Closed...

Well, we were on our way to Wicked Twister yesterday, and it was running like normal. The moment we stepped in line, the train stopped on the LIM system. Employees ran to check it out...and all I got was it would be down for 'mechanical problems' and the train was stuck there for a god half hour or so...we watched it test, and it stopped again. They couldnt seem to figure it out, so they closed it due to the 'wind', and I didnt buy it...

I did notice that at around 9 pm it re-opened for the final hour of operation for the day, yesterday, so it was very weird. Do you think that something went wrong with the LIM system? Or was it truly the wind..

edit: When it did re-open, the train was hardly making it half way up the spikes...for instance on the front spike, the front car only made it half way up, and on the back spike, the back car only made it half way up...
*** This post was edited by playa21 8/31/2003 9:54:43 PM ***

It could be either/or.... only the ride ops will know for sure!!

*maniacal laughter*

Wind doesnt really affect a coaster, with a electromagnetic propulsion system 9 feet off the ground, sheltered on the beach side for 3/4 of the launch run... :)

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TTD: 6 (Rollbacks seen: 24)
MF: 20
WT: 9

*** This post was edited by MrFat699 9/7/2003 7:34:04 PM ***

I did find out that it actually was the wind. A cold front moved through earlier that morning before the park opened, pushing winds of 50 - 60 miles per hour. The track was shaking severely, and they stopped a train right in the middle of operation. The train rested on the LIM system for 30 minutes, the opinion of the people, until they finally gave up and rolled the train backwards into the station.

From the qeue lines of DT, I could hear the sighs and complaints of the people waiting in the 45 minute line. It was an odd occurence though, which went a little like this.

We went over to WT, it was closed. We left for Raptor, it opened.

We rode Raptor, came back, and it was closed. Left for Power Tower, and some other coasters.

It opened, so we headed over...and it closed again. It repeated that cycle 3 more times, until it opened for the final hour of operation.

Ohhh..... good point. I'm sorry, I apologize, I didn't consider that the free-standing spikes sway in low wind, just from the train operation, and with high winds, the spikes would sway dramatically, forcing unincredible un-stability, and even a catastrophic failure...

I understand now...

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TTD: 6 (Rollbacks seen: 24)
MF: 20
WT: 9

OK, if WT is down for a mechanical reason, they'd say that. Those spikes are very solid, wind has no effect on them at all, in my year and a half on that ride, guess how many times we closed for wind? Zero. And 50-60 MPH winds? I guess they were only on WT, cuz Sky Ride stayed up all day til close on Saturday! You got some things a bit off, Playa

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Matt - '02-'03 WT crew/ ATL Sky Ride '03
It's not a beer belly, it's the gas tank for a sex machine!

We've never gone down "for wind"... the only midway announcements we've made are down for "mechanical reasons" or "current weather conditions." If we are down for weather conditions, it's due to lightning. Wind has never shut down WT.

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2003 - Wicked Twister Crew

Hrmm...interesting. My main question was that why did they stop the operation immediately? Out of nowhere. It was closed on and off all day. The train was going completely normal, like it should be, and it stopped. We were just watching it, and it stopped...

edit: I know WT shakes, but it was REALLY shaking...
*** This post was edited by playa21 9/16/2003 4:30:17 PM ***

It may E-stop on occasion, which stops it mid-cycle. And as being up and down all day... it may need adjustments or something. it is just a machine.

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Matt - '02-'03 WT crew/ ATL Sky Ride '03
It's not a beer belly, it's the gas tank for a sex machine!

Mathew said:
it is just a machine.

<Arnold> IT IS THE RISE OF THE MACHINES! WATCH OUT! GET DOWN! WAWA!

Just stopping in the middle of operation could be anything. Like Mat said, it could be an e-stop that needs to be investigated. Or, it could be something as simple as a wheel needing to be changed. Either situation, we stop operation of the ride and have it checked out.

I'll guarantee it wasn't down for wind, however.
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2003 - Wicked Twister Crew

*edit* spelling counts!
*** This post was edited by Gravity 9/17/2003 4:56:43 AM ***