Hey all,
I just wondered if anybody knows the fastest speed ever reached with riders in the train? Also, why don't they go with that speed when they are talking about the fastest roller coaster on the planet? I would think that would make it appear even more impressive.
One more question...Do they have the ability to adjust the speed of the trains?
Thanks,
Damien
I have a love-hate relationship with Intamin.
I love their rides, I hate their policies. I guess I better start eating at Subway.
I don't know about adjusting the trains, but in person I have witnessed the radar showing 124 and 125 before while waiting in line.
i saw it hit 127 last year and it barely made it over, so i question the accuracy of the gun.
When you visit CP, visit my Mill, est. 1835
I saw 127 twice during testing and twice with people on it. It made it over but not like I would imagine.
During Halloweekends last year (second to last weekend), the ride consistently ran between 124 -128 MPH. During the evening 128 was the norm more than the exception.
Tom
I think that they can control the speed to some extent because they sometimes have to launch it faster to make it over due to some restrictions (e.g. cold track, wind). That's probally why you see the high speeds, and then the train barely making it over. That's only a thought though...
Okay...We know that sometimes it goes faster than 120 MPH...Why don't they claim the fastest speed that it launches as the fastest speed of any coaster on earth?
Or...They could state it as a range
"TOP THRILL DRAGSTER: Reaching a height of 420 feet and a speed between 120 and 12* MPH, this is the tallest, fastest, greatest coaster on the planet!
I dunno...What do you think?
Damien
I have a love-hate relationship with Intamin.
I love their rides, I hate their policies. I guess I better start eating at Subway.
It sometimes goes slower than 120. But, it IS DESIGNED to go 120 mph. I'm sure if you stood there with a laser gun at MF, than it would sometimes hit 95, 96mph as well as any other coaster... so they use the designed speed as their stated speed for the coaster. *** Edited 5/22/2004 5:05:19 PM UTC by Topthrill420***
i don't think that it is good for it to go faster than 120 because if it hits 130 or higher the g forces on the curve going up could reach a point to where it could kill you
That's ignorant. You can't be serious. :rolleyes: *** Edited 6/14/2004 11:24:30 PM UTC by TCKR***
I once watched a train being clocked at 130 MPH. Although I think something was wrong with the speedometer when it read that.
-Adam G- The OG Dragster nut
You'd have to be trucking pretty good to get high enough positive g's to kill you, especially for the short period of time you'd be experiencing them.
i was there yesterday and it was closed from 3-8pm cause of high winds...and it sucked cause we had a stamp 4 the ride from 5-6..but they were nice and let us use it...well anyway while in line i was watching the radar and i saw one train go 124mph.
The clock always reads 122 when I am there but I never seen it read faster than 124. But 120 MPH is already a highly impressive number, the few extra miles that it often reads won't make a difference, the minimum is necessary when the ride is already the fastest.
Life has it's ups and downs, might as well make it on a coaster!
Dragster was down most of the day today due to high winds. When it started testing around 5-5:30, and then when it started giving rides (trains only half-full), the speedometer was pretty much consistently reading between 122-125. There were still a lot of rollbacks due to the winds.
I don't think I've ever seen it go below 120 with people on it, and make it over. However, during testing, I have seen it roll back at 125.
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I think CP advertising the fastest coaster at 120 mph is good enough. If they advertise that TTD goes 125 mph, then most the time you are going to have angry guests when it doesnt hit 125 mph. 120 mph is a good "guestimate". Anything higher than 120 mph is a bonus.
I have seen TTD go 118 mph last year, in the beginning of the season. As for riding it, the fastest speed I have gone on it was 127 mph, although I didnt notice a difference in the ride.
I have seen a few hits at 126. I think that right before it starts to go vertical there is a mechanism that slows the train down to 120. Ever notice how right before it goes up, the train shakes side to side a little bit. There is a braking mechanism to make sure the train hits the vertical climb at 120. But sometimes, due to weather conditions and especially the cold, you are going to see more rollbacks even if you are reading 120mph+. Maybe I'm wrong but that is what i have been under the impression of.
I want to ride a rollercaster NAKED!!
There is no braking mechanism to slow the train to 120mph before the vertical climb. The only thing that is braked, which may or may not cause the shaking, is the push car that accelerates the train. That goes from 120+ to zero so that it can travel in reverse back to the launch point.
I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
I think you're just experiencing the stop in accelleration, when the catch car disengages from the launch. Going from 1.5 accelleration g's to 0 is a substantial change, which is why it may feel like you're being braked.