lights came on. We had to wait about then minutes and they finally unloaded us, and we got to walk through the door between the too stations. When I walked out I saw that the Space Spiral was stuck near the top!

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daniel j. haverlock
Magnum Count: 1261
MF Count: 107
spiritofthepoint.com

I wish I could have been there!

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Feel the Force!

I was back in the Raptor break area on break when it happened. There were these two electricians back there doing something, and I think that might have caused the blackout. But the Raptor train that was coming on to the break run just before the station was stopped really hard. The breaks slammed on hard.


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Millennium Force The Future Is Riding On It

Sweeping from A-M in
Zone 152:)

LuvRaptor - I completely agree with your answers to the idiot questions! Many's the time when I've wished to say what I was really thinking with questions like that. *Grin*

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***************
Disaster Transport '97 Crew
Iron Dragon '98 Crew

Matt, not to sound like an english teacher or anything, but as has been discussed in almost every thread lately (especially the MS ERT one), you mean BRAKE, not break.

If a train would have been coming into the station on Raptor just before the black out, would the brakes not work, leading to a... disaster?

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Times I have "Gone Full Force" on MF: 7
-SUPPORT THE ANTI-TTR MOVEMENT!-

Majin Heero:
There is NO way a disaster can happen on Raptor-there is safety precautions all along the ride.
If a train had been coming into the station during the blackout (and there was one) it would just STOP (and it did) when it hit the brakes. The brakes are automatically locked ON in the case of any loss of electricity.
Hense---no disaster
Everyone was safe and sound,
and Raptor flies again!!


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Welcome back Raptor riders-how was your flight??

I was there also the night of the blackout (9-23). I saw you for a second LuvRaptor (I was the one who asked if you posted to GttP). Well, I was waiting in line for the last row on Raptor, just gazing out to the midway and BOOM, completely black. It was awesome. One train had just left the station and stopped once it reached the lift. Since Raptor has "floating blocks," another train was already entering the station and stopped there, partly in the station. The last train was on the service brakes, which are the first brakes the train enters when it completes the ride course (actually, now that I think about it, it MAY have been the safety brakes, I couldn't tell). Suffice to say, it was worth the trip from Chicago for the blackout alone. But hey, I'll take the 10 MF rides, too. :)

There was a blackout earlier in the season also when I was working at Raptor. The train got stopped in the block brake and they had to be walked down. It was only the front of the park at about 8:30 and it was DARK. It lasted for a while too. It was cool though

Sorry to through this topoc off, but what are "floating blocks"?

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"Your obssesed w/ that place aren't you?"

This one was a little different from the one earlier in the season.. that one only affected certain rides, food stands, etc.. in the front of the park..that one was almost fun to watch
( Though it was a pain for most of us).. but it was funny watching Foods employees wearing Coal Miner Hats that they bought from Merchandise just so they could see to walk around in the stands. Sitting at my desk trying to do schedules with a flash light was REALLY fun... This one was a complete black out of everything in the front. Kind of spooky.. but it was interesting to see. Matt, it was just coincidence that there were electricians in around Raptor at the time this happened. It was caused by a car accident when someone hit a pole.. I have seen the park lose power in certain areas.. but never seen everything go pitch black all at once like this one did.

B&M blocks are what is called 'normally closed' brake systems.

Electricity is needed for them to be open. Almost every coaster out these days are using them. Coasters using actuators have emergency release valves that let out all the air pressure causing the brakes to go to thier 'normally closed' positions.

In short.. It's a VERY VERY VERY VERY small chance that you would get a station brake faliure like you do in Roller Coaster Tycoon on a real ride

Even the retractable's on MF are psoitive airpressure normaly closed systems.

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Looking for me?? Take a guess where you'll find me...

I was one train from riding raptor when the earlier blackout happened. Where only the front of the park went out.

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Raptor Flights: 211
Force Rides: 90
CP pics:
www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4293894749

I've got a question for Dan:
What were you doing at Disaster Transport?

Sorry Jo, I'll never talk to you again :)

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Tyler Adams

Hooper,
That earlier blackout.. I was there for that too.. In line for Raptor. That one was Edison's fault. They had a substation feed line go. It wasn't actually CP's fault.

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Looking for me?? Take a guess where you'll find me...

I've always wondered, what happens if MF loses power? The main brakes are electro-magnets, right? So if they lose power they couldn't operate. Is there some back up?
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"the Force of the new Millennium is being felt by those who choose to seek it.

JT Coaster. About MF. They arn't electo-magnets. Just rare earth magnets. No power...No Problem.

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How can you have your pudding if you don't eat your meat!
*Pink Floyd-Another Brick In The Wall*

Fool-proof, failsafe braking with magnets, isn't it?

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How dare you vanquish the Steel Phantom without his consent? Fear the Phantom's Revenge.

Sorry LuvRaptor - I dont quite have the coaster knowledge others do (Ha, I was thinking RCT ;) ).

I wish CP would turn off the power unexpectedly for Halloweekends - it sounds so fun. Of course, they would have to do something to the rides to prepare for it. It just sounds like it would freak a lot of people out.

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Times I have "Gone Full Force" on MF: 7
-SUPPORT THE ANTI-TTR MOVEMENT!-

Having just the lights all go out would have a very good effect, but not hurt the rides :)

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"the Force of the new Millennium is being felt by those who choose to seek it.